4 ł Anna Nasi Arent vanNieukerken Clare Cavanagh Bogdana Carpente Jacek Łukasiewicz Ryszard Ny Jan Bł Zdzisław Łapiński Marek Zaleski Czesław MiłoszandPolish SchoolofPoetry Index ofContent. Female Identityinthe20 Czesław MiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropeanRomanticism The LimitsofLyric: Western TheoryandPostwar Polish Practice . . and CzesławMiłosz Ethical andMetaphysicalTestimony inthePoetry ofZbigniewHerbert . Poet onPoets. . . Stubborn Persistence ofBaroque. . Introduction Instead Four Poetics: MiłoszandLiteraryMovements and Essentialism oński . . cz owska ...... th CenturyPolish Poetry: BetweenAndrogyny ......

6

106 555 96 15 30 82 65 48 Janusz Sł T Zalewski Cezary Marek Zaleski Hanna Marciniak Czermińska Małgorzata Kandziora Jerzy omasz Łysak Miron BiałoszewskiasInterpretedbyCzesławMiłosz–Four Translations. . The OneMoment..PhotographinginPolish Poetry oftheTwentieth Century. . Białoszewski: Idyllic. . Authors’ BiographicalNotes “Our monumentsareambiguous…” ..OnRóżewicz’s Epitaphs. . Ekphrases inthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Surgical Precision. . OnExposingtheIdiominStanisławBarańczak’s. whichisslippingaway” “That Unassigned (XV). . . awiński . . . .

220 149 138 124 201 172 188 156

5 6 “Polish school of poetry,” by which he meant a “Polishmeant poetry,”he of which school by Polish.a distinctively On most Polishand contemporary poets of reader,to wanted he whom a had Miłosz Polishliterature, of course the his ownwriting. in developments the for way the paved that decisions explorationsand dilemmas, the from of poets writing prose about poetry, Miłosz’s assessments and directions for his fellows derived to to art, of rules independent the about forgot regime, Communist falling the against struggle their in who, of the manifestos in the 30’s, through the mild reproof directed in the 80’s at the young poets eight decades of his attempts: from youthful over appeals to unaltered remained have not could utterance his of content and tone the Naturally, to contributor and group ary a as performed activities editorial by accompanied were poetry in steps first his thirties, early the in Already others. amongst articles, press reviews, a remained also he Introduction individual and historical took place, which means that events burdening a a [Polishpoetry] it “In years: post-war the and WWII of experience the from conclusions drew writers our that fact the in Polishlaid of poetry importance the that believed He 1983). Press, University Harvard London: MA; Cambridge, Poetry, Miłosz, (Czesław lectures Harvard his in delineated clearly most is term to attitude and sensitivity and dailypapers. continued to Miłosz end, very the Until Europe. Central in change system the before camp Soviet the of independent thought, and a a was It 1951. in beginning for wrote Miłosz the succeeding generations of writers (and their readers) in the 90’s. As it is often the case While his journalistic activities directed at the Polish audiences were meant to a was Miłosz Czesław That In his literary journalism, he aimed to aimed he journalism, literary his In respond to didactic examples of haiku and other forms of “objectivist poetry” offered poetry” “objectivist of forms other and haiku of examples didactic man of letters who practiced multiple forms of writing: novels, essays, novels, writing: of forms multiple practiced who letters of man events through his writing. He published much, in literary journals the world expressed through it – the reference field of Miłosz’s of field reference the – it through expressed world the strong influence on the intellectuals of Poland and several states present with what he believed to believed he what with present its periodicals. its poet is a is poet well known fact. But throughout his whole life whole his throughout But fact. known well set a set different goal when he addressed the English the addressed he when goal different was the most prominent magazine prominent most the was Kultura Polish monthly published abroad, a abroad, Polishpublished monthly model of poetics as well as a as well as poetics of model new direction for the poetry of his day. his of poetry the for direction new agitational poems and brutal stylistics co-founder of the “Żagary” liter “Żagary” the of co-founder be most valuable in the work the in valuable most be few occasions he spoke of spoke he occasions few peculiar fusion of the of fusion peculiar whole community The Witnessof The certain type of type certain influence centre of centre - part ofthePolish canon. Szymborska, Anna Świrszczyńska (Anna Swir), Tadeusz Różewicz or Aleksander Wat are mented on, such as Stanisław Barańczak, Miron Białoszewski, Zbigniew Herbert, Wisława of poetry,” as Miłosz saw it, is a between published 2001-2007, they were describe textsmuch older presented literary phenomena. although Today,that mind the “Polishin school bear should One translations. and Nieukerken, put forth a forth put Nieukerken, van Arent Slavicist, Dutch subject, the on remarks scattered poet’s the with beginning ago, are perceived by a of theremnantsfoundinruins”(97). and now, is not guaranteed. It could just as well not exist – and so man constructs poetry out related to reality embraced by the poet’s consciousness. In our century that background is, in my opinion, background of amount the with changes act poetic “The concludes: He (94-95). alienated” [Miłosz as the World] (Kraków: Znak, 1998) often resurfaces in their analyses. At the same work is intimidating, and perhaps this is why the title of Jan Błoński’s book sion withoutsacrificingtherequirements formulatedforartbytheEuropeanmodernism. it was, in its own way, a those of its parts that Timothy D. Snyder referred to izers,” a izers,” (1821 – 1983) to modification ofmodernism,parallelto itsWestern counterpart. prominent representatives, from the 19 several its exampleof the on movement the Vanof history 1998). the presents Nieukerken poezja metafizyczna w particular development in the Polish poetry (Ironiczny konceptyzm. Nowoczesna polska ing Miłosz, as well as those 20 The 20 The Miłosz himself is a is himself Miłosz The thematic range and the wealth of expression encountered by Miłosz scholars in his in scholars Miłosz expressionby of encountered wealth the and range thematic The The present volume offers a term borrowed from Barańczak, and believes the Polish school to Polishschool the believes and Barańczak, from borrowed term the fragility of those things we call civilization or culture. What surrounds us, here th century was one of the darker periods in the history of Europe, especially in especially Europe, of history the in periods darker the of one was century Stanisław Barańczak (b. 1946). Van Nieukerken calls them “ironic moral- poet as touching him in a major figure among the poets of the Polish school and a and school Polish the of poets the among figure major kontekście anglosaskiego modernizmu, Kraków: "Universitas", good period for those poets who managed to remarkably astute outline of a of outline astute remarkably th selection of articles published in century Polish poets that he focused on in his commentaries historical term and the authors that he translated and com- th century precursor of the “school,” Cyprian Norwid most personal manner. Then poetry is no longer as the “bloodlands.” At the same time, historical literary synthesis of this of synthesis literary historical Teksty Drugie fulfill their public mis- Miłosz jak świat be a be and concern- distinctive few years few

7 8 the inhuman is to is inhuman the “to believes, Nycz as Because, “Polishschool.” the of foundations a is poetic last Miłosz’s indication.” a a nature, (human) very its by future autobiography” (that Miłosz discovered “in his private experience of the past,” “open to to writing…and modern of to domain its opening language, lyrical traditional the of boundaries of everyday life and existential experience”); “poetic of public discourse” (which “crosses the aspects marginalised or muted the at…revealing attempt (“an commonality” visionary of the transformations of Miłosz’s poetry. He distinguishes four phases of its development: “poetic dominant idea of Miłosz’s work.” In his essay, however, Nycz focuses on something else – on “a editor in chief of cannot berepresented,toldorinterpreted.” a without is that the most renowned participants of Polish intellectual life and an astute of commentator of one 20 (1931-2009), Błoński Jan Romanticism. before Poles of mentality the and culture erature would. This, however, is not the case of the Baroque, an epoch shaping the material to to continue and did letters of men ideology,and politicians, thinkers, of generations several as Romantic reject can One composed. were masterpieces literary prominent most our when of the 19 the of aspectsofexistence.”somnambulist, ‘lunar’ man’s being-in-the-world by creating an existential autobiography that went far beyond the a it against the comparative background of the work by, among others, William Wordsworth, places and Nycz) than differently defines he (that autobiography” “existential Miłosz’s of Miłosz’s poetics of epiphany stands a the divine perspective on human reality, as “at the end of the road that has been designated by Miłosz’s richness, extravagant its despite time, a to striving the motifs: major its of one discusses presence witha fewlightstrokesandconcludes: this sketches Błoński PersistenceBaroque,” Stubborn the of “The In invisible.” almost is it century literature, believes that the presence of the Baroque in Poland is “so obvious…that constant process or representing, telling and interpreting.”); and finally, “poetic of inhuman single synthetic attempt several different chronological moments, believed to representative of the Romantic movement who “proposed an integral interpretation of interpretation integral an “proposed who movement Romantic the of representative do, but to as much as dismissing the role of Shakespeare, Milton, and Wordsworth in English lit- English Wordsworthin and Milton, Shakespeare, of role the dismissing as much as continuous quest beyond the [available] word determines the general direction and the and direction general the determines word [available] the beyond quest continuous Arent van Nieukerken does not attempt to attempt not does Nieukerken van Arent Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry connections to Reformation, especially in its Jesuit form). It retained, especially at the very beginning, close The baroque in Poland was strongly influenced by the Counter-Reformation (or Catholic The Romantic tradition has remained years after the Church of the Gesù in Rome. It was this cultural proximity that sensitized th century to century dismiss the work of Malczewski, Mickiewicz, Słowacki, and Norwid amounts Teksty Drugie and one of the leading Polish literary theorists, believes that past and future and can do without the human experience of time which time experienceof human the without do can and future and past indicate a indicate Rome: the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Cracow was built only a the present day and the reason for it is simple: it was also the period the also was it simple: is it for reason the and day present the the entire cultural universe of discourse”); “poetic of parabolic of “poetic discourse”); of universe cultural entire the world which cannot be framed by human categories, a categories, human by framed be cannot which world theological postulate.” Nieukerken traces the evolution radical departure in his work, undermining the very the undermining work, his in departure radical reality whose permanence, order and meaning lie in lie meaning and order permanence, whose reality the tradition of Polish poetry from the early decades capture the full range of Miłosz’s poetry but poetry Miłosz’s of range full the capture oeuvre overcome empirical time and to and time empirical overcome is very distinctive. Ryszard Nycz, Ryszard distinctive. very is indicate the existence of existence the indicate all types and genres and types all give a present in present sense of world few the th

remains a faithful–andanunmatchedwitnessnotonlytohisowntime.” last few years among young poets and critics is a tracks and grounds for the Polish poetry. The interest in metaphysical poetry noticeable in the “breaks the paradigm that he co-created in the 40’s, demarcating, not for the first time, new Miłosz while postulates his from away moves never Herbert emphasises, she importantly, and metaphysical testimony in the poetry of Zbigniew Herbert and Czesław Miłosz.”) Most both in their understanding of the idea of “testimony” and its poetic incarnations (“Ethical Contrasting both poets, Bogdana Carpenter points to to Herbert history.Zbigniew in believed Miłosz testimony” which refers primarily to from mortalitythatisallwecanhopeforatbest.” work. They had a school. He differed from Miłosz in all aspects, from the choice themes to cast byMiłoszontheentiretyof Polish poetry(suchasinthecase of MiłoszBiałoszewski). though both their readers and authors even themselves could not non-existent,have possibly ignore was the shadow phenomenon” “Miłosz the if as wrote who those also were There stance, Zbigniew Herbert), others consciously reached for different means (Tadeusz Różewicz). a and again to lyric reminds us, are doomed to but at the same time there is also a to power apparatus, managed nonetheless to a by influenced heavily authors, those how reveals she Zagajewski) and Szymborska, Herbert, (Milosz, poets several of example the Withhistory. and poetry of relation complex the thought: his Lyric:to WesternPostwarof returns and PolishCavanagh Theory Practice” Limits “The In ideas. Miłosz’s by inspired Yale2009), London: Press, Haven; University of author the The concept of a rivalled Miłosz, each of them adopting a adopting them of each Miłosz, rivalled separate poetic. Some of them followed the example Miłosz set through his own work (for in- art as a as art sophistication. poets reestablish their connection to Among the eminent poets of the second half of the 20 the of half second the of poets eminent the Among Among the most important characteristics of the Polish school is the imperative to Białoszewski deserves closer attention as he inhabits very distant peripheries of the Polish Introduction Łapiński a a in and echoed Those three characteristics of the baroque in Poland continue to it slowlyacquireditsincreasinglySarmatianfeatures. so distant medieval tradition, as well as the local ones, especially in eastern Poland where the memory and imagination of artists and poets. But Polish baroque also relied on the not it to Sarmatian, Miłosz’s work reaches back to back reaches work Miłosz’s Sarmatian, the growing complication of forms inherited from the Renaissance and embedded in historical phenomenon. The heaviness of reality is always present in their poems their in present always is reality of heaviness The phenomenon. historical achieve the of “revenge a LyricPolitics:PoetryModern Russia, and West Poland,the and history of oppression and the experience of “mega-history” promoted by the by promoted experience“mega-history” the of and oppression of history Polish school of poetry was embraced by American Slavicist, Clare Cavanagh, different attitude to itre mne: oboiz ik a te edr peedn to pretending reader, the at winks Gombrowicz manner: distorted fail in advance, which is why the lyric poet must struggle time will to the communal fate and express the sense of being rooted language as well. Miłosz attempted to mortal hand” [Szymborska], the temporary reprieve the baroque through affinity for conceit and linguistic develop a overcome it: “All efforts to different attitude to attitude different its religious heritage, while other writers and writers other while heritage, religious its proof that the author of Theological Treatise give the fullest expressionfullest to the give disillusioned but non-nihilistic attitude the creative differences in their work, th century there were several who several were there century the world and formulating and world the return today, subversively step outside time, the the formal side of his this postulate. this touch directly the kernel of kernel the (New “give be

9 10 by RenatoPoggioli). and its particular subgenre, “idyll of one’s own room” (both terms introduced "idyll-of-self” the of framework the within element Orphic the analyses Zaleski art. modernist in found The Revolution of Things connects the striking affirmation of the world in Białoszewski’s debut-making 1956 collection, in “MironBiałoszewskiasinterpretedbyCzesławMiłosz.” Miłosz’s achievement in this regard, as well as his strategies, are discussed by Tomasz Łysak ficity of Białoszewski heavily limits the potential for a Miłosz’s work,thehopeofresurrectionwhatwasinword.” to Eurydice” and “Orpheus believes He Zaleski. insists theology, appears to to contrary Miłosz, and and the epitome of the adventure of poetry.” The message of the parable is sinister, however, that “has become a connections between the antique tradition and the 20 portant) long poems. As he did in his essay on Białoszewski, in “Instead” Zaleski traces the modern character – in “Orpheus and Eurydice” (2002), one of Miłosz’s later (and most im- to referred to withthisdegreeoffamiliarity.) been far so has audiences the by canonized Polishpoet other “Miron”(no as Białoszewski symptomatic of the readers’ attitudes: Miłosz is referred to is about written are poets two these which in manner The speech. “low” the from derived sues (historical and trans-historical) continue to is- major yet, And structures. morphological transformed freely also He colloquial. the and ordinary the was choice of material linguistic his and cost, all at notions exalted avoided irony, one of his main goals was to abandoned rarely and registers lower use did he Although mundane. the from language ish to trying while all matters, metaphysical final, and era his of issues major important one his private life. Popularizing the work of Anna Świrszczyńska (Anna Swir), spade andthemole cutintwobythespade.” to referring metaphor the definitions, intriguing more the of one on comments aptly very He work. their of and “definitions” poetic character the shaped conventions literary of demands the how reveals Łukasiewicz other authors, discussed by poet and critic Jacek Łukasiewicz in his essay (“Poettowards on poets”). attitude diversified and emotional deeply his reveals Miłosz that poetry his in is it and well, as poetry own Miłosz’s in appearance an make them of Most against. debated he others friends, his were several personally, knew he that poets were These dislikes. and Polishto efforts made Miłosz school, English, the work of a He discovers a Białoszewski’s work is also the focus of Marek Zaleski’s “Białoszewski: Idyllic.” Zaleski In his attempts to attempts his In Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry It is one of Miłosz’s great merits that he saw the value of, and attempted to attempted and of, value the saw he that merits great Miłosz’s of one is It oe hv awy pae a iprat oe n iozs ok ad n vn more even an and work, Miłosz’s in role important an played always have Women different incarnation of the Orphic tradition – of postmodern rather than philosophical parable [while] Orpheus himself – the eponym of the poet agree with his intellectual antagonists such as Nietzsche and Blanchot, encourage the interest of the English audiences in the poets of the of poets the in audiences English the of interest the encourage his previous work that affirmed existenceChristian affirmed of that spirit work the previous in his poet so radically different from his own poetic. The linguistic speci- to the Orphic tradition of faith in the creative power of poetry resurrect the “high” style. Białoszewski, on the contrary, maintain objectivity and suppress his own preferences own his suppress and objectivity maintain Tadeusz Różewicz: “he digs in black soil/ is both the both is soil/ Tadeuszblack in digs “he Różewicz: resurface in his work, obeying his own rules th century transformations of the myth successful translation – the degree of put “an end to end “an put as the “Nobel Prize winner” and the hope pervading hope the protect the Polthe - protect translate work andconcludes: on focuses volume this in presented essay Her 2005). terytoria, i (Gotyk cathedral the of motif a of author the is Czermińska WisławaSzymborska.” of for instance,inthepoetryofWisława Szymborska,Nasiłkowskanotes. stage of its development but its elements survived, and sometimes finds an original expression, Her last sentence refers to 20 to devoted one Nasiłowska, by essay another includes a offered Nasiłowska Anna essays, her of one In “baba-hood”). her even (or,perhaps, womanhood her phasised em- strongly Świrszczyńska achievements. great his of one is abroad, and Poland in both Miłosz in Miłosz of Barańczak and Janusz Szuber.) Czyżewski is included in the Stanisław Polish TytusCzyżewski, poetic (by canon poems as three the of example author the with century.” twentieth the of poetry Polish in Photographing moment. one “The in Zalewski Cezary by discussed is a as photographs taking of process the rather or Photography, Nasiłowska concludes: life.” The other pole posits womanhood as a to compulsion the neutralizes poem the of speaker “the which in identity of idea an as seen ning of the 20 from a Brunona Jasińskiego” [A Pastorałki, a define themselves in each situation with regards to th Introduction Łapiński occupied byanypainting,sculptureofphotographservingasanintermediary. not is readers her and poet the between space the where poems in than differently it say However,depict. they they art of works the about than poet the of imagination the about tory and different ways of understanding femininity. Ultimately, these ekphrases say more his- throughout cruelty human artist, an of power creative the time, mainly are problems to unrelated thematically works, other her to us allows The descriptive element in ekphrases is always dependent on the interpretative idea which norm thatinfactimposessilence. heterosexual act of sex seeing in the process the value of rebellion, of the crossing the cultural mythologize willingly poets Polish whereas heterosexuality of oppressiveness) (and categories proposed by the Western feminism which continues to Sometimes one cannot even describe the internal convictions contained in the text with the to correspond fully not do categories today’s debate; feminist the nomena has several causes. The feminist revolution took place phe- in capturing the in difficulty Polish The poetry lines. without tension the concerning of one creations outline only poetic they womanhood, of issue the exhaust not do identity of patterns two Those Szymborska’s poetry is discussed in Małgorzata Czermińska’s “Ekphrases in the poetry century female poets. Nasiłkowska places them between two poles: that of androgyny of that poles: two between them places Nasiłkowska poets. female century different area of interest – spiritualist practices that the poets and writers of the begin- TreatisePoetry,on th century were involved in. Over half a say something interesting about the problems which interest the poet also in also poet the interest which problems the about interesting something say brilliant folk-dadaist conglomerate (which is also how he is remembered by typology of women appearing in Miłosz’s work. The present volume present The work. Miłosz’s in appearing women of typology Mediumistic-magnetic Photograph of Poet Brunon Jasiński] derives the state of Polish poetry in the 1960’s. Androgyny was at an earlier however, his “Mediumiczno-magnetyczna fotografia poety fotografia “Mediumiczno-magnetyczna however,his , Gdańsk : Słowo/obraz : Gdańsk katedry, Topikaopisu pisarze. “strong, basic and irreducible part of identity.” the aesthetic qualities of any painting. These painting. any of qualities aesthetic the gender that is present in normal social century later, Barańczak’s “Zdjęcie” the worldview and poetic of selected of poetic and worldview the monumental work on the literary the on work monumental in Szymborska’s in ekphrasis recurrent theme in poetry, in theme recurrent emphasize the constraint the historical situation. historical the

11 12 [A every poet required to required poet every by faced dilemmas exemplifiesthe well very it but poetics, innovative or texts outstanding to prove not did period that Workof 1981. written after the imposition of martial law by poems the the decrepit discusses author,Communist the regime on of 13 typical January units self-contained composed impeccably of ing studies of the last five decades (“Unassigned (XV)”). His collection of private notes, consist- the Unknowable.” and in some sense supports all of Stanisław Barańczak’s work, so much inclined towards published a who Kandziora, essay his In Precision.” “Surgical Barańczak’s Stanisław in Idiom the Exposing On away”: slipping is which “That Kandziorain Jerzy by discussed is (1998), visible on our intellectual scene. One of his most important collections, professor, and previously a On Różewicz’sEpitaphs.”) sion with the above quoted passage from Wordsworth. (“’Our monuments are ambiguous…’: culture. Hence his dilemmas, analysed in detail by Hanna Marciniak who begins her discus- Różewicz but he no longer believed in immortality, nor did see the faith in it in contemporary have existed in the world.” Norwid and Miłosz followed from the same assumption. So did monuments nor epitaphs, in affectionate or laudatory commemoration of the deceased, could the belief observes, in “without immortality, wherein these several desires originate, neither attempt to public life. Polish history has offered numerous occasions for poems on the subject. A to farewell saying is obligations literary a more orlesshiddenfascinationwithdeath.” to used be now can photography) (and they encompass, all the poems offer a from the life of Polish countryside. Despite thematic differences and the broad time span that Higher Institute of Educational Science in S. during the picnic in May 1902” evokes a the from schoolgirls photographing Puretz “Eliasz Szuber’s poems, three the among recent one presented by another observer of American custom, Jean Baudrillard. Finally, the most to immigrated newly at that time) as well as the work of recognised authors. The former revealed and integrated social life. Sławiński analyses anonymous, popular and quasi-folk writing (extremely popular soon” “ helps to mayneed it uncertain indications of something that we should not “throw away” as “we “I cluding: choices ofthetitlepoemSurgicalPrecision andmoves selected, particularly distinctive poems. Kandziora begins with observations on the stylistic Barańczaka, Photograph] offers a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The volume closes with Janusz Sławiński, one of the most prominent figures in our literary translator,poet, – Barańczak Stanisław Harvardof and presence critic The literary major his of one that did, Norwid Cyprian predecessor great his as believed, Miłosz commemorate can be found in the poetry of Tadeusz Różewicz but, as Wordsworth thorough study of the poet (Ocalony w think that this autothematic frame, bearing the message: “My poems are just are poems “My message: the bearing frame, autothematic this that think 2007) offers an analysis of the linguistic features of Barańczak’s poetry in poetry Barańczak’s of features linguistic the of analysis an offers 2007) understand why “Surgical Precision” gave its title to the US from Eastern Europe, not differing in his diagnosis from the from diagnosis his in differing not Europe, Eastern from US the take a take concise image of the American mentality as seen by the author, having democratic activist in Communist Poland – has been distinctly stand against political violence that changes the very basis of basis very the changes that violence political against stand common “thanatological conclusion,” as “photographing penetrate different discourses, uncovering in them in uncovering discourses, different penetrate departing friends and respected representatives of representatives respected and friends departing have had a had have gmachu wiersza: o lasting impact, nor did it result in result it did nor impact, lasting to more generalremarks,con- Surgical Precision the entire collection poezji Stanisława similar scene

also serveasanepitaphforthePolish schoolofpoetry. earlier in the volume, balance between social activism and the innate rules of art. They may a for a provide remarks concise Sławiński’s time. that at interned usually activists, or – in form of commemorative poetry – documents events from the perspective Romanticism, of Polish the democratic of stereotypes historico-philosophical the for reaches either latter the WWII, after imposed system political the from alienation of sense dispersed previously Introduction Łapiński better understanding of the fragile balance achieved by the prominent poets discussed poets prominent the by achieved balance fragile the of understanding better Translation: AnnaWarso Zdzisław Łapiński background

13 14 the worstoffenderinsucha sociallyirresponsiblesleight-of-hand. a of to raised and up, caught always is it which in meanings ideological and explains, all art was ostensibly rescued “from the material practices, social relations (Lentricchia 94-5; Wolfson 191-2). With the advent of Romanticism, Terry Eagleton historical conflict and contradictions with claims of natural and innate organization” has come to come has lyric the years, recent in academy American the dominated has that criticism cal recent Anglo-American critics, these phrases pair virtual antonyms. In the ideologi- in fact amounts to amounts fact in that is, for art’s apparent “refusal of life actually conducted in actual society,” which 1

Poetry and history, poetry and society, poetry and politics: according to according politics: and society,poetry and history,poetry and Poetry 1 ..TheLyric UnderSeige and Postwar Polish Practice The LimitsofLyric: Western Theory. Clare CAVANAGH (Minneapolis:University of MinnesotaPress, 1983),21. University Press, 1994),191-192. Terry Eagleton, LiteraryTheory:An Introduction Form,” inAesthetics andIdeology,ed.GeorgeLevine (NewBrunswick:Rutgers Press, 1983),94-95.SusanWolfson, andtheValues “’Romantic Ideology’ of Aesthetic Frank Lentricchia, CriticismandSocialChange(Chicago:UniversityofChicago solitary fetish” (21). And Romanticism’s favored form, the lyric, is invariably is lyric, the form, favored Romanticism’s And (21). fetish” solitary serve as a as serve a “complicity with class-interested strategies of smoothing over smoothing of strategies class-interested with “complicity convenient stand-in for “aesthetic isolationism” generally,isolationism” “aesthetic for stand-in convenient Czeslaw Milosz, should be defined as Poetry and History. I have feltthattheproblemofmytime “A Poet BetweenEastandWest” (1977) 1 the status the many

15 16 of the City where Wisdomwhere City the of a In reigns./ and the repressive regimes of post-war Eastern Europe. “Plato ordered us cast out/ WatPolishAleksander poet to quick was to use no “of was democrat, a poet, Plato’s mind: the of kingdom ideal his from poets trouble-making all expelled famously Plato lyric. the of discussions current to informing sumptions counter directly runs role that since unfortunate, is this And history. European Eastern modern in played has poetry that role distinctive the overlook find itself under fire in the American academy. Not surprisingly, recent critics also 322-3; Bakhtin287,296-298). Emerson and (Morson language” of diversity and heteroglossia social “of people,” other “of traces” “all process the in destroying language,” own his over hegemony and conservative,” Bakhtin’s poet struggles to “Authoritarian,dogmatic, life.” everyday of rounds petty the from removed “’far to is goal “utopian” poet’s The genre. themselves wish to a creating in of recentcriticism. Historicists and die-hard formalists alike. Still they persist: they have New become disgruntled staples by challenged been have stem charges these which from clichés Romantic The here-and-now. the in engagement active over timelessness dental transcen- places it and truths; private for quest its in realm public the on back its textuality; it seeks to postmodern over voice personal privileges It runs. argument the so individual autonomy,or of myth bourgeois the buttresses stubbornly It values. discredited of post-structuralist theory, lyric poetry manifests a 3 2

It is not surprising that this reactionary foe of otherness and diversity should diversity and otherness of foe reactionary this that surprising not is It The ideological critics have taken their lead in large part from Mikhail Bakhtin The sins for which the lyric has been taken to Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry 296-298. Emerson andMikhail Holquist(Austin: UniversityofTexas Press, 1981), 287, in theNovel,” Bakhtin,TheDialogicImagination, ed.MichaelHolquist, tr. Caryl (Stanford: Stanford UniversityPress, 1990),322-323.Mikhail Bakhtin, “Discourse Gary SaulMorsonandCarylEmerson, MikhailBakhtin:Creationofa Prosaics State UniversityofNewYork Press, 1999). Press, 1994), 188-218;SarahZimmerman,Romanticism,Lyricism andHistory(Albany: in Aesthetics and Ideology,ed.GeorgeLevine(NewBrunswick: Rutgers University 196-205; SusanJ.Wolfson, andthe Values “’RomanticIdeology’ ofAestheticForm,” in ContemporaryAnglophonePoetics,” PMLA,vol.110,no.2(March,1995), esp. 129-139;MarkJeffreys,“IdeologiesofLyric: A Problem ofGenre H. D.andHellenism:ClassicalLines(Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress, 1997), Poetry (Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress, 1995); EileenGregory, essay); MarkEdmundson,LiteratureagainstPhilosophy, Plato to Derrida:ADefenseof among theFishmongers: DerekWalcott andtheSuspicionofEssences”(unpublished For recentaccountsofthelyricundersiege,see interalia:Paul Breslin,“Shabine yi atpd to antipode lyric 2 advance. The lyric, as Bakhtin sees it, is a circumvent history through attention to 3 heads of state,” as Mark Edmundson remarks. The remarks. Edmundson Mark as state,” of heads h priua vso o at n scey ht they that society and art of vision particular the “speak timelessly” from an “Edenic world” “Edenic an from timelessly” “speak new Ivory TowerIvory new bones,” (human) of made see the analogy between Plato’s republic Plato’s between analogy the see assume “a task are many. To suspicious commitment to complete single-personed aesthetic form; it turns deplorably anti-social critics reared on natural h as- the a slew to that his songs linger on many lips, that he speak in his poems of subjects of interest not merely arrange words in beautiful order. Tradition demands that he be a has a somewhatdifferentmeaningfromwhatitintheWest. Therea poetdoes of recenttheorybecomeEasternEurope’ssubversives? closest to to seem would poem lyric the genres, literary all Of world. outside the from to serves seemingly that page white the of poem appears to to to sought they as icons, verbal and famously placed a history. This tradition has a isolationists in search of an aesthetic Shangri-La that lies beyond the reach of human is not just the ideological critics who see the lyric chiefly as the creation of literary society.and history human with It engagement complex its over utopianism cable to tended has tradition critical Anglo-American to seek they interests whose nations very the by spurned are but will,” national the of developments free and “great of side the on unfailingly stand who legislators,” “unacknowledged famous Shelley’s hence ized: the poetsandtheiroppressedcompatriotstooksuchobligationsveryseriously. both suggest, remarks Milosz’s as And, prose. and poetry own their through itself Slowacki – and their literary offspring felt compelled to late eighteenth century meant that Poland’s great Romantics – Mickiewicz, Norwid, counterparts. The partitions that erased their nation from the map of Europe in the to expected were itsyn’s phrase. The heavy load of social and civic responsibility that Poland’s writers for nearly two centuries to to to cording (11). Light” “Dark poem his in writes he 5 4 poems] insist that meaning depends upon the severing of incident from context, from incident of severing the upon depends meaning that insist poems] plains, experience “is arrested, framed, and taken out of the flux of history”: “[Lyric fluential celebrated intheirverse. Keatsto from poets modern that

be so troublesome to all the citizens” (175). citizens” the all various biographical heresies and intentional fallacies. And indeed each lyric each indeed And fallacies. intentional and heresies biographical various “In Central and Eastern Europe,” Czeslaw Miłosz observes, “the word ‘poet’ word “the observes, Miłosz Czeslaw Europe,” Eastern and Central “In TheLimitsofLyric: Western Theory… Cavanagh The political aspirations of England’s and America’s romantics remained unreal- This is precisely the vision of lyric poetry espoused in Sharon Cameron’s in- Cameron’s Sharon in espoused poetry lyric of vision the precisely is This 175. Czeslaw Milosz, (Paris: Libella,1968),11. Edmundson, Literatureagainst Philosophy, 6.AleksanderWat, Ciemneswiecidlo (1979), to (1979), TimeLyric the ideally self-enclosed current doctrine, complacently uphold the bourgeois status quo prove quo status bourgeois the uphold complacently doctrine, current come complete with its own built-in margin of safety in the shape shoulder was, if anything, still greater than that of their Russiantheir of that than greater still anything, if was, shoulder frame around the lyric’s iconic text with their well-wrought urns The Captive Mind, tr. Jane Zielonko (New York: Vintage Books, 1981), left-wing dictators? How do the self-absorbed reactionaries 5 In PolandIn Russiaand upon called been have poets alike, serve as their nations’ “second government,” in Solzhen- far deeper pedigree. The Anglo-American New Critics give just one example. In lyric poetry, Cameron ex- poetry,Cameron lyric In example. one just give Yeats,to Baudelaire from objets d’art, be they Grecian urns or calligrammes, move it beyond the reach of erring adherents erring of reach the beyond it move 4 But why should the lyric poets who, ac- who, poets lyric the should why But preserve it against unwanted incursions unwanted against it preserve serve. Perhaps for this reason the reason this Perhapsfor serve. highlight lyric poetry’s impracti- poetry’s lyric highlight replace their vanished state Apollinaire, have been have Apollinaire, ‘bard,’ come

17 18 a a in not self, specific this Why rest?/ the not and one this all after “Why with a by its nature, is forced to he still [has] his return ticket/to point of view, to to through its very form, the realities that resist such flights of fancy: the lyric traveler may give voice to to limits that its own form so graphically displays. It is arguably the genre best equipped 8 7 6 surrounded as it is by nothing, is a as if only isolation could guarantee coherence. The lyric’s own presence on a and personal “horizon of expectations,” Hans Robert Jauss cautions (44). the vicissitudesandambiguitiesoftime-boundhumanbeing. it aspires to cording to process. Since the early 19 early the Since process. the in possibilities different activated has and tradition, Anglo-American the than holds true for genres. Polish history has placed very different demands on the lyric a Polandas modern imply–not of poets the so or – conceived be easily as just might sion in order to antiutopian strainsatworkinmodernpoetry. of the lyric and its makers in an explicitly utopian state to Westfrom East divided fate the takes it perhaps past: just century the of much for or “Cenci.” And as my example suggests, modern history only widened the rift that a such of dream only could Shelley ments. Part II,” which contained, so the authorities feared, inflammatory anti-Russian senti the closing of a one particularly vivid example – the Warsaw student riots of 1968 were sparked by

house? … Why on earth now, on Tuesday of all days,/ and why on earth…?” Wislawa utopian genre, but as a explore the parameters that both define and restrict human existence. The lyric distant lands must keep checking, in Adam Zagajewski’s phrase, “to phrase, Zagajewski’s Adam in checking, keep must lands distant Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The way we perceive individual literary works is conditioned by our cultural our by conditioned is works literary individual perceive we way The In any case, the Anglo-American critic requires a requires critic Anglo-American the case, any In have argued, withthevery lyricismthatanimates theirverse. from itsnational bards,a stancethatoften operatesatcross-purposes,sothese poets even rejectoutright thepoliticallyengagedstance thatthePolish traditiondemands Zagajewski, Baranczak: allhavefollowedMilosz’s leadintheirattemptsto reviseor I don’t wish toidealizethelotofacknowledgedlegislators. Szymborska,Herbert, Minnesota Press, 1982),44. Toward anAesthetic ofReception,tr.Timothy Bahti(Minneapolis:Universityof Hans RobertJauss,“LiteraryHistory asa ChallengetoLiteraryTheory,” inJauss, Hopkins UniversityPress, 1979),71. Sharon Cameron,Lyric Time: DickinsonandtheLimitsofGenre (Baltimore:Johns reception that Shelley and his contemporaries could scarcely imagine. friends and foes alike, then, the lyric strives to absolute freedom from contingency, to production of Mickiewicz’s romantic verse drama “Forefathers’ Eve, do justice to be rooted in a dreams of another, better world. But it must also address, not least genre based on a take up the question of what it means to th the place of poetry in modern Polish history. The lyric century, Poland’s acknowledged legislators have met have legislators acknowledged Poland’scentury, particular time and place, even a the ordinary places where we live” (38). The lyric, graphic representation of that belief.” (71). recognition of boundaries and limits, the reaction to reaction unconditional deliverance from radically shifted angle of vi- of angle shifted radically his “Prometheushis Unbound” be a underscore the powerful text without context; particular species: have a 7 individual make sure make The same nest,/ but nest,/ 8 To page, 6 give give Ac - - the icebox// and which / you were probably saving for breakfast” – could be given be could – breakfast” for saving probably were you / which and icebox// the advises (205). talked to a “Writing Szymborska’s Wislawa in scrutiny “to speaks poet task of “teaching the hangmen to just in case state-monitored poets should take a in “Moscow’s evil living space,” “the walls are damn thin,” Mandelstam complains, microphones: but ears, just not have walls the where cultures in meaning new on definition of the lyric’s audience (qtd. in Benfey 53). But lyric eavesdropping takes well-known one in remarks 69). Mill Stuart John overheard,” but heard, “Poetrynot is (Baranczak be should answer right the what clear too all it’s and – demand to letters to perceived Dickinson’s “letter to which suggests how Eastern Europe’s purveyors of Orwellian Newspeak might have at the threat that the lyric poses in a of lyric poetry are perhaps clearest in a But the picture looks rather different in Eastern Europe. The subversive potentials to privacy lyric of Dickinson’stake defense Emerson Caryl and Morson Saul Gary Bakhtin, Mikhail the lyricisa self-consciouslyhistoricalandsocialgenretoitscore. Szymborska asks in her lyric “Astonishment” (128). 11 10 9 circumstances (Bakhtin320). the “accidental, personal” voice of lyric poetry acquires a individual both in theory and, not infrequently, in practice. What Mandelstam calls

his refrigerator in “This is Just to Just is “This in refrigerator his TheLimitsofLyric: Western Theory… Cavanagh Even the seemingly harmless confession that William Carlos Williams tapes Williams Carlos William that confession harmless seemingly the Even Indeed, one of Dickinson’s greatest Polish admirers, Stanislaw Baranczak, hints of study their in Door”: the shuts Then Society-/ own her selects Soul “The 2 ..Reframing theVerbal Icon tr. Stanislaw BaranczakandClareCavanagh(NewYork: HarcourtBrace,1998),128. Straus Giroux,1997),38.Wislawa Szymborska,Poems NewandCollected1957-1997 , Adam Zagajewski,MysticismforBeginners,tr. ClareCavanagh(NewYork: Farrar Collected, 205. and Poets (NewYork: Farrar StrausGiroux,1961),96. Szymborska,Poems Newand Sobranie sochinenii , v. 1,196-197.T. ThreeVoices S.Eliot,“The of Poetry,” OnPoetry the ProblemofOthers (Amherst:Univ. ofMassachusettsPress, 1984), 53.Mandelstam, Wydawniczy, 1997), 69.MillisquotedinChristopherBenfey, EmilyDickinsonand 55, 103. Stanislaw Baranczak, Emily Dickinson,Final Harvest,ed.ThomasJohnson(Boston:Little, Brown,1961), Mikhail Bakhtin,320. yourself/and always kept yourself at arm’s length,” the solicitous speaker himself? (yes, no),” the unnamed framers of an ominous questionnaire ominous an of framers unnamed the no),” (yes, himself? 11 himself – or to or – himself speak for the innately solipsistic nature of the genre generally.genre the of nature solipsistic innately the for speak 10 Wybor wierszy i nobody” (96). But just such soliloquys come under come soliloquys such just But (96). nobody” the World/That never wrote to warble” (196-7). In the lyric, T. S. Eliot insists, the totalitarian state in his poem “Fill Out Legibly,” Say” – “I – Say” society committed to przekladow (Warsaw: Panstwowy Instytut notion to have eaten/ the plums/ that were in were that plums/ the eaten/ have Resume”: “Write as if you’d never you’d if as “Write Resume”: 9 Viewed from this perspective, deviate from their assigned singular power under such the eradication of the Me.” “Does he write

19 20 verbal icon, could hardly withstand the battering to 12 struggled to (to writer after writer upon toll its took horrors of litany this terror: totalitarian atrocities, Nazi persecution, censorship, privation, War,disease, past. invasion, just century the in catastrophes of share their than more with met have Polishpoets Certainly modern age is not just “accidental and personal,” he warns; it is also “catastrophic.” a towards a nate any accident or personality that might impede history’s unencumbered progress The accidental and personal take on unexpected weight in a a Me” suggests:

sinister spin by a final, foreboding adjective to adjective foreboding final, Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Baranczak, Wybor wierszy,212-213. William CarlosWilliams, SelectedPoems (NewYork: NewDirections, 1968), 55. radiant collective future. It is not surprising that Mandelstam should add say nothing of the legions of more prosaic victims for whom these poets these whom for victims prosaic more of legions the of nothing say which can’t be keptapart.(212-3) lies inthegapthatpartsopposingpoles and noonewarnedmethatmyentireglobe handkerchief andmostofallthat(I can’t bear it)list: tram tickets,a drycleaningreceipt,dirty to grope theentrailswrestedfrommylife: and evenlowerforeheadshavetheright while fivedetectiveswithhighereducations hidden (howgrotesque!)inmylongjohns, sitting inthestationhousewithdraftsofmyownpoems might alsolieinthis:I’m handkerchief anda baffling(I’lldielaughing)list: tram tickets,a drycleaningreceipt,dirty takenfrommypockets: analyzing trashthey’ve and evenhighersalarieswastetime while fivedetectiveswithhighereducations hidden (howingenious!)inmylongjohns, sitting inthestationhousewithdraftsofmyownpoems might alsolieinthis:I’m And noonewarnedmethatliberty speak). Notions of the poem as a potatoes; tom. paste can ofpeas celery carrots and noonewarnedmethatcaptivity potatoes; tom. paste can ofpeas celery carrots suspicious state, or so Baranczak’s “2/8/80: And Nobody Warned his thumbnail definition of the lyric. Poetry in the Poetryin lyric. the of definition thumbnail his 12 well-wrought urn, as an impermeable which modern history submitted state designed to elimi- cally placed“upona hill…inTennessee”: history’s morecorporealvictims. history’s a – History” “Enormous Watcalls what to power potential lyric’s the on only not poems own their in focus regimes, brutal But similar objects suffer a suffer objects similar But The jar, an emblem of artistic form, “[takes] dominion everywhere,” Stevens writes. war Poland, writing from a post- of poets the surprisingly,then, Not world. the of part this in artists and art celain” (1947),astranslatedbytheauthor andRobertPinsky: defy time, but just as importantly, on the vulnerability it manifests in the face of TheLimitsofLyric: Western Theory… Cavanagh In “Anecdote of a And crunchesunder myfeet. A lively pulpthatstires In a litterofhandleand spout, To where thehorizon blurs The blackenedplainspreadsout The porcelaintroubledmemost. This morning,asI walkedpast, Swallows thefrozenswan. The blackundergroundstream And shepherdsonthelawn. Of roses,ofmowersraking, The masters’preciousdream Of cupsandsaucerscracking, It isthesmallsadcry The earthwakesup,andmoans. Begin to warmthesky Before thefirstredtones Porcelain troublesmemost. Of allthingsbrokenandlost With bitsofbrittlefroth– The groundeverywhereisstrewn Falls onthemuddypath; A torn appletree’sshow Sprinkle thebankswithdown; Winds fromacrossthemeadow Where anarmoredcolumnpasses. You liebesidetheriver Flowery demitasses: Rose-colored cupandsaucer, And tallandofa portinair. (76) The jarwasroundupontheground And sprawledaround,nolongerwild. The wildernessroseupto it, Jar,” Wallace Stevens conquers nature by way of a decimated nation caught at the crossroads between two very different fate in Milosz’s exquisite “Song on Poron - “Song exquisite Milosz’s in fate different very vulnerability it shares, incidentally,with shares, it vulnerability jar strategi-

21 22 and death in a in death and which date from his years in internal exile in Voronezh, not long before his final arrest (Mandelstam 249).” So runs the opening of one of Mandelstam’s cryptic late lyrics, that divide the work of art from the larger world that both informs and, all too of- too all and, informs both that world larger the from art of work the divide that to rather reality,looks from poet the to own verses – in their writing. Neither paintings nor poems, they imply, are immune their of icons” “verbal the extension, by and – artworks visual of conceive Poland of “numbing” history. Mandelstam anticipates ways in which the poets of post-war unexpected fellow sufferer, subject, like the Russian poet himself, to an becomes dark” black-green the of master,father and brother “noble painter,is 13 the lawn” to ished pastoral more explicit by adding raking,/ “roses…mowers And shepherds on a of hints original’s the makes translation English The porcelain). the adorn shape of the “feathers of frozen swans” („pióra zamarłych łabędzi”) that presumably Polishthe (In saucers. craftsmen’sthe text, now-shattered of rims the take dreams to order in art pure of realm the abandons aujourd’hui” bel le et vivace le vierge, “Le sonnet famous Mallarme’s from swan frozen the majstrow as (sny drogocenne),” craftsmen master of dreams “precious the embody also they But in dirty waves/ Flecking the fresh black loam/ In the mounds of these new graves.” “Spattered it: inhabited once that beings human fragile less no the and quotidian a of forms fragile the both exemplify cups broken The passes.” column worlds fall prey both to easily how demonstrates it as art, of realm the and existence daily between mediates it because precisely moving differently.is operates It crockery shattered Milosz’s But shelves. store grocery or counters kitchen on objects, such encounter Stevens strategically removes it from the less exotic contexts in which we typically mundane, utilitarian purposes. By setting the jar on his mythical Tennessee hilltop, Stevens’ jar subdues the surrounding wilderness only after it is exempted from more from theravagesofmeremortality. “unravished bride of quietness,” whose pastoral scenes are preserved in perpetuity

the forces of history. Far from seeking solace in some airtight aesthetic refuge aesthetic airtight some in solace seeking history.Farfrom of forces the Lk Rmrnt mry o cirsuo/ ’e nee it nmig time” numbing into entered I’ve chiaroscuro,/ of martyr Rembrandt, “Like Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry (Berkeley: UniversityofCalifornia Press, 1994). literackie, 1996), 100-103.StephaneMallarme,CollectedPoems , tr. HenryWeinfeld o porcelanie,” inMilosz, Poezje wybrane:Selected Poems(Krakow: Wydawnictwo Wallace Stevens,CollectedPoems (New York: Vintage, 1982),76.“Piosenka Sir, porcelaintroublesmemost.(100-3) In sorrowandpaincost, In themoundsofthesenewgraves. Flecking thefreshblackloam Spattered indirtywaves Your stainedcolorsaresweet Pretty, uselessfoam: the poem’s litany of lost objects. It might almost be a Stalinist camp. In Mandelstam’s elliptical apostrophe to apostrophe elliptical Mandelstam’s In camp. Stalinist the forces of history: “You lie beside the river/ Where an armored 13 negotiate the shifting, permeable boundaries permeable shifting, the negotiate rebuke to the onslaughts the Dutch the adorn the adorn vanished Keats’ van- their paintingscelebrate. domesticity untroubled the fosters that society Painters”of kind the imagining by outside the picture’s frame. Thus, Adam Zagajewski concludes his tribute to barbarism,” Walter Benjamin remarks (256). onslaughts ofhistory. well too to life and art of ordering the oppose that powers the knows speaker This us, Dutchpainters,”Zagajewskiasks Europe’s recent past, would be so attentive to observer,an to such privy only perhaps And inside.” on going are putondisplay, illuminatedinsucha waythateverypasserbycancheckwhat’s tions of this wide-open Dutch domestic space, where in art, as in reality, “apartments until recently an unavoidable way of life, would be so quick to a Only Herbert remindsus(101). history,”of fires and sands Zbigniew the escape works many “Not it: imperils ten, 16 15 14 that rests upon unflagging faith in progress and a members of our species. Their recent past has taught them to easily the trappings of cultivation fall away from even the most seemingly civilized how countrymen fellow their and invaders the both in saw they and Russiaalike; devastation wrought on European civilization by cultured Germany and progressive have to

xmt vn h seigy metral Dth alax e oe fo the from loves he tableaux Dutch imperturbable seemingly the even exempt TheLimitsofLyric: Western Theory… Cavanagh The Polish poets, in other words, invariably call attention to “There “There is no document of civilization which is not at the same time a Jovanovich, 1985),101. in theGarden,tr. Michael MarchandJaroslawAnders(NewYork: HarcourtBrace “Kak svetotenimuchenik Rembrandt,”Sobraniesochinenii,1:249.Herbert,Barbarian Arendt, trans. HarryZohn (NewYork: Schocken,1969), 256. onthePhilosophy of History,”“Theses inBenjamin,Illuminations,ed.Hannah (New York: Farrar StrausGiroux,2000), 133. Mysticism forBeginners , 12,7.AdamZagajewski,AnotherBeauty ,tr. ClareCavanagh “traveler from Eastern, so-called Central Europe,” where concealment was concealment where Europe,” Central so-called Eastern, from “traveler go far afield to Tell uswhatdarkness is.(133) when allthecolorsgrowcold. when theappleispeeled,silkdims, what willhappen without secretpolice Homes baredall.Thepaintingofa land Brooms restedafterworkwelldone. Doors werewideopen,thewindwasfriendly. in a milkystreamletnarrowastheBeringStraits. in a woodenchairback, They [theDutch]likeddwelling.dwelteverywhere, test the truth of his observation. They were eyewitness to 14 15 16 all that this luminous art omits. “Tell The poets of post-war Poland did not commitment to suspect any worldview register the implica- the darkest spots in spots darkest the the world that lies the final perfect-

document of “Dutch “Dutch the

23 24 17 ofrealisms.” aristocratic paradiseevokedby this“feudalest final stanzas, as Szymborska turns her attention to a But title. the of miniature medieval unnamed the recreate which stanzas, six first poem’s the in abound Superlatives Milosz observes in the introduction to geographical location, between Germany and Russia, is not particularly enviable,” origins. Eastern “Abackward her or his of because just not and – in phrase civilization, Herbert’s European of garden” the in “barbarian the is artist Polish The “Nothing haschanged,”sheinsists. her poem “Tortures” Szymborska casts doubt upon even this dubious achievement. equally by deadly “hatchet-words,” replaced such as “’mind-debaucher,’ are and ‘witch’ ‘heretic’” (141). In heads” splitting for tools simple that fact the in mainly ibility of human nature. “Progress in our civilization,” Herbert comments, “consists found intheTrés RichesHeuresduDucdeBerry. those like paintings of elegance extravagant the for equivalents verbal hyperbolic Frenchearly of “Arecreation in art and ofitsterriblefragility. The poets of such a

itrcl ta-olr a gn svrl ie truh ti] onr whose country [this] through times several gone has steam-roller historical Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry This is the consciousness Wislawa Szymborska brings to Press, 1983),xi-xii. Poetry, selectedandedited byCzeslawMilosz(Berkeley: UniversityofCalifornia Barbarian intheGarden , 141.Szymborska,Poems NewandCollected , 202.Postwar Polish is mostmanifestlyleftoutofthescene. cross-eyed andoutatelbows, Whereas whosoeverisdowncastand weary, young andfairbeyondcompare by hisside,duchess most flatteringlyunrotund; In theforeground,a duke each ofthembyfarthetallest. Towards a castlewithseventowers, wearing thesilkiestofcloaks. in thismostequestrianofpageants, Up theverdantestofhills, and whatevergoesonsoundsasifit’sjusta roomaway. (202) Tortures arejustwhattheywere,onlytheearthhasshrunk in thetwentiethcenturybeforeandafterChrist. before Romewasfoundedandafter, The bodystilltremblesasittrembled country are by necessity acutely aware both of a Medieval Miniature.” She begins by inventing by begins She Miniature.” Medieval

his anthology of more sinister reality emerges in the poem’s the in emerges reality sinister more what has been omitted from the Postwar Polish Poetry bear on her imaginative culture’s costs (xi-xii). 17

I perience by subordinating it to ex- individual of weight the negate that history human of versions those precisely individual vision in all its particularity and partiality the lyric works to way that a to pretend cannot definition, by singular first-person merely human limits, and thus exempt themselves from history. But the lyric poet, a within from seen as life ing As in Zagajewski’s “Dutch Painters,” Szymborska begins by sympathetically recreat- 18 equal, thepoemimplies. created are realisms all Not descendant. imaginative, less distant, its of monotony formulaic and poverty aesthetic the underscore tallest”–tacitly the far by [tower] “realism”–”each medieval by scaled heights the But be.) might prince feudal any (And of course the Soviet state was at least as assiduous in purging class enemies as so is its latter-day Soviet variant, socialist realism, or so Szymborska’s poem hints. be a to the miracles achieved by medieval art than the “feudalist of realisms” can do justice to it claimed have adherents twentieth-century its that picture keepscarefullyoutofsight–orsothepoemimplies. asking such questions may find themselves in dangling persist from the who little gallows types that “peasantish” the or “burgherish” The skies.” of azure most this “beneath survive not may that questions peasantish” or “burgherish of pressing” of medieval art cannot be divorced from the price they exact. It is not only the “least traces of the labor that makes their dominion possible. For Szymborska, the pleasures Marxist vision of a a finds apparently she Miniature” “Medieval in But on. early Szymborska lost her faith in the class-free utopia promised by Polish Communism claims to to to claim who those only Forhistory. in it engages what suggest–and to kind only the are truths partial – man hu- art makes what precisely is this And partisan. and incomplete both are they

take Zagajewski to Zagajewski take the peasants and burghers who violate its aristocratic code. “Feudal realism” may the full picture, the final point of view, can imagine themselves to TheLimitsofLyric: Western Theory… Cavanagh For Szymborska and Zagajewski, the truths of art are partial in a key master universal the hardly is ideology Marxist though, Szymborska, For product of a Poems New and Collected,156-157. comprehensiveness by stepping outside its seemingly sacrosanct borders. novelist, philosopher or epic poet might. Through its commitment to nothing caststheslightestshadowofa doubt.(156-7) could spyeventhetiniestofgallows– And noteventheeaglestofeyes cannot survivebeneaththismostazureofskies. burgherish orpeasantish, Even theleastpressingofquestions, given historical moment, with all its limitations – but then of course history shaped by governing classes whose task is to mean when he remarks that “once one divides the world into world the divides one “once that remarks he when mean given worldview and aesthetic only to only aesthetic and worldview given one Hegelian grand scheme or another. This is what which we humans are privy, these poets privy,these are humans we which be. It can no more explain more no can It be. opeesvns i the in comprehensiveness 18 partial truth in the in truth partial undermine its undermine be free of any double sense: suppress all have access have undermine the

25 26 nettlepatch/ of a as the final aim of lyric poems generally. But the painting he views from “the dense cisely that kind of transcendent release from history that so many critics have seen landscape ofthepoem’sopeninglinesreveals. a also is brutal Polish incarnation (79). But “Mona Lisa” tells a hardly be otherwise, it would seem, for a society,art, could it threads”: many of knot entangled “an form politics and ethics which Westernin on culture, essays Herbert’s in home at equally are troubadors” the question that activates Zbigniew Herbert’s poem “Mona is Lisa.” This “Inquisitors (101)? and phrase Cameron’s history,”in of flux the of out taken and framed, to what appearsbeanexcessofartifice: to not prey fallen has she though – inhuman less no finally is quest, has been dehumanized through an excess of history. But Mona Lisa, the goal of his trees, executed and rivers barbed-wire its with through, passes he landscape The monstrous. even mechanical, but enigmatic, not is finds he lady The expectations. apart from a 20 19 a in “Jerusalem for looks nor does he wish to to strive not does He ture.” is radically different from what we find in “Dutch Painters” or “A as the attitude last towards line the suggests, painting the he speaker’s approaches sanctorum of Western culture, to This pilgrim makes his way through this Eastern European waste land to habitable andhuman,thekindwhichproducesconcentrationcamps”(260). history and poetry, then one obliterates the difference between a

What earthly use is any icon, be it verbal or visual, that has been “arrested, been has that visual, or verbal it be icon, any is use earthly What Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry (New York: Farrar StrausGiroux,1995),260. Zagajewski, Two Cities:OnExile,HistoryandtheImagination , tr. LillianVallee Peter DaleScott (Middlesex:Penguin Books,1968),85-87. Bogdana Carpenter (NewYork: Ecco,1991),79.SelectedPoems, tr. CzeslawMilosz, Herbert, BarbarianintheGarden , 101;Herbert,StillLifewitha Bridle, tr. Johnand survivor of Poland’s devastation in the war and its aftermath, as the grim the as aftermath, its and war the in Poland’sdevastation of survivor Jerusalem ina frame(85-7) –to you all bubblywithangels and baroqueheaven whirlings ofseawings through waterfallsofstairways I kept coming- and hangedbridges and executedforests barbed wireofrivers Through sevenmountainfrontiers recent past too terrible to cook’s tour/ on a engage it from his distinctive, present point of view. Instead he frame,” for spiritual redemption through a through redemption spiritual for frame,” enter into an artwork of another era on its own terms; own its on era another of artwork an into enter the Louvre and Leonardo’s famous painting. And, shore of crimson rope/ and eyes” fails to 20 contemplate. He seeks, in other works, pre- veteran of modern history in its unusually different story. The speaker history…which is Medieval Minia- pure art set art pure history, but history, the meet his sanctus 19 life” froma wildernessof“executed forests”? him from the vanished world he mourns: how does one recover “the first tree of my past, more than the painting’s purported flaws, now fills the black void that blocks to struggles he past unbearable itself: “Jerusalem in a to harsh too to desire own His complaints. his all for him, offends that itself ropes that divides the speaker from Leonardo’s portrait. Nor is it chiefly the image It is not just the museum setting, with its frothy angels, Cook’s tours, and crimson peoples andnations. as easily be applied both to both applied be easily as to uses speaker the phrases the Indeed, lines. ing much an ahistorical vacuum as the brutalized post-war Poland of the poem’s open- so not evokes language the “smothered”: “horrifying,” “abducted,” off,” “Hewed Lisa, hecomplainsearlier, poet’s? the The also pilgrim’s description thoughts of final his unsatisfactory speaker’s icon the suggests otherwise. are Mona But lines. closing poem’s the are These specific historicalexperiencefromthestaticartifactbeforehim: “living heels” from “the empty volumes” of the Mona Lisa’s flesh, that separates his equally mechanical artistry, and the speaker cannot bridge the gap that divides his to looks what by here countered is machine brute as History suggests. poem the inhuman, and uninhabitable equally are apart kept worlds as art and History TheLimitsofLyric: Western Theory… Cavanagh smothered witha scarfofglaze with horrifyingearsofwax abducted fromhomeandhistory has beenhewedofffromthemeatoflife a melted precipice lies a sword and thefirsttreeofmylife between theblacknessofherback but inherglancessnailsareasleep her eyesdreamintoinfinity her heada pendulumatrest only herregulatedsmile concave landscapefora background. as ifconstructedoutoflenses resin-colored muteconvex laboriously smilingon be borne leads him to him leads borne be frame.” What he finds in its place looks suspiciously like the the war’s individual victims and to and victims individual war’s the outrun. And one suspects finally that this horrific this that finally suspects one And outrun. seek out not simply a simply not out seek describe the painting could just could painting the describe painting, but salvation but painting, the fate of entire of fate the escape a escape history be an be

27 28 which is why the lyric poet must struggle time and again to All efforts to mortal speaker to secrets, if indeed it does, only in response to to again, context-free, as such critics argue, it is because human beings likewise try, time and to struggles lyric the if But charged. been has particular in lyric the which with of some earlier, spurious form of “pseudohistoricism” or “ahistoricism,” the crime telling in this respect. The call to that underpins so much recent scholarship – and their distortion of lyric poetry are theory Marxist the undermine might practice in Marxism of history troublesome whose – Europe Eastern of neglect their Both historicism. of brand own their of limits the challenge or complicate might that history and culture of chunks large mistaking oficons,betheyvisualorverbal,asa safehavenfromhistory. a is it way; this Lisa” “Mona Herbert’s read rate any at might One best. at offer can art all is that redemption imperfect the knowledge, partial the even refuses he process; the in art and ably,himself both impoverishes to looks who – reader of Mallarme’s frozen swan in the “Song on Porcelain” suggests. But the viewer – or itself at arm’s length from merely human time is doomed to own rootedness in history to to seek both we Szymborska thus offer us a from what is recognizably a to first seek complicates thestorytoldbyimagesheorsheworksto recreate. lyric, as in each case, a from a a before stands who perceiver individual an in embodied as history human and art time, human and art between interaction complex the of stories but time, and “Medieval Miniatures,” we find not celebrations of art’s iconic autonomy from colleagues. But neither does it exist in isolation. In “Dutch Painters,” “Mona Lisa,” and Zagajewski poetry is not subservient to Milosz asks in his famous poem “Dedication” (96-7). “Dedication” poem famous his in asks Milosz the “from meat of life.” is “What poetry which does not save/ Nations or peoples?” fects the failed sanctuary of Leonardo’s portrait, with its “fat signora” brutally hewed lines, as human villains and victims are displaced onto bridges and trees; and it in- opening the of landscape tainted the haunts It everywhere. flees he past the finds there can be no thinking, no seeing, outside of history. “Mona Lisa”’s haunted speaker 21

“Historicize, historicize,” the cultural critics cry.critics cultural the Yethistoricize,” “Historicize, overlook themselves they The speakers in Zagajewski’s and Szymborska’s lyrics do this consciously. They “Don’t Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry “Przedmowa,” Poezje wybrane: SelectedPoems , 96-97. distant era. And these stories, in turn, speak to rise above the contexts that confine them: Keat’s Grecian urn yields its yields urn Grecian Keat’s them: confine that contexts the above rise even think about it,” the speaker warns. But Herbert’s poem reveals that enter the artwork and the world it represents, and then to then and represents, it world the and artwork the enter step outside time, the lyric reminds us, are doomed to enter the poem’s world and bring our own individual context, our context, individual own our bring and world poem’s the enter whom its glimpses of transcendence remain forever out of reach. speaker rooted in a remove himself and art from history, however understand- history,however from art and himself remove model for approaching individual lyrics, a modern Eastern European perspective. Zagajewski and bear upon the work before us. Poetry that seeks to historicize carries with it an implicit condemnation specific time and place supplements and history, as it was for their more orthodox the insistent questioning of the poem’s each poet’s conception of the 21 For Herbert, Szymborska, Herbert, For cautionary tale against the against tale cautionary achieve the of “revenge failure – or so the fate fail in advance, model in which address it address work keep be by the history he tries to tries he history the by him, if only temporarily, from history’s shackles; what he finds is inevitably distorted to to moreover,self-consciousness, heightened a This itself self-critical. is and self-conscious are limitations its reveal, practitioners Polish its as but – limits of to claim critics such writing of mode the about do they as interrogators genre’s the about much as least at us to at best(Szymborska68). a 22 to Polishpostwar its us in teaches particularly incarnation, which, lyric, spurned the outright to claim adherents not its that if omniscience, vision, superior and progress intellectual of notions the on rests a of idea very The “improved.” Avenuetwin, Madison its with to dered all earlier versions obsolete. The “new” in “New Historicism” inevitably calls

mortal hand,” the temporary reprieve from mortality that is all we can hope for hope can we all is that mortality from reprieve temporary the hand,” mortal mind the language of advertising, where the adjective “new” is invariably paired test the limits not just of the thing perceived, but of its perceiver.all-too-human have uncovered a uncovered have legitimate, historically engaged writing –whatever that might be – likewise tell likewise – be might that –whatever writing engaged historically legitimate, a TheLimitsofLyric: Western Theory… Cavanagh Herbert’s speaker in “Mona Lisa” goes in quest of a Szymborska, Poems New and Collected,68. specific historical situation, in which Poland’s foreign-backed rulers claimed rulers foreign-backed Poland’s which in situation, historical specific historical master key,master a historical 22 leave behind. Attempts to Attempts behind. leave illuminate. The lyric is, as I’ve been arguing, a arguing, been I’ve as is, lyric The illuminate. reject. They would do well to well do would They reject. Metahistory or Megahistory that ren- that Megahistory or Metahistory read the lyric as the antithesis the as lyric the read timeless icon that will release “New Historicism” “New learn from learn response genre

29 30 poetics underwent a his by initiated period the In turn. to testify poems post-war his that maintained be could it Miłosz revived certain eighteenth-century (Enlightenment) genres. For that reason impersonal authorial instance as the basis of a ics completely, taking advantage modernism of with Anglo-Saxon its concept of an years of the Second World War, and in the first post-war years, he revised his poet- to out turned Miłosz on Romanticism of brand this that appears to Three Winters ( Nerval, Lautréamontetc.. de Gérard Novalis, like names with associated usually is that poetry Romantic of line “somnambulist” hermetic, the from immediately less or more derive currents of Paul Valéry, remained in the thirties an important point of reference. Both these I hybrid poetics of “Skamander” – shaped the poetical scenery of the interwar period. that – together with the modernized classicism of the Cracow Avant-garde and the to much owed he “catastrophists”), his a on as embarking career When literary poetry. Romantic of lines main the of one of heir the am, of course, thinking of Surrealism and also of Symbolism that, in the person the in that, Symbolism of also and Surrealism of thinking course, of am, The atmosphere of this literary model also pervades Miłosz’ collection of poems as him shows development poetical Miłosz’s Czesław of point starting The 1 . of EuropeanRomanticism Czesław MiłoszandtheTradition . Arent vanNieukerken Trzy zimy), particularly with respect to act under the pressure of demonic forces. However, the influence of member of the poetical group “Żagary” (the so-called Wilno so-called (the “Żagary” group poetical the of member further transformation that consisted of the rediscovery of the two literary currents rooted in Romanticism in rooted currents literary two raie n Poetry ( on Treatise polyphony of voices. Simultaneously, the status of the poetical subject be short-lived. During the last the During short-lived. be , Miłosz’s poetycki), Traktat a genuine anti-Romantic genuine of poems tion, examine the status of the poetical subject in Miłosz’s already mentioned book overt poetical model, but rather as a modernists. It was not less indebted Anglo-Saxon (perhaps not in the sense of an starting from the sixties was not merely due to oeuvre poetical his and Miłosz young the of poetry “catastrophist” the between (PoLands zieminaszej). poems long the are period new this of specimens realized fully first The ludzi)). biednych exemplary embodiment of this poetical strategy were “multi-voicedness” (Bakhtin)) that marked his previous period of development (an a as instance authorial 1 boils down to posed to (long) poem,e.g.thetechnique ofcollage. obscured by the fact that Miłosz employs poetical devices typical for the modernist to is similarity This world. represented the of level the on voices to regard with of (self)-experience of a express poets Romantic major these which through structure a of view of the chief Polish exponent of non-hermetic Romanticism). What I of author the Mickiewicz, (Adam tradition literary Polish the of structure is mainly (but not exclusively) dependent on the particular circumstances intertextuality,a of in view of point the From shaped. been structure by which the later poetry of Poland’s greatest twentieth century poet has I to attempt an investigation from the point of view of a worth. It is important, at this point, to WordsWilliam and Drang ”) - und “Sturm of period his overcoming (after Goethe were – by definition – “major poets”. To line Romantic this of fathers founding The existence. of aspects “lunar” bulist, world by creating an existential autobiography that went far beyond the somnam- being. In other words: it proposed an integral interpretation of man’s a to attempted Romanticism of brand alternative This Symbolists. the by current, opposed to

use their poetics rather as a poetics that (as previously with Classicism) mirrored the metaphysical order of CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken At this point, I point, this At The tension between two types of Romanticism (the “autobiographical” as op- as “autobiographical” (the Romanticism of types two between tension The existential autobiography. of thesepoets,but theirpresenceisalwayssubjected to thelargerstructure ofthe This isnotto saythathermetic ortheosophicalconceptsdonot occur inoeuvre A the “lunar” one) at various stages of Miłosz’s poetic development essentially Chronicle of the Town Pornic ( Three Winters. The major Polish critic Jan Błoński has pointed out that in general typology – essentially assert is that the underlying poetical underlying the that is assert essentially – typology general different models of personality. Let us, in order to unearth direct influences of the abovementioned poets on Miłosz. on poets abovementioned the of influences direct unearth the relationship between the authorial instance (speaker) and the and (speaker) instance authorial the between relationship the 1 the hermetic line of Novalis and Nerval that was later adopted to like would recalls the structure of Miłosz’s mature poetry,particularlymature Miłosz’s of structure the recalls distinct self without, however, giving up the polyphony (or polyphony however,the without, up self giving distinct heuristic category, in order to put forward the following thesis: the differencethe thesis: following the forward put point of reference) to Kroniki miasteczka Pornic) and stress that what I general typology of Romanticism, and not our mind come immediately two names: the discovery of T.S. Eliot and other The Songs of Poor People ( propose is an intertextual an alternative romantic specify the existential narrower sense, this sense, narrower clarify this opposi - – from the point specific totality specific a PanTadeusz as , Throughout Our certain extentcertain being-in-the- create Głosy

31 32 it speaks out in the first person plural, as the spokesman of a poetry that would do justice to voicedness of being, and to some self-reflection. It tries to in “I” the unlike – is “Dithyramb” the of subject lyrical However,the apart. torn almost was poetry catastrophist his of subject the which written in 1937, seems to poetry, a had already become aware in the late-thirties of this rift between “I” and “we” in his in the course of this process the profound self would betray its very nature. Miłosz belonging to that represents the distance between the somnambulist self (“I”) and the self (“I” as a developing by achieved be only could This world. the towards attitude would demand finding an “objective correlative” (T.S. Eliot) for the somnambulist to determined by demonic somnambulism. The profound self lacks, in its turn, the force profound self. History cannot become an integral part of its poetical autobiography to sible interpretation of the poem “Roki” is either an first person plural. A the and marked) implicitly (often singular person first the with both faced are we the second person singular that makes its presence emphatically felt. Furthermore, fact in is it that shows years these during written poems other of reading attentive of the a by adopted stance rhetorical the of 5 4 3 2 the poem “Slow River” („Powolna rzeka”) the identity of the speaker is unclear “There is no-one betweenyouandme,/to mestrengthisgiven” isno-one “There (13). lent example of such a civilization. To to belonging as of conceived be cannot shape, atavistic or demonic its sure of something that does away with ordinary historical time and that, because of pres- multi-voiced the from emerging gradually by itself describes hand, other the to attempts plural person first the that maintained generally be could it but distinctions, clear-cut Cz.Miłosz, disentangle itself from demonism and grasp the mechanisms of history, since that Miłosz’s catastrophist poetry appears to appears poetry catastrophist Miłosz’s Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Kraków 2001-2009. (W). of Miłosz’spoetry inPolish come from:CzesławMiłosz,Wiersze (pięćtomów),Znak, “Nikogo niemamiędzy tobąI mną,/amniejestdanasiła” (W t.1,p.73).Quotations translated bythe authorofthepresentessay. Collected Poems 1931-2001,NewYork 2005(NCP).Unmarkedquotations havebeen Quotations ofMiłosz’spoetryinEnglish comefrom:CzeslawMilosz,Newand J. Błoński,Miłoszjakświat,Kraków1989,p.18. Poem about Frozen Time ( reconcile the public realm (poetry towards history) with the sphere of the of sphere the with history) towards (poetry realm public the reconcile few years before he discovered Anglo-Saxon modernism. His “Dithyramb”, alter ego of the “I” (as has been pointed out by Michał Głowiński in his a Trzy zimy–głosyo wierszach,Londyn1987,p.132. “we”) “we”) that takes part in inter-generational communication. However, put it succinctly, the “I” describes itself by facing an define its place towards époques and civilizations. The “I,” on “I,” The civilizations. and époques towards place its define more profound analysis usually shows that the second person form of selfhood is the poetical subject in the poem “Hymn”: be an expression of his wrestling with the inner tension by work out the conditions of a distinguish itself from the “I” immersed in the multi- both the demonic and historical realm (even though Poemat o 3 ), or the (often rather roughly treated) addressee socially committed poet (c.f. the second part second the (c.f. poet committed socially czasie zastygłym)). It is not easy to be problematical, because it is impos- is it because problematical, be consciously autobiographical – capable of capable – Winters Three generation). The new energy. An excel- the realm of realm the structure work out 4 ( 5 ). 2 . An autobiography, and subsequently, attempt to for “beauty that should be visible/ and easy even to in other words: we must embark upon a points of view are reconciled by “splendidly roaming” („wędrówkę wspaniałą”), or, “this new order of regenerated forms that eagerly express the truth” the express eagerly that forms regenerated of order new “this the first glimmer of the day.”the of glimmer first the sea… the of rocking morning “the (unrepeatable): unique and elemental is what to hand, one the on attempts, poets (young) of generation 9 8 7 6 is formulatedina (quasi)discursivemanner. long poem to pertains grace Christian) necessarily (not of realm that “arrives silently” („nadchodzi cicho”). The relationship between history and the detail, I lined with the blood of curses, the laments of the oppressed” a flows shoulders our from and harm, their with up/ woven are we an event happening to A to “happened” has what that assert the subject that experiences it directly. At best, a by accomplished been not has moment this of realization the that view,clear of point ontological an from becomes, it this achieving After being-in-the-world. temporal of way normal subject’s the suspends and interrupts that epiphany the on focusing by partially only it embodies it rather or embodiment, its towards to fails “Dithyramb” the later oeuvre, Miłosz’s in situation the unlike However, epiphanies. by revealed is that a into himself incorporates autobiography his ing presented by the mature Miłosz in which the author by the very process of creat- this threshold much later,in much 1960, threshold around this to insight) (or ability the to singular to a to out turns awareness this Miłosz, of case the In itself. sets subject the that existential autobiography. The visionary is a to means simultaneously represent itself as the subject of epiphany and incorporate (which

moral imperative. As such it affects “all of us”: we proceed from the first person necessary (even though not sufficient) condition of recognizing an epiphany as accomplish this task. The poet stands on the threshold of maturity, but lacks maturity,but of threshold the on stands poet The task. this accomplish CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken hs te Dtyab apas to appears “Dithyramb” the Thus, “ten nowy ładformodrodzonych, wyrażających chciwieprawdę” [W t.1,p.122] “piękność, copowinna byćwidzialna/I łatwanawetdziecku” [W t.1,p.122]. [W t. 1,p.122]. spływa namkrólewski płaszcz,/podbitykrwiązłorzeczeń, skargąuciśnionych” “o tych, cocierpią–wwęzełgordyjskijesteśmyspleceni/ z krzywdą,apleców “poranne kołysaniemórz[…]pierwszy blaskdnia”[W t.1,p.121]. will start by presenting a a Throughout Our . Lands However, before analyzing these texts in greater the first person plural, uniting in a certain extent objectifying it) this event in the larger context of “my” “my” of context larger the in event this it) objectifying extent certain “me” is that the “I” creates a cross it. I it. cross 6 On the other hand, it does not omit “the suffering – suffering “the omit not does it hand, other the On famous nineteenth-century example of a rce fo aeutl saig hs project this stating adequately from proceed have already pointed out that Miłosz crossed Miłosz that out pointed already have the original subject is, in fact, an “event”. an fact, in is, subject original the

Quest. It does not suffice to e a be A gift. Creating an autobiography: a

explain why more than twenty years is sec o te otcl project poetical the of sketch first Chronicle of the Townthe of Chronicle Pornic the and community. The “Dithyramb” fails different, “general” subject can a continuously widening world widening continuously poetical space in which it can child” a paradox, and this paradox this and paradox, express in “pure words” “pure in express 8 . However, this beauty, 7 . These contradictory royal mantle,/ royal 9 wait passively , is also a also is , poetical task gift be

33 34 remembrance. A remembrance. of prose and poetry Miłosz’s recall concerned, is anecdotes these of impact physical meta- the as far as that, youth and childhood his from events the are poem long this a of “growth the about poem famous sode in which Wordsworth describes how, still a growing organism(insteadofa primordial,“given” state): episode to this of significance educational the attributes explicitly Wordsworth Universe”. the of “Spirit the of epiphany the Snowdon, Mount climbs he when Prelude, The of episode final the in experiencing for protagonist the prepare that stages many a of autobiography tempted to tempted France,in Revolution in the and of years first the during stayed with Miłosz) his role as a (a is protagonist the of autobiography the for important less Not to Due his firstattemptsatrealizingit. passed between Miłosz’s sketching the project of an existential autobiography and The archetype of a of archetype The 2 . Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry the miraculous power of memory,the of in power role miraculous important the an plays event this the “immortal spirit” that is to More palpable,asbestmightsuit heraim.(Wordsworth 499) Severer interventions,ministry Opening thepeacefulclouds;orshe mayuse That camewithsoftalarm,likehurtless light Whether herfearlessvisitings,or those Thanks to themeanswhichNaturedeignedemploy; In onesociety… Discordant elements,makesthemclingtogether Inscrutable workmanshipthatreconciles Like harmonyinmusic;thereisa dark Dust asweare,theimmortalspiritgrows Of earth–andwithwhatmotionmovedtheclouds!(498-9) Blow throughmyears!Theskyseemednota With whatstrangeutterancedidthelouddrywind While ontheperilousridgeI hungalone, oh, atthattime Was notignoble… Our objectandinglorious,yettheend Had inhighplacesbuiltherlodge;thoughmean Roved weasplundererswherethemother-bird Nor lesswhenspringhadwarmedtheculturedVale, recapture the messianic hopes of this period. However, the memory of However,memory period. the this of hopes messianic the recapture good example of an event with a with event an of example good growing mind. It acquires moral significance, being one of the of one being significance, moral acquires It mind. growing realized poetical autobiography appears to appears autobiography poetical realized witness to, and active participant of, history. Wordsworth poet’s mind”: poet’s be be equated with Nature as a child, he “plundered” a “metaphysical” bearing is an epi- an is bearing “metaphysical” . An essential part of of part essential An Prelude. The he at- he Prelude The be Wordsworth’sbe further parallel further raven’s nest: dynamic, the poetical subject acquires distance not only to would be impossible to coming aware and of attempting this to apparently inevitable one-sidedness fragmentary.Be- finite, but be cannot objectivizations poetic its However, infinite. energy,an as is, Yeats’spoetry in self The modernists. Anglo-Saxon the by forward put impersonality, of postulate the with subject poetical the of concept Romantic to attempted Miłosz, like just who, poet another by undergone tion evolu- the with it compare we when societies), and nations whole of destruction the a without not – aside (I startling less a a of witness the as self the with self profound the ing integrat- of intention his renounce consciously him made Miłosz’s that by turn followed anti-romantic immediately almost necessity its stating of act the was why that it took twenty years before the poet started to explained be it can how mind, in this Keeping (1937). “Dithyramb” the in forward put already was worldview, Romantic essentially Miłosz’s with tune in completely tulate of an existential autobiography, a a introduces that disenchantment later author’s the by counterpoised is hopes these 11 10 costume.” historical and to recourse taking than rather comment of necessity the entails which tinuously to con- referring autobiographical, and anecdotic essentially is Miłosz of poetry “the form of anecdotes, is the poetical world of Miłosz. Jan Błoński has pointed out that of everydaylife. the self is a during the very moment sent of self writing. “here This and stratification now”, of the publicself. a from apart roles, these of one only is self confessional The autobiographism. his of brand specific the determines role, to him of demand that Romanticism) Enlightenment, the Baroque, the Renaissance, the (from costumes various in up dress “I” the making of poetry of anecdote and stylization are often juxtaposed, and that the tendency of Miłosz’s

impersonality typical for the Eliotic brand of modernism? This development seems certain discontinuity to CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken Let us now try to 3 . Similarly stratified – i.e. centering around ordinary experiences – related in the Błoński, Miłoszjakświat , p.59. Miłosz’s experience oflife” (Błoński,Miłoszjak świat,p.93). among other“masks,” eachofwhichcontributessome elementto “thesumof Or, inotherwords:thespeaker ofMiłosz’sconfessionalpoetry isessentiallya persona precondition of epiphany as an experience suspending the temporality personal or individual experiences, particularly reading and travelling, 11 consciously center on the immanent dynamics of literature, leaving leaving literature, of dynamics immanent the on center consciously answer the second question. We have already seen that the pos- certain moral uneasiness – the impact of the horror caused by by caused horror the of impact the – uneasiness moral certain represent the process of time stratifying itself, due to 10 the temporal structure of the poem. Without this rupture it It would be even more accurate to accurate more even be would It project that, as a number of others, such as the ecstatic and ecstatic the as such others, of number its former self, but also to realize this project? Furthermore, certain generation, in favor of of favor in generation, certain matter of fact, seemed to say that the poetics the that say reconcile the the reconcile stylization ly some play achieve achieve its pre- which be be

35 36 space and time of subject to moods and events registers merely In undergone. had it metamorphoses inner the with accordance in perspectives multiplying by destiny unrepeatable and unique to failed Quartets), cyclical set of variations linking metaphysical meditation to ticularly the type of a par- genres, Eliotian the that clear However,became forms. soon poetical it larger a of Miłosz’s modernism had been previously mediated by the Romanticism (in the sense Yet,a modernism. from turning in the sixties towards the existential autobiography has been mediated by his to of their poetry, and its classicist stance, is not a of Miłosz and Yeats appears, however, seems to case the in decisive is What poetics. their on imprint an leave metamorphoses these to ability their in consists poets of greatness very to out reaching of strategy the fact, In incomplete. course, of is, analogy This („Rzeka”)). River” “The Miłosz’s poems written during the Second World War (e.g. “Journey” („Podróż”) and also characterized by objective descriptions of the external world, not unlike some of himself – perhaps not accidently – translated into Polish). The poems of this period are and presented inthepoem“Dithyramb”. autobiography existential an of sketch the pervaded that history) literary in epoch of a poetry, the middle Yeats created a ). anti-self In order to 12 treatise theosophical the of author to out reaches self the wholeness,

their oeuvre as a as oeuvre their The modernist mediatization explains why Miłosz started to started Miłosz why explains mediatization modernist The Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry mentoring attitude (what I The Wild Swans at Coole, and particularly the famous cycle general typology opposing “romantic” to “romantic” opposing typology general Never and Always”(Eliot, Collected Poems…, p.215, italicsA.v.N.) is essential:„Here, theintersectionoftimelessmoment/IsEngland andnowhere. czas przezczas”[W t. 2,p.236-237]). ThedifferencewithEliotseems slight, butit tutaj na krawędzi/ Trwania, nietrwania. Dwie linie przecięte./ Czas wyniesione ponad intersect,/ Time liftedabovetimebytime”(143](„Tu niedosięgalna/ Prawda istoty, Truth ofbeing,here attheedgeoflasting/andnotlasting.Whereparallellines by somewhatmodifyinga statementfrom Little Gidding:“Hereistheunattainable/ redeeming it.InhisTreatise onPoetry herevisesEliot’sconceptofabolishing time Norton). Miłoszisnotpreoccupiedwith overcoming (“conquering”)time,butwith – DrySalvages)and“Only through timeisconquered”(ibid.,p.192,Burnt timeless/ With time”(T.S. Eliot,CollectedPoems, London1990,p.212 1909-1962 C.f. thefollowingpassagesfromFour Quartets:“thepointofintersectionthe assesses everything from an ideal point of view, beyond view, of point ideal an from everything assesses Quartets Four 12 . We have already seen that during his catastrophist period Miłosz one’s opposite seems to seems opposite one’s satisfy a satisfy dynamically developing whole. We will shortly see that Miłosz’s WeMiłosz’s whole. that developing see dynamically shortly will find a polyphonic long poem represented by slightly different angle it could equally be maintained that that maintained be equally could it angle different slightly complement for the emotional impressionism of his early self that, participating in history,in participating that, self to attempted have in mind are his poetry collections its opposite (interestingly,opposite its the of anthropology the “cold” poetical subject, shunning confession, fond A ae o te eso between tension the on bases Vision which it passively surrenders. The poetical The surrenders. passively it which be characteristic of all great poetry. The great all of characteristic be “classicist” poetics, and not a not and poetics, “classicist” simple antithesis but must be related be something else: the impersonality cope with continuous change, and and change, continuous with cope the “I” (Tiresias) “I” the Land Waste The musical structures (Four The Waste Land and the The Tower, that Miłosz take interest in interest take Responsibilities specific specific and and self find its find

his role as a as role his in Miłosz’s catastrophist poetry. Moreover, the author of a fined. There is no room for the ambiguity and self-concealment that so often occur de- clearly principle in are them between communication of rules The addressee. and speaker its specifies always genre This treatise. poetical century eighteenth W.H.like a poets create and Shapiro, Carl Audenand to forced was Miłosz Therefore, coveries in the field of poetical genres did not do anything to to belonging of a with self somnambulist the of visions the connecting in succeeded not had about theFrozen River)andthesomnambulistphantasmagoriasofThreeWinters. step forward, both with regard to a taking Miłosz allowed treatise the of poetics the that community.seems It presupposes a and teacher. For that reason his way of belonging to these mechanisms and explaining them to understands the mechanisms by which it is ruled. His very task consists in analyzing a different leveltothedichotomycharacteristicforhispre-warpoetry. only partially to the period, this of work major Miłosz’s dissolve. the in zenith its achieved that treatise the of poetry the tension, inner this of Because abstract. the and universal always tried to irony,by undermined ginning a of case the in surprising hardly is which be- very the from was project treatise Miłosz’s of generality (Enlightenment) The However,to fails it words: it engages into something that had been hitherto absent from Miłosz’s poetry. itself to a in up “knit itself does feel it nor experiences, fresh for searching continents and lands cross not does It poetical treatise is, in fact, even more one-dimensional than the somnambulist “I”. poets (the Skamandrites) only moderately./ Paid them tribute, but with a with but tribute, moderately./Paidthem only Skamandrites) (the poets these Liked generation/ new the that was it why “That’s plural: person third the – discretely,a necessity being – employing to avoid cannot it when and, history and evil. This mentoring subject shuns all remarks or comments referring to good between difference the short: in inauthentic, or authentic not, or valuable is to attempts rather to it on calls nor generation his with solidarity express of Miłosz’s catastrophist poetry) the self of a of generational community. Behind the first person plural appears (unlike the “we” CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken Yet, it cannot be overlooked that he had to had he that overlooked be cannot it Yet, In the first, “historical” parts of the describing, presenting causes and effects, passing assessment etc., in other spokesman of a of spokesman certain distance, not only to uphold the existence of the particular and the sensual in face of the a this genre understood in the above-mentioned sense, and refers on distinct generation committed to committed generation distinct transmit the knowledge necessary do distinguish between what between distinguish do necessary knowledge the transmit accomplish this in the context of an existential autobiography.existential an of context the in this accomplish Gordian knot with wrongs” (“Dythyramb”), but limits but (“Dythyramb”), wrongs” with knot Gordian certain community (a community certain began in the fifties to fifties the in began Morals Treatiseon choose a choose the model of socially committed poetry (The Poem make its personality felt, accomplishes this accomplishes felt, personality its make Treatise on Poetry dominates the perspective representative of the younger generation younger the of representative different path, following the example of example the following path, different the group of which he is both spokesman it, but also to teacher who does not in the first place TreatisePoetryon fact, in belongs, , pay a pay generation, class or nation) and nation) or class generation, (and participating in) the group the modern counterpart for the for counterpart modern of istory. dis- of Eliot’s praxis high price. The self of the of self The price. high undertake joint action, but action, joint undertake himself as a treatise is fully aware of remedy this situation. member of this gradually poet who poet certain its own sense great

37 38 law” law” (140). a a of nail the on “Impaled alone: remains compassion, of devoid and alien something as nature facing creature, each that seems it first, At more. ever dentally entitled “Nature.” Temporal motion recedes in view of a east from the Rocky Mountains/ And settled in the forests of the continent” (141)). squeaking in their locks/ He binds them with a a in moves He singleness. his of perspective the from speaks suddenly author The is as a as TreatisePoetryis on governed by “the spirit of history”. Therefore we might get the impression that the experiencing the otherness of nature. Such an America is completely alien to grammatical indicators of personality rarely occur, appears to tive begins to didn’tthey For cowardice,/ their of memory the Carried them/ of all days their of end (“they”): “The survivors ran through fields, escaping/ From themselves (..) Till plural the person third the into itself transforms gradually (‘we”) plural person first parts about the pressions of despondency and anger much more permeated by personality than the 17 16 15 14 13 17 anger…Nor did Broniewski win their admiration” (120). the tensionbetweenfirstandthirdpersonplural at the moment he has acquired a of publication the since progress essential view,made point had Miłosz that seems it ences nature in its immediateness experi- still remain that apart. Nevertheless, self from a the and history of self The poetry. pre-war Miłosz’s was as way) notwithstanding its immersion in nature, turns out to out turns nature, in immersion its notwithstanding

For Miłosz, America has always been associated with ahistoricity and ecstatically grasshopper/ Leaks brown fluid from its twitching snout,/ Unaware of torture and rowing boat through the heart of the American continent (“To and the “Dithyramb”. The self in the fourth part of the of part fourth the in self The “Dithyramb”. the and Winters Three The real turning-point occurs, however, in the last part of the poem, not acci- not poem, the of part last the however,in occurs, turning-point real The Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry may be“accepted”(132](„Zbaw od niewiedzy, uznajnasząwierność”[W t. 2,p.221]). askto beredeemedfromignorance,and that “ourdevotion”p. 221]),inwhich“we” ungraspable movement”[NCP

Europe, Europe, Treatise, similar

ex- more comprehensivepatterns thatconnectimagewithimage,scene and experiencing those objects and scenes as features of certain general, or at least and scenes from nature in itself, but also aims to (142). A Basel/ in “that wedding past: the from details tangible most the “again-making-present”) of sense literal the (in representing in succeeds and “everything” recalls nature of garden modified by the descriptive objectivism of modernism. Anglo-Saxon The “I” in the Thomas Vogler in his book a of “growth the on poem a as time of concept same the from Romanticism of which Wordsworth was the acknowledged master, and that derived a often by means of, at first sight trivial, anecdotes. Miłosz’s adopting of anecdotes as self, the of experiences distinct and individual the representing of act the through a reveals and opacity its loses to due memory, of energy creative the is basis Its poetry. Miłosz’s of evolution the for decisive were part (fourth) last its in autobiography existential to perspective of shift the but poem, the of parts two first poetical the shaping the treatise of poetics the not that obvious is it Furthermore, flawed). being its form” (a poem is an important link in Miłosz’s project of working out a a is tance, ae oet te eoy rw lre ta m lf” (143). life” my than larger grows memory “the moment same (“Wetimes), hostile and strange in lived a in speaker the from line straight in teacher and spokesman of his generation in the first three parts who seems to connected with the past as a 21 20 19 18 starts to to an essential element of the present. This is, in fact, an apocalyptic experience. Due space ofepiphanyopensup. singular, a

constructive principle in his later poetry recalls a it, he has, being conveyed to conveyed being has, he it, CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken It could be argued that the 4 . Hart Crane , Berkeley, 1971. Th. A.Vogler, Preludesto aVision –TheEpic Venture inBlake, Wordsworth, Keats and [W t. 2,p.236]. “Pluśnięcie bobra w nocamerykańską/pamięćwiększaniż Ijestmojeżycie” [W t. 2,p.235]. “ten ślubw Bazylei./Dotkniętastrunawiolii owoce/ Wmisachzesrebra” czasach dziwnychiwrogichżyliśmy[...]”[W t. 1,p.79]. “W 19 Nearby he hears “the splash of a of splash “the hears he Nearby consciously write his existential autobiography in which the past becomes circumstance that, from an existential perspective, would appear to foretaste of the simultaneousness (in other words: fullness) of time. The masterpiece that does not resolve all inner tensions. Nevertheless, the Nevertheless, tensions. inner all resolve not does that masterpiece touch to touch poet’s mind” focuses (here I (here focuses mind” poet’s Preludes to real presence, remembered and experienced, than the Treatise on Poetry, notwithstanding its artistic impor- the strings of the viola and fruits/ In silver bowls” silver In fruits/ and viola the of strings the pcfc rhtcue Ps ad rsn intertwine present and Past architecture. specific a dimension beyond the limits of the first person first the of limits the beyond dimension function of the creative power of memory.of power creative the The of function well-known poem published in published poem well-known a Vision) not only on the remembered objects 18 beaver in the American night” but, at the at but, night” American the in beaver and whose stance has only slightly been slightly only has stance whose and represent the way of remembering similar tendency in the type of paraphrase the remarks of remarks the paraphrase “more comprehensive 20 h protagonist The Three WintersThree which time which justify derive 21 an .

39 40 cutlass missed the tough heart of the boar” (171). boar” the of heart tough the missed cutlass his rises…Because flood the when tide high at port the entering ship any of mast ated by the private particular of the author: “The arrow of a de Retz”, that might seem a seem might that Retz”, de poem, “The Castle of Bluebeard”, devoted to the of part first the author.Even the of now” and “here presence the with fronted September 1940’”). September family name, regiment,/ Or only succinctly: ‘a succinctly: only Or regiment,/ name, family and Christian row,either after Row lawns,/ mowed the in soaked that drizzle the subjectivity.with suffused are that (“Under combined are perspectives both Often 24 23 22 the epilogueto poemevensubjectofauthorialself-reflection). epic Mickiewicz’s in experience core the also fact, of nature always produces a Revolution. It turns out that the act of remembering a his humanity and condemned to (or “you”) and nature against the background of places in which man is stripped of for Wordsworth’s poetry is the memory as an immediate communion between an “I” content, but as an energy, in accordance with the mental laws of association). Typical a as (not it in contained are that and by passed have that moments other all recalled be also shall it in and recalled, once be will it therefore and preserved passing moment – present “here and – now” does not fall into oblivion. It has been this past, the of moments more) (or one passing its with simultaneously recalls it, of stratified time. The moment passes by but since the subject, whilst experiencing ness. This unity in difference presupposes the experience of the moment as a perceiver, that which he perceives and the act of perception preserve their distinct- to author in the French coastal town which is expressed by him either directly (“Next the of presence the course, of is, poem this in element autobiographical first The autobiography. his with connected other or way some in being as shows also but it pivots on historical events or rather anecdotes that the author not merely relates, a from Everything that in Miłosz’s Miłosz’s examine autobiography.first existential us the Let of potential and poems long the by proved is as Wordsworth, than

the port I port the In both cases poetry aims for a for aims poetry cases both In Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Yet, it seems that Miłosz attributed an even greater power to strzałem z kuszy, [...].Bo kordelas nietrafił mocneserce wdzika”[W t. 2,p.300]. “Masztów każdej łodzi/Zmierzającejdoportuw czasprzypływu/ Dosięgnąć można czerwca 1940’”[W t. 2,p.306]. imię, nazwiskoi pułk,/ Czytylko krótko: ‘Żołnierz,znanyBogu’,/Czytałem: ’17 “Pod drobnym deszczem,którywsiąkałw strzyżonetrawniki,/Rządzarzędem, czy “Koło portu przechodzę uliczkąGalipaud”[W t.2,p.301]. . These texts showed for the first time the full artistic full the time first the for showed texts These . Lands Our Throughout sense of belonging to belonging of sense pass the narrow street of Galipaud”), of street narrow the pass 23 The past of the town of Pornicof town the of past The con- when presence into turns salutary effect (the healing power of memory is, as a Treatises had been presented as either general or deriving catalogue of irrelevant entries, turns out to out turns entries, irrelevant of catalogue a generation has now become particular and, as such, as and, particular become now has generation loneliness, as in the sordid towns of the Industrial specific wholeness of experience in which the which in experience of wholeness specific the notorious “Gilles de Laval, Baron soldier,to known 24 22 The feats and crimes of Gilles of crimes and feats The or obliquely with descriptions with obliquely or A PanTadeuszin becomes and , previous life in the womb of Chronicle of the TownPornic the of Chronicle crossbow/ Could reach acts of remembrance God’,/ I God’,/ be perme- be Chronicle. “passive” read: ‘17 read: “vessel” “vessel” matter matter by those who dance the carmagnole.” liked even was he Because general/ the and particular the between contradiction a him considered opponents political his even to a been conceived on this very spot. Słowacki walked being, just like the author himself, has it) by appalled is author (the spirit” the of “Genesis the Słowacki’s of philosophy mystical that out turns It appearance. their make issues Polish intimate. more even becomes autobiography existential author’s the and Pornic town the in place merely establish a Polish tradition that he carries with him, due to matter. not the do of intentions element inalienable an remains presence Słowacki’s a pears to ap- illusions quasi-religious these of conscious being his of fact very the but reverie, and ordinary life that has been reinstated in its poet right arouses in the romantic author a the of imagination fertile the by created concepts metaphysical the to obliged feels he why understand we background this Against war. civil even and a from émigré an a is who author the of autobiography existential the with intertwine ally in a largersensetheindividualman’s impotence towardshistory to speaking. He is merely repeating other people’s (chronicler’s) tales. But his inability to relate way any in not do Retz de 28 27 26 25 longing”). Sebastian, his fate could easily have become that of the author (“Galipaud died in exile in San since he was forced him to grew boisterous,theirwomenconceived”(174)). forward the question, after which we simply go on with our life (“Later they drank, a fact, in is, (this saved are merit, lesser with although others, and perish us of some that explain we can How people. ordinary including salvation, of need in stands us of a from shown is author the and Pornic from figures historical the between link The context. same the in

lonely exile, here where “heather and juniper grew,/ And little sheep grazed next next grazed sheep little grew,/And juniper and “heather where here exile, lonely distich from his mystical drama mystical his from distich preserve the memory of the parson Galipaud who “failed to druidic stones./ Notaries and merchants have built villas” understand the supposed cruelty of Joan of Arc’s one time companion represents CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken In the following parts of the poem the connection between the events that took took that events the between connection the poem the of parts following the In Things change in the next parts of the druidycznych głazów,/ Notariusze i kupcypobudowali wille” [W t.2,p.304-305]. “Kiedy spacerowałeś tutaj,byłwrzosi żarnowiec,/Małe czarneowcepasłysiękoło “Potem [W t.2,p.304]. pili,wrzeszczeli,kobiety poczynały” “Galipaud umarł nawygnaniu,w SanSebastian,tęskniąc” [W t.2,p.301]. ci nawet, cotańczylikarmaniolę”[W t. 2,p.301]. “Okazuje siętutaj sprzecznośćpomiędzyposzczególnymi ogólnym,/Bokochaligo recurring theme in Miłosz’s later poetry)? Wepoetry)? later Miłosz’s in theme putting recurring with content be must be an indirect affirmation of Słowacki’s presence (the speaker actually quotes link with his countrymen, but shapes his very perception of reality. land devastated by historical disasters, revolutions, incursions revolutions, disasters, historical by devastated land 26 The poems “Heirs” and “Vandeans” could be interpreted be could “Vandeans” and “Heirs” poems The different angle in the poem “Our Lady of salvation”.“Ourof Each poem Lady the in angle different flee because of a ). The protagonist’s polemical polemical protagonist’s The Zborowski ). Samuel the author’s autobiography. It is not he who is who he not autobiography.is author’s It the 25 Galipaud is particularly close to Chronicle. The events from history gradu- ideology professing to his being an exile. Tradition does not good man: “In this reveals itself the itself reveals this “In man: good 27 28 . The contrast between be a patriot”, although be universal, and the author refugee, mood of

41 42 esis of the Spirit” the of esis “The teacher of Polish/ With decorum declaimed the beginning of (Słowacki’s) to went (thirty), death his of moment the at him with age one of Pole,being cemetery.this that imagines He the of guardian local the from this about learns speaker The mission. secret some a Kruszewica, from Makowski Henryk “that day in Vilnius, on the Cathedral Square.” been “put together” from chunks of “real” life that derive from different times. Eliot’s The unlike (not has poem Miłosz’s fragments. connected loosely gled out by Jan Błoński in his seminal essay “Miłosz like the Earth”), the like “Miłosz essay seminal his in Błoński Jan by out gled eoe i “ieog n dahog friend?” deathlong and “lifelong his become mentioned guardian Mr. Richard). Could anyone have expected that Muriel would to information this owed but Retz, de Gilles of case the in as chronicle anonymous some from friendship their about learn not did author (the London a still he, when who, Byck (“Womens’s Auxiliary Air Force”) would be buried on this same cemetery, she a place where this prose poem about the chain of lives had been composed, becoming the 17 the on sunk been had that “Lancastria” ship passenger the of victims seventeen rest cemetery this On intertwine. and concur motives and themes mentioned hitherto 32 31 30 29 being intheirothernesssimilarto him. a “in tied is – “Dithyramb” the in poem gives, in fact, a a in participates autobiography existential author’s the that intuition the justifies moment one of representation literary the in the seventies). The very circumstance that so many layers of time can co-exist in “summa” poetical Miłosz’s in appearance its of experience the witnessing fact, biography.in Weexistential are, author’s the of chain the in link a in concur threads different these memory,all of a of conceive ever, Salvation”)?of “OurWeLady (c.f. himself how- author can, the not and perished,

“part of this very scenery”. He also did not expect that his girlfriend Muriel Tamar The 5 . (sin- Cemetery” War “British poem the in culminates multi-voicedness The Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry “Dozgonna i pozgonna przyjaciółka”[W t.2,p.307]. p. 307]. “I nauczyciel polskiego/ Szlachetnierecytowałpoczątek ‘Genezisz Ducha’”[Wt.2, “Pamiętam tendzieńw Wilnie, naplacuKatedralnym” [W t.2,p.306]. J. Błoński,Miłoszjakświat,p.101. th of June as the result of an airstrike by German planes. The author recalls author The planes. German by airstrike an of result the as June of Chronicle of Pornic presents an existential autobiography as a 31 . He certainly never expected to expected never certainly He . (that, as a as (that, apokatastasis still greater miracle, in other words: due to due words: other in miracle, greater still personal account of a schoolboy, heard Słowacki’s sublime words, frolicked across frolicked words, sublime Słowacki’s schoolboy,heard a lyceum where he heard without any enthusiasm how enthusiasm any without heard he where lyceum Gordian knot” with the “harm” of other people, other of “harm” the with knot” Gordian parachutist that had been captured during captured been had that parachutist conscious metaphysical concept, makes concept, metaphysical conscious more comprehensive whole. The entire The whole. comprehensive more life that – as Miłosz already announced , published Sun, the of Rising the From 30 32 Among the buried is also Captain n wy a i Mkwk who Makowski it was why And be laid to laid be poem constituting an essential an constituting poem eternal rest in the very the in rest eternal the creative power creative the Waste) Land sequence of 29 the already the where all where Gen- a poem, corresponding to could hitherto conceive of. As a to and time moment to present seems the of framework the that presences passing) and (past real a such reveal epiphany of moments The worldview. a of concept the of center contemplated by a simultaneously being as represented are present and Past abolished. is present and past between distance the experience this In past. the and present the from both voices summoning by now” and “here situation its reconsiders subject the fact, each episode constitutes a In episodes. previous of potential unrealized the fulfilling as understood be not poetry (as I ments of individual experience revealed by the epiphanic knots in Miłosz’s mature nature of these sudden insights. Therefore, the interrelatedness of particular mo scendence are not connected by a as in Wordsworth’s (time redeemed) is not accessed by a reminiscent of the Romantic poem of remembrance. However, this superstructure metaphysical fundament of its possibility. From this point of view the a of modern the or progress” in represented by Wordsworth’s “Lines composed a to miliar singular in . early sixties:ThroughoutOurLands the in wrote Miłosz poem long second the in found be can intertwine redeemed more original representation of this chronotope in which ordinary time and time As far as its form is concerned, the poem adheres to up to addtimes individual These him. with time own his brings whom of each people, other of memory the with up bound inextricably is past the of memory author’s 33 with the world in an almost Whitmanian fashion. Whitmanian almost an in world the with communion ecstatic its of immediateness the Miłosz’s expresses poem long American in first “I” The author. the of autobiography intimate the with intertwines gradually only that people other of life the from started representation of act the

new sense as being potentially susceptible to CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken Even a Even w przekładzie AlfredaToma) [W. t.2. p. 316]). version’” (182)(„Kiedy przechodziłemmiastemludnym/ (jakmówiWalt Whitman I pass’dthrougha populous city,“When ‘asWalt Whitmansays inthePolish Miłosz refersto theauthorof Songaboutmyself inthefirstlines of hispoem: eeain eemnd y h tmls sprtutr ta cnttts the constitutes that superstructure timeless the by determined revelation a complicated structure that achieves wholeness due to the romantic poetry of memory and is, in an almost exemplary fashion, exemplary almost an in is, and memory of poetry romantic the break apart, forcing the author to author the forcing apart, break superficial reading reveals the fact that the presence of the first person first the of presence the that fact the reveals reading superficial Throughout Our Lands is much more exposed than in the have tried to account for the fact that one moment contains more reality than he than reality more contains moment one that fact the for account self that questions its own existential autonomy as the absolute The Prelude. The events in Miłosz’s commonplace (linear or cyclical) notions of time, acquire show in my analysis of “British War should Cemetery”) “time-space” (chronotope) imposed by a by imposed (chronotope) “time-space” ), aspiring at the same time to time same the at aspiring rerum), sylva distinct, existentially independent whole in which consequence, the less complicated episodes of the causal chain. Its composition exposes the freak linear and cumulative movement of growth, ask about the paradoxical nature of nature paradoxical the about ask a few miles above Tintern Abbey, on similar transformation. An even 33 A a modernist poetics (c.f. “work similar stance was not unfa- not was stance similar density and overlapping of overlapping and density Chronicle that point to moments of epiphany. Chronicle where mechanistic is Chronicle is the status the tran- -

43 44 their illusion?/I shallneveragree.willgivethemthecrown” (184). might “not have been redeemed”),/ millions, billions of them, ended together with this task: “And if they all, kneeling with poised palms (like for instance Pascal, who vidual existences in their particularity, the author will replace him in carrying out all doubt as a to impossible perhaps is It also Wordsworth had, with regard to remember: we – egotistic less is postulate no autobiography; existential hensive” will belong (in fact, this sense is identical with the very task of creating a out, i.e. achieved fulfillment: “Is it a worked somehow has Stated, United the in settling his after life, author’s the that 38 37 36 35 34 Here we are not concerned with a revisiting the banks of the Wye during a them in a in them redemption of concrete (human) existences in their particularity by means a of has placing life his that assumes implicitly he words: other In and ispresentedasa taskstilltobeexecuted: it, makes its appearance only in the fifth part, the representation of a a and past the and present the between In lines. initial the in stated expressly is sensations, extraordinary by affected once was author the where places revisiting by past the to attempt an being wholeness, as memory of structure the meditation cal (183)). side” Nevada the on pass the above stood it as eyes/ my into straight shining sun to impossible is it attempt to

Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry kończyli się,gdzieichzłudzenie” [W, t.2,p.318]. „A jeżeli oniwszyscy, klękający zezłożonymidłońmi,/miliony ich,miliardytam „Wstyd czyniewstyd,/żetakmisiędopełniło” [W, t.2,p.317]. [W t.2,p.317]. Nevady” „Następnie obudziłomnieświecące w oczysłońce/opartenaprzełęczypo stronie własną chwalę”[W, t.2,p.317]. policzone:/ żali wielkiepragnienie,żebyrazwyrazić/ jednożycienainną,nie czasu,/ jeżelito codawneciąglejest,niebyło./I mam nadzieję,żetobędziejakoś „Między chwiląI wieleprzeżyłemweśnie,/ tak wyraźnie,żeczułemzanikanie Leuven, 2006,p.9-29. D.J. Moores,MysticalDiscourseinWordsworth andWhitmana Transatlantic Bridge, On thecomplicatedrelationshipbetweenWordsworth andWhitmansee: 36 This sense of commitment towards “others” derives from the awareness the from derives “others” towards commitment of sense This larger context, to context, larger create through memory a one life,notformyglory, fora differentsplendor. (182) my regretanda greatlongingoncetoexpress And I hopethatthiswillbecountedsomehowinmydefense: and knewthatwhatwaspaststillis,notwas. so distinctlythatI felttimedissolve, Between themomentandI livedthroughmuchinmysleep, moral postulate. If God proves unable to return in the ordinary manner (the author is awakened by “the by awakened is author (the manner ordinary the in return justify this concept theologically, but it stands beyond stands it theologically,but concept this justify which he also, with the completed meaning of his life, his of meaning completed the with also, he which concrete return to context that would allow to shame or not,/ that this is my portion?” (182). The Prelude, to possible perspective allowing to allowing perspective possible tour, July 13, 1798.” refute accusations of egotism). places of the past, but with the the gap the Lands Our Throughout save and redeem these indi- purpose, pointing to pointing purpose, 35 34 In this famous poeti- save a 38 dream vision, past to overcome “compre- recover which which the 37

good. Between me and pear, equipages, countries” (183). a palisade, sensual faculties. He reconstructs their inner compulsion) to an fact, in is, memory of power creative (the obliged feels author the presence her a that miracle youth. We do not learn what she meant to meant she what Welearn youth. not do time dissolving? In order to to appears past of memory novd n a in involved being as understood be must contains it that situations and objects The segments. a reason that For essence). in which what was, still is (not freezing into motionlessness, but retaining its fluid a moments, passing of simultaneity the be ethics) with metaphysics a with nor moment, passing the with the ceasing of time as something positive. Miłosz’s “crown” is neither to was: a by recalled being while other, each on dependent mutually are but itself, in exist not do varieties these Even pears. particular only are there exist; not do general in to Twotried Pears”of “Apoem famous his in who WallaceStevens with argues Miłosz Lands Our praise. Only this: the day” (183), day” the this: Only praise. 41 40 39 from the tennis courts./ The spray rainbows over the sloping lawns” ( 184), apples near the pigsty/ squishing with my big toe the warm muck of the dunghill,/ I where orchard/ the on window one with quarters, servants’ the of Pauline, a autobiography. The author who has settled in California tries to ing a experience ofa stable(thoughatthesametimedeveloping)self. the as simultaneously them represent not could memory passing, their in being of to ability human Yet,this granted. without for it stratification of time), but the self-evident nature of this truth makes us often take internal the with space (connecting experience human all of content elementary the constitute landscapes unrepeatable and particular equally with entanglement

concrete human self within space and time: “And the word revealed out of darkness CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken What sort of crown could this be, since it is only the “day” that “is worthy of worthy “is that “day” the only is it since be, this could crown of sort What The eleventh part of bergamoty./ Na nic.Międzymną i gruszką ekwipaże, kraje” [W. t.2, p.317-318]. zaraz pole/zatym, nieinnympłotem,ruczaj,okolica. Więc ja do ulęgalki,bery, do “A słowo zciemnościwyjawione byłogruszka,[…]Więc ja do sapieżanki–wtedy [W.skłonami trawników” t.2,p.318]. “Dziewczyny, niosącwysokopodbródki,wracająz kortu./Pyłwodnytęczujenad “Tylko to,Tylko to jestgodneopiewania:dzień”[Wt.2,p.318]. …So I pear/…So simultaneity of times that is even more closely linked to brook, countryside./ So I So countryside./ brook, simple Lithuanian peasant woman, a rcs o cniuu epnin n itrwnn. In intertwining. and expansion continuous of process past presence can presence past tried Comice – then right away fields/ beyond this (not another) (not this beyond fields/ away right then – Comice tried

mention all tangible details that they once shared, due to define these fruits by negation. According to According negation. by fruits these define Throughout Our Lands focuses on a be a be cope with this existential paradox, one has to simultaneity of times cannot consist of self-enclosed of consist cannot times of simultaneity dream between two real moments, in other words: other in moments, real two between dream 39 at all (present) all at be when “with their chins high, girls come back come girls high, chins their “with when tried Jargonelle, Bosc, and Bergamotte./ No Bergamotte./ and Bosc, Jargonelle, tried state of stillness. Therefore, it must (linking must it Therefore, stillness. of state common landscape him. The poem is rather devoted to devoted rather is poem The him. rather distant acquaintance of his grasp various complex segments complex various grasp . While recalling While now. and here : “Pauline, her room behind 41 Particular objects similar way of experienc- the author’s existential retrieve the memory gather the best the gather Miłosz pears Miłosz “something” Throughout be equated represent 40 and the in their Study

their the

45 46 has been designated by Miłosz’s that poetics of epiphany stands road a the of end the At Plenitude. of state (ultimate?) some adumbrates and creating an infinitely more complex knot of temporal simultaneity that announces participate, author) the by present made again and Pauline(recalled of past time of the simultaneity of the author’s time (in which past and present overlap) and the last resort, upheld by the existence of God. In His consciousness the consciousness (experiencing at the same time different moments and places) as a Wordsworth’s poetry (understood as a as (understood Wordsworth’spoetry a diverse visual and auditory an effort, the paradoxical attempt of representing reality as an unmediated knot of a with but moment, one with them link not do we Consequently once. at (analyzed) that sensual data referring to assume we naturally, quite because, probably it, unravel usually we impressions are during the act of remembrance. When representing an entangled knot of sensual is always intertwined with the present, or rather with the particular place where we adds aninfinitenumberofnewfeatures. a on expresses 44 43 42 (152). consciousness” my in only not here at an act of faith): “Pauline died long ago, but is,/ and, I to sion (interestingly, he starts by formulating the conclusion and only then proceeds This naive way of experiencing reality makes the author draw a habitants, the green frogs)” (185). (I well the on window second the and a to memory

conscious effort. Miłosz’s poem about Paulineto about appears poem Miłosz’s effort. conscious maturing mind. Above all we are struck by the circumstance that in the case of case the in that circumstance the by struck are we all Above mind. maturing sequence of moments. It might be worthwhile to worthwhile be might It moments. of sequence representing the experience by which it is motivated – in fact, we are assisting are we fact, in – motivated is it which by experience the representing Let us now try again to again try now us Let Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry However, while recalling the past we do never reconstruct its pure shape. The past [W, t.2,p.320]. zdeptane stopy/spryskuje wodaszafirowa,w którejdelfiny, zginająć karki,/ pląsają” „Nad jejsurowątwarząlitewskiej chłopki/furczywrzecionokolibrówI płaskie [W.mieszkające tamzieloneżaby” t.2,p.320]. gnojowiska,/ z drugimoknemnastudnię(lubięzapuszczać wiadro/I płoszyć papierówki zbieramkołochlewu,/ wyciskającdużympalcemnogiciepłąmaź „Paulina, jejstancjaza czeladną,z jednymoknemnasad,/gdzienajlepsze świadomości” [W. t.2,p.320]. „Paulina umarładawno,alejest./I jestemczemuśprzekonany, żenietylkow mojej with theirbacksarchingfrolic.(186) are sprinkledbythesapphirewaterinwhichdolphins hovers a spindleofhummingbirds,andherflatcallousedfeet Above herroughLithuanianpeasantface achieve a achieve syntactic level the essential open-endedness of memory. The poet The memory. of open-endedness essential the level syntactic sensual freshness, even though this can only be regained by regained be only can this though even freshness, sensual stimuli, exposing conventional concepts of time and space: formulate how Miłosz modified the romantic poem of poem romantic the modified Miłosz how formulate different objects cannot be perceived and understood 42 The sentence is complicated by parenthesis that 44 ) moments of epiphany usually epiphany of moments toto) pro pars The possibility of a of possibility The love to love 43 drop bucket down in/ and scare its scare and in/ down bucket drop look naively at the content of content the at naively look

am somehow convinced, be an example of such of example an be simultaneity of times of simultaneity theological postulate. far from naive conclu- naive vision is, in temporal simultaneityneverpasses. of moment eternal the therefore and past, the in always lies moment experienced project of the existential autobiography pertains to pertains autobiography existential the of project a of promise the and present past, its a of Song to contracts man, individual an of time the time, as far so in expands space words: and time–theindividualofsubjectisintegratingelement.Inother for an exile, always of a on the other hand, the diversifying element is space that consists, hardly surprising by time, or perhaps rather by time’s passing. In the later poetry of Czesław Miłosz, multi-perspectivity) its in (represented diversified is world the case former the In subject. poetical the of past and present the with linked are places These tertwine. on rather focus on focus 45 of particular existence (“My house a (this explains the mature Miłosz’s preference for the device of only remedy consists in juxtaposing the various elements by which it is constituted to ceases temporality linear of illusion the however, When, “our-selves”. repeat cannot we that discover we waves”), time’s in immerse again once us (“Let “Dithyramb” of author the by commanded as time, of waves the in river, Heraclitean the in ourselves Immersing (183). countries” equipages, from say,a probably modifying would slightly He self? same the by perceived are they that and etc., cots manors, same the fields, same the trees, same the still time. Would Miłosz, while returning to within repetition of possibility the in believe not do poets modern that appears It the decline of Romanticism, essentially changed. What is the nature of this change? memory we face an almost unavoidable conclusion. The concept of time has, since ence in a

one moment that ideally turns out to CzesławMiłoszandtheTradition ofEuropean… Nieukerken „Mój dom sekunda:w niejświata początek”[W t. 2,p.33]. : “Between me and Lithuania (in the original “pear”), “pear”), original the (in Lithuania and me “Between : Lands our Throughout to place, one temporal simultaneity. With regard to Bird on the Banks of the Potomac”) contains the whole of our existence, our of whole Potomac”)the the contains of Banks the on Bird , in which two, or even more, places co-exist, overlap, and in- and overlap, co-exist, places more, even or two, which in moment, one which the author returns. Miłosz, on the other hand, focuses hand, other the on Miłosz, returns. author the which number of centers (Lithuania, America, Paris, Warsaw etc.), second: in it the world’s beginning” Lithuania, be assured that what he sees are be future. The ultimate meaning of Miłosz’s of meaning ultimate The future. eternal, linking the totality of his experi- these two types of poetry about (of) a protect human identity, the identity, human protect paradox: each individually each paradox: collage). Each second 45 fragment , “On the

47 48 simply as “Polish.” The break of the 18 off to the gentry of all ranks, not solely the most affluent ones, started sending their boys menced to cultural zenith, a and cruel, the 17 ceptible past is baroque: older buildings are rarer and less visible. Though turbulent Tochurches. in only not and styles, in fact, that it is almost invisible. In Greater and Lesser Poland it overshadows other forcing ideological choices. The baroque is omnipresent in Poland – yet, paradoxi- a As not inhistorical butratheringeographicalterms. realize that the baroque is something deeply familiar to of the baroque in the 20 to order why,in is This relations. interpersonal of in our Christmas carols, our love of rhetoric, or the affinity for the theatricalization many Poles, even our intellectual elite, remain unaware of this connection, whether that fact the is surprising more rather is What “French.” the with identified time identity. Such identification itself is nothing irregular: the “classical” was for a a how and “Polishness,” of idea that it still retains. This is how the concept of “baroque” became associated with the political disasters, was also when the Polish language evolved and acquired features And hardly surprising, too. Baroque is omnipresent in our country. So obvious, The StubbornPersistence oftheBaroque Jan Bł The baroque is such a “bare fact” it is rarely problematized, neither provoking discussions, nor en- nor discussions, provoking neither problematized, rarely is it fact” “bare schools and adopted customs and ceremonies that were soon to shape the everyday life of local communities. It was around that time that oński th time when Hosius’ efforts begun to century was also a th century Polish literature (or culture), one must first fully common presence in Poland that it is almost anonymous. historical style became identified with a with identified became style historical period when the eastern provinces reached their the east of the Vistula, the entirety of the per- the of entirety Vistula,the the of east the th century, despite, or perhaps regardless, of its bear fruit. Religion indeed com- truly understand the presence the understand truly us, and something perceived be identified national long is fully aware of a Mickiewicz setoutfor. a “fatherland,” over “son’s-land” the a into us draws he time, is a parodyoftree"(36). out the window, you can see that a Sartre! Onthecontrary, ithelpsingaininga perspectivealsoonthemightysages. hardly be criticized once you have proven your thorough knowledge of Nietzsche and a being than anachronistic more be could anything Pasek and Rej, incessantly talking (writing) while walking around his lands. Hardly to to racy), someone freely ruling over fashions, customs and culture instead of yielding other words,heseespersonalityasa kindofgame. himself to scribe myself as a or a in the country side, and every once in a obvious, ithasto bereconstructed,orworkedout. “baroque man” or with the the “Sarmatian”. with Such “Pole”identification, however,the identifies is not it instantly Gombrowicz: from came re-interpretations such to problems in universal terms. Therefore, in order to to seems baroque the but Renaissance effortlessly produced mighty talents, such as that of Jan Kochanowski, to tended also cally – it rarely gave birth to 1 elevated style reminiscent of the Sarmatian 17 Sarmatian the of reminiscent style elevated icz rewrites and distorts the scenes of without much interest, exactly as if I I resistant…so incredibly something is and to gent browicz talks of his scientisms, and structuralisms that dissolve the Self in doctrines and systems, Gom-

mind Potocki, who wrote as much for himself as for his neighbors, it brings to them. An image with numerous literary antecedents as well, immediately bringing be modernized or reinterpreted by our contemporaries. The most spectacular of It is not my task today to “Parody of a “The point is exactly that I nobility,aristoc - lesser nor (neither gentry landed of image the is there Hence TheStubbornPersistence oftheBaroque Błoński Gombrowicz searches for a At the end of his life, weary of the Western the of weary life, his of end the At plum) I Evanston, IL.92.(AW) this essay. Gombrowicz, Witold. Diaries.Volume 1.NorthwesternUniversity Press: Based onthetranslation byLillianValee, slightlymodifiedforthepurpose of enter European culture…This particular gentle manner was bred into me into bred was manner gentle particular culture…This European enter his own liking …but also to say: – Hm, hm, this is good but this one is too hard for me…I die swiftly, like Krzyżtopór, the most magnificent of palaces. The palaces. of magnificent most the Krzyżtopór, like swiftly, die tree” is a Polish gent who has found his kinship, or even a Diary highly suspicious scheme that results in the triumph of triumph the in results that scheme suspicious highly as an attempt by a obviously a have oddly lacked a lacked oddly have timeless masterpieces, and when these were born, they talk about method that would allow him to come from your rubbish heap...Now, when you look tree has sprung up on that trash heap, a were a crossover between the characters. His familiar reference to the liking of others, preferably neighbors, in while, trying this or that product (like a Pan Tadeusz through a ieto eaty h opst to opposite the exactly direction Trans-Atlantic but I nobleman walking in his orchard, there, walk around with a with around walk “Polish bumpkin or perhaps a powerhouse capable of phrasing its phrasing of capable powerhouse raison d'être in the distrust of form.” th , of all the Freudianisms, the all of episteme, and 18 and Trans-Atlantic where Gombrow- be understood today, they need Sarmatian but being one can one being but Sarmatian th centuries. At the same the At centuries. will say this: the author transform and restage bloated, grotesquely thoughtful air and air thoughtful would de- tree that h one the country mind mind pear 1

49 50 maybe simply less pronounced. One does hear direct echoes of 17 of echoes direct hear does One pronounced. less simply maybe illusion orappearancemakesa comeback. humble bows – he sees himself equal to also a merely is tribute of discourse his that exaggeration of kind same the with signaled in his work. The Sarmatian gent bowing emphatically to precisely what allows the writer to a as it recognizes immediately reader The age. A im- the of directness and brevity the by augmented is exaggeration, ostentatious hyperbole, of abuse obvious Its baroque. the of eloquence panegyrical the of born remained, instead, “who they are” – that is, and gave in ideologies, to and systems in themselves losing from ones, mature” “more edly suppos- the emulating from refrain could they only If Sarmatism)! baroque their (or baroqueness Sarmatian their of ashamed much so Polesnot only were If same. Again, the baroque and Polishness prove strangely close to of truth and disguise, illusion and reality that the baroque was truly obsessed with. 3 2 a to writer the allowing Gombrowicz, as well Pasek,as Rzewuski of language the combining amalgam-speech an style, the from inferable a is orchard the in nobleman tury poetry: dles of mine, this Turnip (haply ever raw)” (3) raw)” Turnipever this (haply mine, of dles

costume. His famous “distrust of form” is a In Miłosz’s work the presence of the baroque heritage is more moderate, or moderate, more is heritage baroque the of presence the work Miłosz’s In Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The rhetoric of rhetoric The published inNewand CollectedPoems: 1931 -2001(Ecco,2003) .(A.W.) Unless indicated otherwise,allquotationsfromMilosz arebasedonthetranslations New Haven:Yale University Press. 1994.3.(A.W) After: Gombrowicz, Witold.Trans-Atlantyk. transl.Carolyn French and Nina Karsov. juxtaposition so artificial, and so grotesque, that it cannot be taken literally. convention or game, and that – highly fluent in rhetoric and despite his despite and rhetoric in fluent highly – that and game, or convention Without spiders. (216) Sleep throughto thelight, Sweet twinbreasts,goodnight. Rest inpeace. Glances atMasses, Rings, furs,andlashes, Six feetofearth. Well-turned-out majors, Doctors andlawyers, Who cares? Fame andits prizes, Beauty andkisses, – “Not that I that Trans-Atlantic“Not – 3 iet ecnat f h “amta gnr. I is It gentry.” “Sarmatian the of descendant direct smuggle a his superior. And so, the baroque poetics of stylistic device, a device, stylistic contemporary version of the interplay subversive, even scandalous, message 2 ask anyone to anyone ask – is instantly recognizable: it was it recognizable: instantly is – the writer’s ludic playfulness! the ground before the duke be himself while wearing while himself be each other: actually, the word-play,is that and have these old Noo old these have th and 18 and th cen - - of themindandplayimagination.” speculation from…the independently exists world “the that gospel as it takes and ceases to to ascribes he potential the and tion he simplyhadnootherwaythanto revisitbaroque:wasVilnius notitscapital? homeland his re-imaging as especially – work his in found be so must too, and baroque, poems, Miłosz’s in more, even and everything, find can one again, Then en urvl, ut s etr “un ivrpl” n “ae” l ses reduced seems to All “fade.” and silver-pale” “turn letters as just unravels, Being materiality thatbringssuchjoyto senses. or at least reliance on God, appear to completeness – or balance – seem fleeting, impermanent: things, devoid of presence this blessed balance was distorted. And our times, Miłosz’s times? The moments of a already but Creator the worshipped also creation the shipping a saw Kochanowski unrest. he wishesto saveandnourish. love of everything that has ever existed, even if only for an instant, everything that convertuntur: that beauty and being converge. It is the source of his admiration and of the greatest masters of the 17 the of masters greatest the of Fr.one by Sarbiewski, criticized been have not would It poetics. traditional ously the politicalsense. a “salvation,” to seems this being: immortalizes and replays poetry at the end of the day – the mystery of God. By immobilizing and sanctifying space, a higher) wholes (leading to to to nation imagi- wants and moment” “eternal an of speaks Miłosz meaning. with reality of comes to aesthetic endeavors? How difficult it is today to to only God needs poet the perhaps worse, even or, God? as well be the source of its own damnation. Is loving creation enough to does not end there: contemplation of beauty (in other words, awe over beauty) may equation… a hierarchy anchored in nature, revealing itself through symbols and rested upon – a saturate with meaning, to meaning, with saturate TheStubbornPersistence oftheBaroque Błoński Mnemosyne mater musarum mater Mnemosyne This presence will be easier to easier be will presence This His poetry, however – poetry, not poetics! – abounds with contradiction and contradiction with abounds – poetics! not poetry, – however poetry, His There is nothing, at least at first glance, esoteric in his, if I volatile particle play and disperses eventually, dissolving in the mathematician’s insist that he believes art, especially poetry, to life through imagination which saturates the remembered details (image) introduce spatial order to order spatial introduce Proved to bea void, ahazeonfilm.(328) Materiality escapedandtheirspectrum Out oftrees,fieldstones,evenlemonsonthetable, contemporary equivalent of the ancient word that Miłosz was so fond of, using it also in the moral, even in even moral, the in also it using of, fond so was Miłosz that word the maximum mobilization of contexts), but also to world filled with God’s “generous gifts” and by wor- by and gifts” “generous God’s with filled world signify? Probably to Probably signify? he repeats. Indeed, poetry is born of memory,it of but born is poetry Indeed, repeats. he th century lyric. He believes that believes He lyric. century understand once we think of Miłosz’s imagina- Miłosz’s of think we once understand the visible world. What does it mean, though, mean, it does What world. visible the poetry: especially from 1968 onward he never he onward 1968 from especially poetry: be devoid of being as well, losing corporeality, negotiate between the religious and categorize details into larger (or larger into details categorize memento mori. be the metaphysical sense of sense metaphysical the be be an imitation, a justify or grace his own his grace or justify may say so, scandal- generation later generation But the torment ens et pulchrum et ens

claim loving mimesis, reveal reveal

51 52 younger artists, especially poets among whom Tadeusz Gajcy seems to seems TadeuszGajcy whom among poets especially artists, younger and theywereboth wellawareofitspresence. The baroque heritage, however, even if by other name, is deeply seated in their work vidually, without (or rarely) referring to indi- them interpret Miłosz and Gombrowicz literature. including culture, Polish Importantly, those patterns, models and stereotypes still resurface in contemporary 17 baroque. the from inseparable is tear this that say even could One doubts. and questions further spawning baroque, the in He feelssomehowdistant,maybeevendamned: His artistic condition, one he cannot discard, appears to the aesthetic! In Miłosz’s work this difficulty becomes an important artistic theme. and 18 and ity patterns that were shaped by the 17 the by shaped were that patterns ity yet to becomeenlightened. to human fate: the 18 the fate: human Miłosz talks about himself, he talks about someone who has seen three centuries of a as doppleganger) his (or himself presents poet “Fromin Or evil. and the art) where – Sun…,” (i.e. the music of of Rising tion the suffering etc. his imagination brings forth scenes, characters and images of the 17 manifests itself directly in Miłosz’s work. When he speaks of salvation, damnation, sometimes religiousness) baroque (and background religious baroque’s The cism. romanti- even or surrealism, “catastrophism,” with critics the by associated was a – damnation and a reveals 1934, from lyric, first fully.the Especially incredibly rich and prolific. The baroque teems with a Miłosz somuchadmires. to Trent,seems of Council hardly is the after This Europe in implemented model educational theological Being. the as surprising, Absolute an by saved only be can and evil of full is world a without do cannot he time same the at But to wanted Polandwho in – especially and restage everything he has ever tasted and loved, as the writers of the baroque – incredible “voracity” for things. He wishes for the memory and imagination to to was that energy of have encouraged clear and austere forms but it yielded, also in churches, to It was put to put was It The origins of the tear that Miłosz alludes to Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Both our major writers reveal in their work a It suffices to suffices It th century, as in “The Master” where a where Master” “The century,in as But withoutstronghopeto beascloseyoutheyare.(357) Perhaps itistruethatI lovedyousecretly At a certaindistanceIfollowedbehindyou,ashamedtocomecloser(...) read a read use more openly – though perhaps also more superficially – by – superficially more also perhaps though – openly more use th spectacle that for a for that spectacle century, whose living presence he still sensed in Vilnius,had in sensed still he presence century,living whose give birth to birth give few poems dedicated to dedicated poems few have survived the longest in that “other” Europe that Europe “other” that in longest the survived have modern Europe – Miłosz himself admits to admits himself Miłosz – Europe modern store everything in their opulent catalogues. opulent their in everything store th the philosophy or literature of the baroque. long time and through convoluted means convoluted through and time long century and are marked by the baroque. the by marked are and century th baroque composer analyses the rela- the analyses composer baroque religious sanction, sensing that the that sensing sanction, religious century religious rule would seem would rule religious century are not unknown: it first appeared thinly veiled presence of sensitiv- Calvinist preacher.Calvinist Finally, when Fr. Chomski to Chomski Fr. baroque spectacle of salvation of spectacle baroque him increasingly suspicious. joy of life, a understand this understand possessive kind have been have forms save an th

this preciselythroughtheirpoetic work. Rymkiewiczso, not is it if Even nearby? to seem contemporaries his and who were born too late, opened a tradition is sustained – if it is sustained at all – through the baroque that, for those appropriateness, harmony and moderation? And that our connection to order,of commandments great the by persuaded be longer no can we That riods? to ability the risky.to definitely time is it that Is to one conclusion, me leads which of All Naborowski. especially baroque, early the of all, Rymkiewicz favors English metaphysical poets, as well as Polish representatives own “repeating” assumes the possibility of reviving everything that we used to His repetition. of born contrary,are the they on originality; on rely not do powers creative that believes peculiar.Rymkiewicz more even is Przybylski,Ryszard and Karpowicz andyoungBarańczak. ing of poetry as a a explain could one Perhapsthen, Góngora. by fascinated Tadeuszwas Peiperalready 70s: and 60s the of “linguists” the and 1920s), the in avant-garde and the postconstructivists (gathered around the “Zwrotnica” magazine tal character of the poetic language, a the romanticancestryofarchetypetheory. to time, same the a without and indeed, program literary – after Eliot – on the “objective” character of the poetic utterance). This is a from the Curtius’ model – the emphasis on the persistence of the literary topoi and chetype theory), and shared by heirs to at a (or the chaos of a of chaos the writing, the baroque reveals itself mostly as an escape route, a the first. Gajcy was 20 years old when he was killed in the Warsaw Uprising. In his The 18 seemed reallyours,somethingfamiliar. clumsiness, all of which terrified but also grotesque, clearly tempted him, brusqueness, if only because they Sarmatian the by shocked was Bryll erotically. marked a eclecticism, ing at the same time. A The case of “classicism,” as it has been put forth since ca. 1965 by Rymkiewiczby 1965 ca. since forth put been has it as “classicism,” of case The Perhaps then, we could speak of a of speak could we Perhapsthen, TheStubbornPersistence oftheBaroque Błoński The baroque in Poland was strongly influenced by the Counter-Reformation the by influenced strongly was Poland in baroque The This similarity of theme was sometimes also reflected by analogies in the poetics. Catholic Reformation, especially in its Jesuit form). It retained, especially at especially retained, It form). Jesuit its in especially Reformation, Catholic point in time: share as human beings (hence the references to th century, in Poland as well, was fully recognized the specific and ornamen- fully grasp, sense and identify with the writing of the “classical” pe- “classical” the of writing the with identify and sense grasp, fully world lived as a as lived world bizarre union of the sublime and the ugly, the latter of which was which of latter the ugly, the and sublime the of union bizarre self-analysis performed by language, as it was seen by Balcerzan, speak candidly, not really that “classical” after all, considering all, after “classical” that really candidly,not speak decade later Grochowiak became fascinated with baroque’s daily apocalypse…an escape wonderful and terrify- and wonderful escape apocalypse…an daily gate, if not to stance represented also by the constructivist latently-baroque program in his case? After case? his in program latently-baroque a doubt, one very exciting intellectually.At exciting very one doubt, * particular culture (hence – and following Arcadia itself then at least to admit, sadly,lost admit, have we that “baroque” understand- “baroque”

kind of disjointedness, Jung and the ar- the classical be saying be a peculiar peculiar strange a

share share place

53 54 increasingly Sarmatianfeatures. its acquired slowly it where Poland eastern in especially ones, local the as well as tradition, medieval distant so not the on relied Polishalso But baroque poets. and ited from the Renaissance and embedded in the memory and imagination of artists this cultural proximity that sensitized it to a only built was Cracow in the affinity forconceitandlinguisticsophistication. to connection their reestablish poets and writers other while pretending to pretending a in and echoed subversively Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Those three characteristics of the baroque in Poland continue to continue Poland in baroque the of characteristics three Those very beginning, close connections to be a be Sarmatian, Miłosz’s work reaches back to back reaches work Miłosz’s Sarmatian, few years after the Church of the Gesù in Rome. It was It Rome. in Gesù the of Church the after years few distorted manner: Gombrowicz winks at the reader, the at winks Gombrowicz manner: distorted Rome: the Church of Saints Peter and Paul the growing complication of forms inher- Translation: AnnaWarso its religious heritage, religious its the baroque through baroque the return today,return We are all tossed by elements independent of our will in this century, he observes enced him and the poetics condition, as well as the situation of the human being. a position evokesorassumes. this that literature of understanding, the or role, the and from) speaks and takes – neither as the first nor the last – ask about the place of the poet (the position he writer,the I for matter important an to before known had we what causality,noticing into succession shaping outcome, to out turn we as humanities, the of basis the of – character time, it is also an act that betrays and reveals the fragility – or perhaps a same the At work. published Miłosz’s of idea overall or,our – words, sis other in the current state of knowledge and sensitivity determines the result of our analy- standing of the place and importance of all previous books, and that each shift in necessary,and under- our changes work new each that realize we once especially Tohimself. Miłosz by and Stala, Łapiński, ten was by several major critics of his poetry, such as Błoński, Fiut, Kwiatkowski, writ- been has What work. his through resurrected or back, brought or himself, and cultural trends of his era, ones that shaped him as a strong sense of the consequences resulting from this predilection which influ - which predilection this from resulting consequences the of sense strong exist and what we expect to expect we what and exist Miłosz appears to appears Miłosz Much has been written, and in much detail, on Miłosz’s attitude to The placeofthepoet,taskliterature Four poetics:Miłoszandliterarymovements Ryszard Ny cz have a have strong sense of “immersion in the world,” as well aswell as world,” the in “immersion of sense strong see. Takingsee. isit because also account, into this all will restrict myself to myself restrict will do it again seems inevitable, though, inevitable, seems again it do poet and ones he shaped a prophesize from the from prophesize single problem and problem single the literary particular

55 56 of a of 1 or view of point artist’s and vision above construction, a autonomous poetics tradition or hermetic diction; puts metonymy above metaphor, pean tradition. It seeks spoken language (conversational and colloquial) instead of of Ważyk and Czechowicz in Poland and Apollinaire and Eliot in the modern Euro to were we if – that one other; the on avant-garde Cracovian the and hand, one the on group Skamander to opposed one as negation, through it defines usually Miłosz monality. the as perhaps, to, referred be could these of earliest The 35). (1997 and masks worn by a the power of forces which escape our words and our records” (2006 79 – emphasis R.N.). century,” he says, “is largely untold. The same applies to which is also paradigmatic for contemporary literature – is one – never conviction questioned: fundamental “The his 39)), (1997 currents” literary called so the by in the Greek and Latin works…I susceptibility to with solidarity to reluctant those his and literature, and art Western the in “trends” of majority words, I words, a through sub-approaches several uniting position of literature. that determine four separate, at least to

Four poetics. Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry But Miłosz’s approach to 2000. (R.N.) Cracow 1988;Dalszeokolice,1991; Na brzegurzeki,Cracow1994;To Cracow 1997.Miłosz’spoemsarequotedfromWiersze , t.1–2,Cracow1984;Kroniki Wywiad z CzesławemMiłoszem , „Ameryka”,Winter 1989,s.93–96;Życienawyspach, Piesek przydrożny,Cracow1997;Wypisy Berghash z ksiąg użytecznych,Kraków1994;R. Cracow 1995;Nz—Nieobjętaziemia,Paris 1984;Prywatneobowiązki , Olsztyn1990; no 489,CzesławMiłoszPapers (thenumberindicatesthe year);Metafizycznapauza, Quotations fromMiłosz’sworkarereferencedasfollows:BL–Beinecke Library translation ofthequoted passage. [(A.W])] unavailable, I retainoriginalattribution to thePolish sourcesandprovide a working Straus andGiroux, 1999)referenced[pagenumber, RD]).Where translationsare Unattainable Earth (Ecco,1987);referenced [pagenumber, Dog(Farrar UE],Road-side (The UniversityPress ofMissisippi,2006)referencedas[pagenumber, Interview];, number, CP], “An InterviewwithCzesław Miłosz.”CzesławMiłosz:Conversations. New andCollectedPoems: 1931-2001 (Ecco,2003)referencedfurtheras[page [Wherever possibleI refertothefollowingEnglishtranslations ofMiłosz’swork: (privileged) individual. (privileged) cannot reduce the trajectory of his work to work his of trajectory the reduce cannot 1 lhuh ioz oeie epaie hs kpiim oad the toward skepticism his emphasizes sometimes Miłosz Although external influence (“had I, as a “the spirit of the century” (1990 9-10), admitting also his own his also admitting 9-10), (1990 century” the of spirit “the “depersonalized” subject over a define it with positive terms – bears similarity the poetics the similarity bears – terms positive with it define ; finally,a communis; opinio Teatrpcheł literature and the world cannot be reduced to “superhuman” metaphysical perspective above the would have been better educated and less tossed some extent, types of poetics and functions ((Flea circus), 1932) is a is 1932) circus), ((Flea young boy, been more immersed domination of dialogue of roles of dialogue of domination personal perspective. In other In perspective. personal fewer than four points of view of points four than fewer unitary confession-monologue our human lives. poetics of visionary com- visionary of poetics good example of example good , Cracow that of the of that We are in a single - n a and a written work the in anticipation its as well (as technique new The second quotation is worth our attention, as it indicates a to Referring and visionary. I willquotetwopassages: colloquial both poem,” “conversational the on take Miłosz’s is it – strategies those (BL, box8(1972)).Headds: to a by language to connected is “poetry notes: Miłosz Elsewhere, discourse. public poetics: type second the of characteristic expression, poetics of means other.” Talking abouthisnewcycle,Voices ofPoor People, heremarks: kinds of fear – the social fear and the metaphysical fear, expressing one through the h lnug o pbi dsore o sece, eae ad rs articles.” press and debates speeches, of discourse, public of language the Four poetics:Miłoszandliterarymovements Nycz until something liminal appears,inbetweenthepoem, theessayandnovel. to need genres literary idea, the and sensation jointly,the forward, combining to want we If us. for enough not is it but enough itself in was sensation the Tuwim,naming Iwaszkiewicz, Pasternak(…) of generation the For a as experience my Following tive mind.(BL,box1(1943)) speaking I I they are, by enacting their sadness and madness I I I to allowed always not is one and silence, and death spawns only it as fear metaphysical am simply a seem to seem cannot rise above. Having been able to able been Having above. rise cannot yearn for these. If I un to turn The fleacircus. Observing, admiring,lookingat And throughitmillionsofeyes A lens, gluedtogetherfromblue-tintedglass And sawtheirelongatedshapes,asifina mirror Their headsbrushedsuddenlyagainsttheconvexsky People lookedup (…) The Citroënwasinthepicture, Home a photographofmyselfsmilingnexttoCitroën And whenI tookupworkatpotassiummine(Mulhousedistrict)sent How happyhemusthavebeen. He hada carandworetieeveryday In America. A brother We wouldalllookata photographfrom And intheevening speak in my own voice, there is a is there voice, own my in speak this period of his writing Miłosz says in 1943: “I 1943: in says Miłosz writing his of period this and me as a h cr o te olcie xeine cneunl, to consequently, experience, collective the of core the thousand of threads but perhaps it is connected even stronger even connected is it perhaps but threads of thousand poor human being and that their voices are my own complaint, one that succeed in speaking in the voice of the poor, do not assume that human being: I ua big n hs oue I volume this in being human am simply another voice overseen by the inquisi- conjure these characters I characters these conjure mischievous kind of distance between the between distance of kind mischievous protect myself from both. Even when (BL, box 4 (l. 60) — emphasis R. N.) (BL, box 4 (l.60)—emphasis R. communicate, if we want to want we if communicate, sharp awareness of was in sway of two of sway in was un wy rm the from away turn decade earlier)decade am happier than happier am the colloquial the be broken be h new the that of that move

57 58 as such – a – such as a a become events personal which in more than a decades later and with such intensity that their importance cannot be doubted. It is to begins itself) in meaningful is (which Miłosz that Hersch personal dimension was possibly a tradition, and cultural genealogy. The sudden opening of the previously supressed – was born in the 50s and marks an abrupt turn towards own experience, environment, and philosophicalattitudes,socialmentality). to a as poetry is it experience; historical the of truth the and reality of face part ofone’sidentity, andatthesametimea tellingexemplum ofhumanfate. as a as out its particular value to pointsand remark philosophical his on comments Miłosz page following the On to assumed is It experience. collective the as its broad territory to senses (historiosophic or metaphysical), and instead claiming the public discourse to From this assumption, “the idea of Summarizing thisperiodofhiswriting,henoteselsewhere: Unattainable Earth: elements come to come elements to our past actions. That was the period of my harsh struggle against a that aware being a sins and misdeeds in the past. A past. the in misdeeds and sins my shortcomings, my about thinking retrospective constant of period difficult a was “There wanes: terms concrete new relation to disciple of Karl Jaspers, taught me the philosophy of freedom, which consists in take shape; poetry which turns away from its recent attempts at unearthing hidden memory, one documenting the “Zeitgeist” (including ideological disputes, ethical which I which complex philosophicalproblems,nothingthatcouldnotbecontainedina poem. others that there was nothing, beginning with everyday matters and ending with the most The third type of poetics – let us refer to It is a I Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry changes everyminuteaccordingto themeaninggivenitnow, inthismoment. a not are we for settled, definitely as past our of I’m referring here to here referring I’m society or nation) that it enters into a into enters it that nation) or society began to began durable achievement of existential philosophy to have always been prone” (1987 122). In late 1980s autobiographical 1980s late In 122). (1987 prone” been always have relation that allows the past to past the allows that relation discovery of a believe that ideal poetry allows for an unmitigated demand; I demand; unmitigated an for allows poetry ideal that believe (and a the foreground while the need to need the while foreground the choice made now,made choice today, changesand backward itself projects reveal the most important and the most poignant aspects of settlement with) one’s past, and consequently, with the past three symptomatic remarks made in the 80s and 90s. In 90s. and 80s the in made remarks symptomatic three perspective both personal and ethno- and anthropocentric, his own biography at a friend of mine...said that our past is not static not is past our that mine...said of friend result of the teachings and persuasion of Jeanne poetry as consciousness of an era” (BL, ibid.) begins “specimen” of universal fate. It is a is It fate. universal “specimen”of time in my life when I when life my in time it as the be addressed to addressed be become an accepted (or even affirmed) even (or accepted an become dialogue with uncovering the “actual” the uncovering with dialogue stone or a or stone certain stage: “Jeanne (Hersch), poetics of a remind us that we should not think describe his interlocutor in interlocutor his describe tree. In other words, my past my words, other In tree. a parabolic autobiography wider audience (such audience wider talk about only three only about talk went through a through went delectatio morosa (BL, box8(1955)) told myself and myself told chance for chance testimony (1987 121) very

Finally, in “What I to according changes constantly it that and a as biography present the by determined are past the of value and sense the since – dimension but also in the universally-human one) that the past is open to retrospect ofthepainfulpast. a morosa,” “delectatio is left is that all senseless, appears future of kind separate, chaotic, and consequently, cryptic episodes. And when planning for any a into apart falls community) of life the (or life individual’s the of story The mark. unredeemable their with did good future each brand also but ously) (obvi- are they what forever remain only not misdeeds” and mistakes sins, “past Seen traditionally, the future is already contained in the past and consequently our determines – or rather takes away – the meaning and value from every present act. past is a I something already closed and given, finished and unchangeable: we often remark: to seem may past The argument). porary the ways of thinking about sense and the truth of the past(including the contem- more general attitude to to poetics; mature third, the toward turn Miłosz’s of circumstances 712 –emphasisR.N.). (2003 acts” subsequent our by it give we meaning the receives and down closed never is to succumb not should we actions. This is especially true for action understood as a to and assumptions ofmodernliterature. key the from much differ not does respect this in view general Miłosz’s reality). of essence the in fate” “philosophical the from resulting one or religious, (mythical, of experience to reality human the language the in preserves and presents, evokes, It 122). (1997 to features of his creative strategy and the poetics of his work from the 1960s, 70s and, I how also is This dramatic. most the also was it as tion for the third turn in Miłosz’s life and work – perhaps the most important one, I how least at is This transforms. and crystallizes, evolves, which the narrative identity of the writer and the truth of his (and not his only) past egesis and condition necessary for the continuous retelling of the tale of life through said what I what said whole, or by present history – not only helps to helps only not – history present by or whole, some extent, 1980s. Miłosz believes that this kind of poetry “sides with mythos” Four poetics:Miłoszandliterarymovements Nycz everything being mediated; we’re are part of civilization; we are part of the human world. a through world the enter not do we shapes; or colors, or lines, or sign, or words, of composed language through primarily world the a is form osdrn te bv, to above, the Considering I performed this little literary “investigation” to “investigation” literary little this performed accept oneself and one’s history, but also encourages the planning of one’s of planning the encourages also history,but one’s and oneself accept heavy burden of deeds weighing on the future; a a into enter nothingness ...we and chaos against struggle constant said, what happened cannot unhappen. From this perspective, the perspective, this From unhappen. cannot happened what said, which it assigns form, meaning and place in the universal order universal the in place and meaning form, assigns it which Learned from Jeanne Hersch” from the past as well as, perhaps more importantly, changes in despair because of our errors and our sins for sins our and errors our of because despair cnweg (o ol i te privately-individual the in only (not acknowledge . Our human nature consists of consists nature human Our relationship . direct us to us our deeds at the present” (2006 77). (2006 present” the at deeds our be determined in absolute terms, absolute in determined be overcome the trauma of the past the of trauma the overcome explain the easily recognizable easily the explain understand the mysterious the understand This, we read: “in our lives basis for a burden that irrevocably understand the motiva- the understand relationship with relationship continuous ex- outline his outline the future series ofseries fruitless the past the

59 60 of thedeclarationmadebyArgentinianwriter: from 1963 (2003 198)). Another of his reflections sounds almost as a “Who can consent to a with 3 2 to seems this – supposedly exists) or to to emphasis of shift the world, the of reality to tendency “contemporary cognition: of “subjectivisation” radical the is campaign anti-modernist his for and critique Miłosz’s for reason main The appear may to he objective however knowledge, with himself extend may man far (present, “discovery” Borges’s to approach), his of nation almost completely absent from Miłosz’s work (perhaps due to to order He usually listed Gombrowicz, and Beckett among his major antagonists but in more intriguing, a Thus, the reasons for the schism formulating among the modernists become even other). Miłosz appears to exist for us” says the first, “as if that which was not named, did not exist” echoes the not does nameless Przyboś(“the and Schulz as another one from distinct as times power oflanguage. perception, lawsofreason,or thequasi-ontological to subject the by used medium the to reality of reduction the from result ones common most and symptoms of the “disease” that Miłosz meticulously diagnoses in his work, the following image:

himself – ultimately he reaps with him nothing but his own biography.”) the (historical)portraitofauthoremerges.”(1997114) which from literature impersonal seemingly for excuse an becoming appears, never itself the lineamentsofhisownface. A individual. and horses, starts, instruments, rooms, fishes, islands, ships, bays, mountains, kingdoms, tastes, phobias, books, a books, phobias, tastes, intention results, however, in something opposite, as he who speaks, speaks of himself, his possible intoform. as “the Self ” fell apart, the need to need the apart, fell ” Self “the as A a is Writing Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry We learned of the latter from the proclamations of avant-garde writers, some- writers, avant-garde of proclamations the from latter the of Welearned F. Nietzsche. Human,All-Too-Human . University ofNebrascaPress. 1984. 238. J. L.Borges.CollectedFictions. Transl. byAndrewHurley. Penguin Books,1999.327. man sets out to out sets man eot rm ioz fruae ol tre er atr Borges’statement): after years three only (formulated Miłosz from retort fully explain the essence of the argument, I argument, the of essence the explain fully constant struggle, an attempt to attempt an struggle, constant me to me short time before he dies he discovers that patient labyrinth of line traces line of labyrinth patient that discovers he dies he before time short schism that Miłosz observed with keen interest, and supported. draw the world. As the years go he peoples a peoples he go years the As world. the draw see in the mirror the mere face of man?” (“Rivers Grow Small be the disease of the era” (1995 246). Among several sources several Among 246). (1995 era” the of disease the be texts, as there is only that which man can spun from himself have shared their view, seen as an expression of trust in the certain cultural tradition to tradition cultural certain “Maker” his concludes who Borges, L. J. 2 , already in Nietzche’s writing: “However writing: Nietzche’s in already bene, nota establish contact with the world – be it sensual it be – world the with contact establish turn to turn the object grows more understandable…This more grows object the subjective perception (as nothing else nothing (as perception subjective translate as many delements of reality as reality of delements many as translate which we belong to, and the object the and to, belong we which am going refer to refer going am that which remains in remains which that (2006 79 – emphasis R. N.) (2006 79–emphasisR. space with of provinces, of with space the cool determi- direct critique undermine with the with a 3 is met writer is purely illusory” (1997 113–emphasis R.N.). inhuman ispurely illusory” ing creatures – unless we submit it to cannot enter a we that proof as serve can poetry “Ponge’s declares: poetry,Miłosz contemporary an in personalities interesting most the of one In of work the on commentary intriguing direction. new this of consequence the consider we if Mysterious, poetry. as the of meditations and records epiphanic the books, last Miłosz’s of matter subject the consider we a little odd),poeticsofinhumanindication. to and world, the showing rather or simply,a it putting is, It work. Miłosz’s of territory poetics new but I but meditation, especially considering the amount of exalted reflection in his later texts a as described be perhaps could endeavor literary Miłosz’s in direction poetics doubts and questions precisely the validity of anthropomorphism. The last last Miłosz’s because thought, modernist the for matter-of-fact and natural thing of artistic (and humanist) activity, despite the fact that it seems to through a a learned be only can which world; and form poetics the in inhuman permanent made be can an which in place human the and nature human of truth the to is poetry of task the anthropological: primarily is literature of function basic the Here, value. ascribed also are but here, unquestioned only not are nition It is perhaps worth noticing that anthropocentrism and anthropomorphism of cog- of thepeculiarplacemanbegins”(1999103).In“Meaning”: world, in our asking ourselves where this scream of horror comes from the defense a in “Here, says: he people, unto people by “inhuman”committed the atrocities on observation Nałkowska’s on Commenting humankind. of needs metaphysical and ethical esthetic, the on impact its of cause to though, objected, have would to tends pronounced not is What iself./ strengthens language – for instance, in “Reading the Japanese Poet Issa”: “What is pronounced Haiku All of this seems obvious on the one hand, mysterious on the other.if the Obvious on mysterious hand, one the on obvious seems this of All Four poetics:Miłoszandliterarymovements Nycz prefer to prefer or poetic language. I And callsout,protests,screams. Through interstellarfields,throughtherevolvinggalaxies, A tireless messengerwhorunsand A word wakenedbylipsthatperish, Even ifthatisso,therewillremain And onthisearththereisnothingexceptearth? Make nosensefollowingeachother? if nightandday A Book of Luminous Things Luminous of Book relationship with what surrounds us – be it inanimate matter or liv- use different words here, words that will more precisely outline the outline precisely more will that words here, words different use Road-side Dog Road-side put such heavy emphasis on this rather general aspect the questioning of inhuman reality – mainly be- mainly – reality inhuman of questioning the and both and be more precise (even at the risk of sounding of risk the at (even precise more be constant humanization. His , Miłosz’s last book of book last Miłosz’s This , particular in or, , his “books of revelations” such revelations” of “books his ABCs, moral protest against the order of the of order the against protest moral nonexistence” (2003 348). He 348). (2003 nonexistence” (2003 569) expedition into the poetics of seeing of poetics have been some- poetics of poetics reveal truth

61 62 (“struggle against chaos and nothingness”) as a moves rather than crosses becoming inasmuch a within the boundaries of humanizing the inhuman, borders which the epiphanic art ing throughthemediumofpoem.Buteventhispoeticformhadto besituated time, formulating and crystallizing its otherwise inaccessible shape and way of be- first the for materializes often but existence past its maintains only not object the that here is It cognition. artistic of inhuman” the into “expeditions such of front form of poetic epiphany that Miłosz preached and explored was certainly the fore - destroying the possibility of achieving knowledge that is certain and objective. The the distinction between the condition (and the medium) of cognition and its results, anything inhuman” due to contact with the world. Nietzsche and Brzozowski teach us that “man never knows an inevitable consequence of the anthropomorphic human methods of establishing izing the inhuman was one of the key propositions of modernist aesthetics, seen as Miłosz’s work would have to logical, communicative and socio-cultural crisisthatbefell20 logical, communicativeandsocio-cultural an ostensive function which points not to presenting and making sense) of reality.of It becomes an indicator,function a the is, (that interpretation and representation of function “high” its I do notattempttoname”(2003663). of the inscrutable otherness of the inhuman world – or of the world itself – “which that striking: more much one experience, another emerges affirmation this From and not exactly real…a a of experience the increasingly is it if even N.); R. emphasis — 1959–1960 2, box (BL, time” in others and oneself of time, of reality, in other words, “awed admiration. poetry is – and has been for Miłosz from the very beginning – to ment and instead pointing their finger at things: “this is it” (cf. 1994 8). The task of to proper are that means through but discourse through not of it, lack sense or exists, andits in allthat our place and determine to explore refers to ago; now he admits that which really to exists, “refuses to tends pronounced not is “What nature. cost of accepting its inhuman senselessness, irrepresentability, and its non-linguistic the experienced world and instead demands respect for the actual reality, even at the because Miłosz’s poetics rejects the consolation of the epiphanic “making sense” of results, perhaps even illusory, as “exercises in high style” (“This” 2003 663). This is their in limited necessarily but intention their in praiseworthy and heroic as seen a unspeakable” and ceaseless attempts to ” (“The Separate Notebooks” must moment 2003 be of 368 seeing” – (“The emphasis R.N.) As a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry lal, n h lgt f iozs at otc, l mdr hps to hopes modern all poetics, last Miłosz’s of light the in Clearly, Here, on the “other side” of the modern thought and art, language renounces language art, and thought modern the of side” “other the on Here, result, not only the vast majority of modern poetry, but also a his own past experiences and mentions those who took it upon themselves sense that the world is without stable foundation” (1995 247). the “Midas touch” of his organs of cognition which blur be classified as illusory expeditions. After all, human- find new artistic ways to the aim (such as symbolic object of refer - Admiration of the density of things, density nonexistence” he professed not so long so not professed he nonexistence” fleeting world, one “not exactly stable exactly “not one world, fleeting crucial reply to form of defense against the Other be named” („Drzewo”). He poetry, evading the argu- poetry,the evading th centuryliterature. the cognitive, onto affirm experienced “snatch from things trace, an index, large part of sek the “speak - for poetry (and a ited by – and to and – by ited own beginning and end), in other word, if it is man’s peculiar property to to attempt can human is which that invalidate all attempts to to retain anactualrelationshipwiththisworld. beyond representation, non-interpretable, non-signifying or meaningless), but seems poetry thatnotonlyshowstherealworldinitsinhumandimension(assomething is It apparent. becomes function indexical the of presence the and highlighted are “suspension” of knowledge, borders of the comprehensible and representable world as Peirce’s puts it, directing attention to attention directing it, puts Peirce’s as but, conceptually it representing nor object its resembling neither – index an like to seems language (poetic) its why probably begins with the recognition of the inability to phrase), and thereby broadening its borders. Miłosz’s poetics of “inhuman indication” the inexpressible inside the “world of socialized saying” (to poetry presented the unknown through the categories of the already known, placing ence), nor to 5 4 not even to endeavor as a as endeavor to nor I that mean not does an “ostensivedefinition” ofreality. a is It cognition. poetics of passion for “tracing” unattainable reality with the help of traditional or modern ways testimony. Consequently, existential Miłosz’s “expedition into the inhuman” of is no longer a level primary most the on being of aspects “inhuman”

Four poetics:Miłoszandliterarymovements Nycz Describing Miłosz’s four poetics, I poetics, four Miłosz’s Describing A short conclusion I Stanford 1991.2–4. J.-F. Lyotard TheInhuman:Reflections onTime Bowlby,, trans.G.Bennington andR. 1997. 108 Ch. S.Peirce. Warszawa Wybór pims semiotycznych,wybórH.Buczyńska-Garewicz, don’t the causality in the development, and to and development, the in causality the Pure, notlookedatbyanybody. For youto lastasareinyourselves: We longforyou, foryouressence, On thefanciesofourtreacherousandavideye. Don’t rely onus,ourbreath, Be yourselves,thingsofthisearth,beyourselves! want to want present (as these are all secondary or illusory tasks), but to structure (such as icon), but to whole. Miłosz himself often emphasized – and continues to continues and – emphasized often himself Miłosz whole. live surrounded by that which is inhuman, then a then inhuman, is which that by surrounded live most difficult one) is not to go too far in my divagations. But if Lyotard if But divagations. my in far too go am blind to blind am reduce them to way of discovering that poetry itself can be the “trace,” the be can itself poetry that discovering of way their kinship, common motifs, and techniques, and motifs, common kinship, their think that which is inhuman (and see in it its it in see (and inhuman is which that think emphasized mostly those differences which differences those mostly emphasized a it by blind compulsion. blind by it single, overarching artistic stance. This being itself. Mainstream modernism in rely on demonstration and reflection, and demonstration on rely (2003 595) make permanent, build, or interpret, think that which is inhuman. This is the continuum of Miłosz’s poetics Miłosz’s of continuum the use Brzozowski’s turn of 5 was right, if only if right, was 4 By a By sufficient task sufficient reformulated point to deliberate be inhab- empha- the

63 64 to inspire suchauthenticaweforpoetryandrealityatthe same time. a – and work own his of form intellectual perhaps the only contemporary poet to takes upon himself the risk of new endeavor. It would be difficult to in spirit; one that can sense slightest changes in the new spiritual currents, but also one youngest the time same the Polishat oldest is the poet that impression the off are and in which we are. There is hardly a a time, of a of the inhuman is to while managing to expression human of boundaries the beyond going further, even ventures man”) and interpreting. a in lie meaning and order permanence, to seems life whole to size – the wholeness of his work. One particular interpretative trace, though, seems reality. It is a a as identified be can past the of experience private his the reality of the entire human experience – I poetry (and literature) as a parabolic autobiography moves beyond this wide universe a of human attempts, speech, cognitive viewing its In varieties. institutional and functionalities, ography,to and essay), autobi - non-fiction, also but poetry,– – drama literature novel, (including writing to domain its opening language, lyrical traditional the of boundaries the crosses discourse public of poetics The experience. istential yet unnamed, revealing the muted or marginalized aspects of everyday life and ex- to names giving at nameless; previously the for word” the “finding at attempt direction andthedominantideaofMiłosz’swork. And indeed, a world that is without a support the distinction I distinction the support Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Miłosz’s last poetics – that of inhuman indication (“expeditions into the inhu- the into (“expeditions indication inhuman of that – poetics last Miłosz’s His first poetics – that of visionary commonality – could be described as an as described be could – commonality visionary of that – poetics first His world inside us and around us; it means to means it us; around and us inside world reality open to continuous quest beyond the (available) word determines the general avoid ascetic silence or wasteful babble. To indicate a have been “a been have the entire cultural universe of discourse in its all registers, all its in discourse of universe cultural entire the past and future and can do without the human experience tool of anthropological self-knowledge, aimed at grasping propose. In propose. the future by its very (human) nature, a world which cannot be framed by human categories, quest beyond the word” („O word” the beyond quest inspire true awe for the artistic level and the (Kroniki), Chronicles constant process or representing, telling representing, or process constant nobler task for literature. I much greater challenge – who managed who – challenge greater much believe that what Miłosz discovers in all types and genres of modern of genres and types all discover a discover shared property of human of property shared Translation: AnnaWarso indicate the existence he confesses that his that confesses he bezgraniczny…”). reality which we which reality deny that he is reality whose cannot shake poetics of poetics the it with “the feeling of indestructible unity of life,” one so strong that it “eclipses all tion of the gods of Hades. 3 2 1 bridges over the multiplicity and variety of its single forms” (82). that life of solidarity the feeling...of fundamental “that as describes Cassier Ernst the story, however, is a function and meaning. What seems particularly important in Miłosz’s rendering of anthropologists, theologians, philosophers, and historians have written much on its a remains myth the of version Each itself. myth the of function the change not does it significant, is myth original the from departure each empty.While is Despite his obedience, he loses Eurydice: the path emerging from the Underworld

In the poem dedicated to 1. Instead Marek Zaleski University Press. 1962. 82. Ernst Cassirer. EssayonMan:An Introductionto APhilosophyofHuman Culture.Yale Collected Poems. (AW) 2005). Allotherquotations fromMiłosz’spoemscome from:Miłosz.Newand Eurydice” and“Treatise come fromSecondSpace:NewPoems onTheology” (Ecco, Miłosz. “Orpheus andEurydice.”Allfurtherquotationsfrom“Orpheus and Czesław Miłosz.To Begin WhereI Am.Farrar, StrausandGiroux. NewYork. 440. deep conviction accompanying the mythical idea of life that 2 He does not look back and attempt to the memory of his dead wife, Orpheus obeys the prohibi- called literatureandartareinsteadof. so that well full knowing canvas, on paint or paper are more or less capable of doing is putting words on no cry escapes from their throat and the one thing they each other's arms, crying out that they cannot live, but into fall should beings human all that seem would It Czesław Miłosz.Notatnik1964–68. 3 talk to Cassirer identifies 1 his beloved. myth – myth

65 66 his essay on Blanchot’s Orphic study, his misfortune. Orpheus’s actions are an act of transgression, as Lévinas observes in cally situates him beyond good and evil, both elevating him and being the source of the order that has been set as natural, making him a to forded the status of a to owes one respect the more ambiguous the answer becomes: in the 20 poetry,of history the into reach we deeper The obedience? his of and gaze bidden and obeys the command of the Underworld deities. What is the meaning of the for- to temptation the resists Orpheus Miłosz’s Eurydice”? and man invented art in order to after Nietzsche, that what the tale (that is poetry, philosophy) gives to us appears is Miłosz vain. an is illusion: tale mythical the of layers the in hidden performed through a mythical repetition as and is revealed eventually futile. and The hope view of victory into brought is it as doubted, or 8 7 6 5 4 a is it adds, he so, More ineffaceable.” to seem view, of point own our from that, differences those down fromheavens(Cassirer110). dragged be can moon the by even songs – lunam” deducere possunt coelo vel Carmina a with endowed is speech Orpheus’s of theadventurepoetry. a very beginning – beginning very beings. In the Orphic literary tradition, he is an archetypal poet and priest from the interpreted asanemphaticdenialof“theverypossibilitydeath”(83-4). be can concludes, entirety,he its in thought Mythical death.” of fact the defy and

philosophical parable, Orpheus himself – the eponym of the poet and the epitome intervene in the order of nature and things – an ability proper to proper ability an – things and nature of order the in intervene His dual, liminal condition of being both human and divine subverts completely a is disobedience His “Orpheus of author the by performed inversion of essence the thus, is, What In Miłosz’s tale, this mythical sense of solidarity of life is not as much questioned Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry the Polish translations ofhisessay– AW) “Literatura naswiecie” 1996no.10.71(Allfurther referencesto Levinasarebased on Emanuel Levinas. Spojrzeniepoety(“LeRegarddu Poète”) transl. M.P. Markowski, Cassirer, Essay.110. Strauss, Descent.2. thinking itself.”(xvi) (after ElizabethSewell)similarly reflectsoncontemporaryOrphicpoetryas“poetry Nietzsche &Mallarmé(StateUniversityofNewYork Press 1994)RobertMcGahey a myth analyzingthe(2).In The OrphicMoment.Shamanto Poet- thinkerinPlato, postmodernity theOrphicmythbegan to functionasaninterpretativemetatext, Press, Cambridge–Massachusetss1971)W.A. Straussremarksonhowin In DescentandReturn.TheOrphicThemeinModernLiterature(HarvardUniversity Cassirer, 83-84. , as Horace designated him (Strauss 2). (Strauss him designated Horace as deorum, interpresque sacer gods. Orpheus, however, is more than a than more however,is Orpheus, gods. demigod: his incantations have the power of creation, the power sign of hubris, in other words, a words, other in hubris, of sign 5 be able to 7 8 wondrous gift: “Nothing can resist its force. its resist can “Nothing gift: wondrous an attempt to sense so “strong and unshakable as to as unshakable and “strong so sense bear the burden of truth that is unbearable. th century, the myth has become enter the space of Mystery, the figure of that which paradoxi- compensational activity compensational lack of moderation and moderation of lack look at his love-object love-object his at look mere mortal, he is af- is he mortal, mere be unmistakable and unmistakable be be suggesting, be supernatural 4 deny 6

the mother of gods. to believed Nyx, by over presided is It emerge. humans and gods of worlds the Orphic mythology, it is the space of death but also of primordial chaos from which the attempts of the poet descending into the space that Blanchot calls the Night. In to makes absent. The myth is, thus, an allegory of the failure of poetry in its attempts a for her kills it instead, but to supposed is gaze his Eurydice: loses and the artist wishes to wishes artist the that mystery of space the inspiration, and sense hidden the personifying “Night,” Orphic poet – a matrix of being – to 12 11 10 9 and calls “his Beatrice” “his calls and a also but itself reveals a of the mind. In Mallarmé’s Orphic mythology, night is an energy field of language, mystery and a of the realm of death, an attempt to attempt an death, of realm the of a look intothefaceofmystery. tradition, biblical the for is face God’s into directly looking what is it meaning: of a is Orpheus of gaze the poets ist as an enterprise aiming to aiming enterprise an as to opposite ture performed by Maurice Blanchot, Miłosz’s contemporary and a obedience oftheprohibition? object of adoration. One must ask: what is meaning of the gaze here and what is the something positive, although lesspowerful,thanthe gaze initspowerto reachthe itself./ What is not pronounced tends to divine creation: in another poem Miłosz is reflects pronounced “What strengthens to seems It realm of the dead. Language seems to to allowed not is Orpheus poem. Miłosz’s in between the world of the dead and the world of border the living The temporality.is also human clearly demarcated of order the from torn irreversibly been has and

matrix of being (in Heidegger’s sense) – consequently, it is a recover that which has been lost. Orpheus’s descent underground symbolizes underground descent Orpheus’s lost. been has which that recover Instead Zaleski Orpheus’s actions seem condemnable: they are a Both questions will be easier to 256. Paul deManBlindnessandInsight , UniversityofMinnesotaPress, Minneapolis1983. McGahey, xvi-xvii and119-121. elsewhere. Warsaw, McGaheyTheOrphicMomement , xviiiand 1947,p.41 andelsewhere,R. See also:A.Krokiewicz Studiaorfickie.(OrphicStudies) Biblioteka“Meandra.” Nebraska Press, 1982. GazeofOrpheus.” The SpaceofLiterature.University Maurice Blanchot.“The be an action that has the same purpose. Name giving is an imitation of imitation an is giving Name purpose. same the has that action an be Miłosz. In Blanchot’s analysis of the Orphic myth, literature is viewed is literature myth, Orphic the of analysis Blanchot’s In Miłosz. source of art accessible through dreams or madness seen as the night space where he not only speaks of Being, but says Being itself (256).

11 quote Paul de Man following Heidegger’s exegeses of Hölderlin as access. One could thus risk a risk thus could One access. For the Romantics, for instance for Novalis, night is a kingdom of death and nothingness (that Mallarmé adores Mallarmé (that nothingness and death of kingdom 12 ). In Blanchot’s essay, Eurydice is also referred to referred also is essay,Eurydice Blanchot’s In ). reclaim that which has been lost. been has which that reclaim eod ie Opess ae niiae, destroys, annihilates, gaze Orpheus’s time. second answer set against the analysis of Orpheus’s ges- metaphor of a of metaphor bring back to back bring belong to

nonexistence” (2003 350). Language is thus confirm the existence of his beloved his of existence the confirm speak, nor to nor speak, the same order as the forbidden gaze. proposition that for the modern- the for that proposition look into the mysterious matrix mysterious the into look life that which has already died already has which that life transgression violating the order look at Eurydice in the in Eurydice at look 10 space in which being Orpheus looks back looks Orpheus writer perfectly space of as the as be 9

67 68 among conflicting demands in an existence that is basically tragic” (xv). is presence. where separation is a cognition, assumes the possibility of presentation free from the trap of objectification. as the “eternal streaming of the outside,” as something free of the mediation of our to are, as Lévinas remarks, an attempt to the as death and night, seem to desire, and art which toward point obscure profoundly the is she her, covers that a Under reach. can art that furthest the is Eurydice back by Nietzsche at the end of the 19 the of end the at Nietzsche by back tion to the manic Dionysus and the mantic Apollo, between the free will and the subordina an intermediary between gods and people, Orpheus is also an intermediary between McGahey in his reconstructions of the Orphic tradition in mythology and poetry. As becomes the tragedian's to birth gave that rites the This contradictory condition, notes McGahey, is characteristic of shamans leading carnal. the and spiritual the animalistic, the and human the between one well: as and, as it was to stronger. He assume that death is not something given to of the attempt to each attempt at literary representation ends up to fulfills itself in the conviction of inexpressability, in the constatation of failure that negativity.Writingin positively itself paradoxically,fulfills also, but loss of sense or nothingness, becomes literature’s hermeneutic circle. Writing has its origin in the Blanchot, writing itself is kindred to that the necessity to and task of literature. The author of to of poeticmodernity. a Mallarmé, in and himself, despite a was who Plato in Heraclitus, and Empedocles in Argos, the on Orpheus of legend the in it find can we incarnations: subsequent Orpheus’s in itself reveals shaman the of condition contradictory the that believes 15 14 13

reconstruct his views on the essence of the literary presentation, on the possibility address the negativity of presentation (74-5). presentation of negativity the address tmla pit ot ht lnhts esnn i ssand y a by sustained is reasoning Blanchot’s that out points Stamelman In Blanchot’s essay “The Gaze,” Eurydice is both a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Blanchot’s reasoning goes even further. In order to Levinas. 74-5. R. McGahey,R. xv. French Poetry , CornellUniversity Press, 1990. BeyondTelling.Richard Stalmelman, Lost RepresentationofDeathand AbsenceinModern night. (171) Blanchot’s methaphors are challenging to challenging are methaphors Blanchot’s (171) night. other the power of daimonion, between the doric and the phrygian order, brought 14 But Orpheus himself is a Heidegger, it is the communicate the reality of death. Blanchot’s formulation is even present reality derives from the constant awareness of loss. For form of bond, where distance is closeness and where absence tend. She is the instant when the essence of night approaches oima, which teaches the tribe – later the polis – how to the Greek tragedy: the “shaman's incantation (epoidos) incantation “shaman's the tragedy: Greek the telos L’Espace littéraire the ultimate form of loss – death. Thus, death, poet–thinker, magician and alchemist, father alchemist, and poet–thinker,magician move towards “expressing the inexpressible,” paradox, too, a th of the human being: each century. He unites other contradictions other unites He century. 13 be, mirroring the ultimate failure The understanding of otherness of understanding The philosopher and an Orphic poet Orphic an and philosopher name that hides her and a and her hides that name grounds his view in the belief “gap, border and bridge” says fully grasp its logic one needs lost wife and a us but something assigned Dasain interpret. They interpret. symbol of art. 15 McGahey is its own paradox move veil - language,” he says in his 1947 essay titled “Literature as the Right to itself. The writer is nothingness at work, and death and nothingness are the “hope of importantly,or,more itself fulfills inevitably writing of act each which wiping away, destroyingtheobjectofutterance. pushing it away into nonexistence. Talking about things and naming things equals supposedly refer to a or image an into turning by presentation in the well of the past. It has no power to lost been has which that of meaning the retrieve cannot reality,also ontological it Thus, language appears instead of what “is.” Not only does it deprive things of their to death believes also Blanchot it. on a in live should one tombstone 18 17 16 does, thepowerofnegativity, itdestroyswhatrepresents. death as has, it And still. nothingness of embodiment an – imitation poor its ing thus an embodiment of nothingness, even if secondary to to access of lack of sense the unnecessary.on be founded Writingwould is literature is: if reality, despite seeming obvious, was not a itself appears instead of reality, taking place of that which fundamentally no longer is death that is a Writingit metaphysic, his in negativity of power wondrous the of experience an is

reality,Writingdeath. is which of expression fullest the absence is articulates it Instead Zaleski And, certainly,And, I when not exist.Consideredinthislight,speakingisa curiousthing.(322) does it that fact very the – being lost has it when it of left is what nothingness, its being, gives me the being, but it gives it to to her her,cause from away reality flesh–and–blood but first it suppresses it. For me to A marvellous. and disquieting is naming of act the that woman.’ Hölderlin, Mallarmé, and all poets whose theme is the essence of poetry have felt name...I no has that object an with anything Wedo unfold. cannot actions and her to to available immediately Language is reassuring and disquieting at the same time...I being thelackofwhatitwouldsay. (36) of labors it which under necessity the through misses, always it what toward back turns to I that presence prior this recapture speech, my name...Something was there that there is no longer. How can I "is" has disappeared in what names it, struck with death so as to Blanchot. TheInfinite Conversation.University ofMinnesota Press. 1992.36 Ibid. 322. Press, 1995.336 Blanchot. "Literature andtheRightto Death."TheWork ofFire. StanfordUniversity speak it? And here we will evoke the eternal torment of our language when its longing its when language our of torment eternal the evoke will we here And it? speak be, she becomes the place in which the most surprising sort of transformations occur figure of possibility and of the possible. Writing – alas! – language reality, puts itself instead of it and replaces the other presence, speak, I speak, me, I me, recognize very well that there is speech only becasue what becasue only speech is there that well very recognize push her away,her I push way that it allows one to one allows it that way be able to me deprived of being. The word is the absence of that be the be 18 recover what it has made the object of its say, woman,’ ‘This I metaphor. It builds constructions that constructions builds metaphor.It telos must exclude in order to order in exclude must bring her close, she is everything I everything is she close, her bring problematic presence, language and of the literary text, or a or text, literary the of be absent, annihilate her. The word her.The annihilate absent, be word may give me its meaning, its me give may word the original and constitut- say, "This woman," and she is engrave a engrave find it again, how can I, in become the reality of the must somehow take her 17 worthy epitaph worthy Death” (336). speak? In order In speak? completes space in space say ‘This ‘This say want 16

69 70 a Negation istiedto language”(324). speak... ever can certainty no fullness, no void; the with only begin can “language to literature brings Writing to them. By making the thing absent, the word gives it meaning that can only be given linguistic representation at the same time proves the existence of a erty that allows it to it allows that erty appears in it a sentation, andallthatmeansgivinguponitsfigurativeness. express nothingness, articulate lack or absence, fulfill itself as an act of non–repre- act, as it assumes negative fulfillment as its positive goal: it is meant to 21 20 19 to wants Blanchot that says Stamelman into thevoid.Languageisthusfoundedonsenseofloss. to leading language of doors the threshold: ontological an is it where all doors are locked, one cannot enter the language nor leave it. For Blanchot, constitute themselves in word play. Elsewhere Barthes speaks of language as a the text throwing it at the mercy of the linguistic self, of impersonal meanings that from subject the erases It itself. turns “I” speaking the which into void the of sion exten- an rather,is world: it his represent not writer,does the it of personality the express not does it feelings, articulate not does language ForBlanchot, Fragments. that it is precisely there where you are not,” are you where there precisely is it that Roland Barthes: “to Blanchot’s ontology of writing and literature found its continuation in the work of to existence its entrusts subject individual The other.own its becomes it text, the in itself Situating text. the in existence shadow alternate, an leading self, real the from separation in exists it alienation: and sion if it wants to not things but absence of things and this is why language assumes loss. This is why, (39).

power to power modern poet, he shares with the author of author the with shares he poet, modern it by language. Something disappears from reality in order to iozs huh i daercly ifrn fo Baco’, vn huh as though, even Blanchot’s, from different diametrically is thought Miłosz’s 2 . to subjected is subject speaking the also light this in Seen Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Language, thus, according to Orpheus myth:notto turnback.” (thatis,usurping thehopeto accessreality–MZ) andadds:“alwaysthe ‘sincerity’” he notes:“Someone wouldhaveto teachmethatone cannotwritewithoutburying Discourse:Fragments. HillandWang,Roland Barthes. A Lover’s 2010.100.Earlier Blanchot, "LiteratureandtheRight to Death."324. Stamelman, 39. 19 Writing is an act of furnishing the void, an act of disappearing. A annihilate and an illusion of bringing back. What appears in language, in appears What back. bringing of illusion an and annihilate express absence that it signifies, it must turn to instead of reality. The word appears instead of the thing but the prop- know that writing compensates for nothing, sublimates nothing, function instead, to instead, function life but pushes the world into nothingness because: nothingness into world the pushes but life Blanchot, is characterized by a 20 “stay true” to true” “stay create distance between the thing and its and thing the between distance create L’Espacethe of awareness the littéraire 21 says Barthes in Barthes says the impersonality of the language. the of impersonality the this absence. Wordsdenote absence. this silence and lack itself tricky ambivalence: A negative transgres- negative existence also lead also existence appear in the text.

Lover’s Discourse: Lover’s relation between say nothing, paradoxical room of Neoplatonistswhoviewed Orphism asa sourceoftheirphilosophy. writing the in and century 3rd the from hymns Orphic later the in present clearly to adjacent is metaphysics, Minoan the echoing and literature phic Or- archaic the mythology.in Orphic found Yearningwith death necessarily after praises life and its wonders. It remains in discord with the poetic tradition but not that the “world of grief arose,” as Rilke tells us. This time, however, Orpheus’s song which isnotpronounced,tendsto nonexistence. to existence from literature: of If Blanchot sees transgression taking place on paper to of literature is thus directly the opposite of Blanchot’s vision marked by negativity. poetry on the side of life, light, and movement, fervently praising existence. His idea to after the dead beloved, a ginning with Virgil and Ovid, Orpheus’s song is a is song Orpheus’s Ovid, Virgiland with ginning In Miłosz’s poem, Orpheus’s song reverberates against its traditional readings. Be- (346). death” “against written always are – pessimistic or optimistic whether – poems that insisting health, and energy,between complicity mysterious the of and energy as life, mind, movement, reluctant, even hostile to of author the enough: be not would poetry modern the in To different conclusions, and consequently, builds a ontological break between language and reality. Miłosz, however, draws drastically 23 22 physical to world, and perceives his affirmation of being and existence as his poetic achievement. attempts to “metaphysics of presence.” This is what happens also in his Orphic poem. Orpheus

enchant it through a write that Miłosz removes himself from the Orphic mysticism that found its home Instead Zaleski He declares himself to himself declares He Krokiewicz, 23and35-36. September 1967. In:Zaczynającodmoich.Paris, ulic 1985.346. Miłosz atRencontreMondiale depoésie(World Poetry Conference), Montreal, And ofhavingmadenorhymeinpraisenothingness.(2005100) Of hishavingcomposedwordsalwaysagainstdeath Of thescentofanarmfullilacsinsummerrain, Of a dignifiedflockofpelicansabovethebay, Of theflightofswallow, thefalcon, Of tastesofwine,oliveoil,almonds,mustard,salt. Of feastingona terraceabovethetumultoffishingport, Of thedelightofswimminginseaundermarblecliffs, Of colors:cinnabar, carmine,burntsienna,blue, He sangofsmokingwaterintherose–coloreddaybreaks, He sangthebrightnessofmorningsandgreenrivers, the metaphysical one, always siding with what is referred to sway Persephone and the gods of Underworld by singing the beauty of the mournful incantation. When Orpheus sings one could think lover’s lover’s complaint against the cruelty of fate and an attempt it: at the World Poetry Conference (1967) he spoke of poetry be a be 22 From nonexistence, Miłosz argues the contrary, as that as contrary, the argues Miłosz nonexistence, poet of “is” – in all senses of the word, from the from word, the of senses all in – “is” of poet Three Winters Three different mythology of literature. tale of pain after loss, a loss, after pain of tale onward, he always situates his situates always he onward, be the goal and nourishment City Without a Without City a praise of life of praise 23 today as the , is Name, lament

71 72 to yoke of individual poverty and enriches his own self with the other self that is gifted a creates that love is a love that allows man to is more perfect than the purely intellectual and egoistical individual wisdom.” It is a a as only not seen was love Eros, of doctrine against itswillto turnintomultiplicityandlaterreturning the originalstate. to torn 25 24 Vision of the world as a returns to also but whole the from emerges multiplicity that believed Orphics the Orphism: of connection between the whole and the multiple is one of the key assumptions of list. In fact, all of the important Orphic idea echo through Miłosz’s writing. The idea his poem but not only there. And those pointed out so far are by no means a the writings of gnostics, Fathers of the Church, and exegetes of Scripture, resound in The Orphic and Neoplatonic elements of the tradition that Miłosz embraced studying a reflected in the imaginary and phantasmagoric stagings of the speaking voices and in writing from the 70s onwards. Correspondingly, the idea of the pilgrimage of his souls is in present unity) of eventually and condition, original lost the of restitution or Winters,

sense of entering the path to whole created with another man, more perfect than each of them is separately,is them of each than perfect more man, another with created whole it manifestation of sexuality,of manifestation a as also but him” (59). “ForI now before to condemned are or apotheosis of salvation the reach they until bodies plant and animal human, various enter therefore and Titanicimpulses (symbolized by the innumerable particles of ash) that has to person, Dionysus, born from his heart, and second, as the multiplicity of all human souls to burnt and apart torn being after doubly exists Zagreus to Orphics the From well. as Orphic is love of praise Miłosz’s Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry sea” writesEmpedocles.(50,81) Krokiewicz, 50and81. Ibidem 59. pieces by Titans and reborn from the heart, representing a representing heart, the from reborn and Titans by pieces is complemented by the concept of concept the by complemented is it and therefore all things are one. This is symbolized by Zagreus-Dionysus, He couldnotfailhernow, whenshewasdead.(200599) When hewaswithher, hethoughtdifferentlyabouthimself. Only herlovewarmedhim,humanizedhim. Is giveninexchangeforsuchanaffliction. It islikea medicalcondition.Perfection inart Usually have–asheknewcoldhearts. He didnotquitebelieveit.Lyric poets He rememberedherwords:“You area goodman.” 24 This is the understanding of love in Miłosz’s “Orpheus and Eurydice.” have been at some time boy and girl, bush, bird, and a and bird, bush, girl, and boy time some at been have sense of fundamental connection to connection fundamental of sense great cosmic transformation found Miłosz’s early volume, “transform from a true happiness and freedom as man throws away the 25 cripple, an alienated piece of reality, into unity of souls whose “emotional wisdom “emotional whose souls of unity apokatasthasis fulfillment of an erotic desire, and desire, erotic an of fulfillment eterernal punishment in Tartarus:in punishment eterernal ashes by the Titans,the by ashes one as first (the idea of reconstitution reconstitution of idea (the be purified of the murderous the rest of the universe, the of rest the mute fish in the in fish mute Plato and his and Plato whole forced whole complete complete Three Three a to seems mythology Orphic poetic however, Here, immortality. and creation/ I soul is that part of man which is worse and inferior to inferior and worse is which man of part that is soul artificial existence of quite unnecessary underworld shadows” and their “immortal eschatological vision: in Homer, souls of the dead “lead an insufferably empty and creation) returns often in Miłosz’s writing. Ancient Greeks, however, had a ness – otherwise one should probably doubt the idea of divine goodness and love of to is (“same” one this without its suffering and afflictions. The conviction that the other world is same as ing eternal bliss. For them, life after death will be a experienc- islands fortunate the on live will lives, eternal of cycle the from release the willto continueandactofrebellion? to also importance fundamental of thus is character to fundamental decisions to In “Orpheus and Eurydice” it is distorted, negated, and abandoned, which only adds dimension but – importantly – in his other poems, not in “Orpheus and Eurydice”! a acquires It tradition. living of element than more something becomes Women's dresses, I of a of the desire for multiple incarnations: “I 26 poetic his of cornerstone the been has years many for that thropology,something an- philosophical his of center very the at lies that something stake at puts Miłosz “Orpheus andEurydice.” of faith. It is precisely its impossible presence that becomes the only true reality in nothing more than a poem: despair resulting from the thought that the Orphic-Christian longing may be the soul. One cannot, however, ascribe atheism to on Theology,” we will find doubt about the idea of resurrection and immortality of also in Miłosz’s poem; earlier, in “On Parting with My Wife, Janina” and “Treatise to such, As

very particular manner: no longer belonging to belonging longer no manner: particular very the poem’s importance and places it among those works that reveal choices and choices reveal that works those among it places and importance poem’s the Instead Zaleski Similar observations can be made regarding Miłosz’s concept of life after death In the Orphic belief, those chosen by gods, following the life on earth and the and earth on life the following gods, by chosen those belief, Orphic the In Krokiewicz, 78and56. thrush, by magic” (2003 164). “I 164). (2003 magic” by thrush, knocked on the closed doors of the beaver's halls and the mole's” (2003 193). He knewhemusthavefaithand couldnothavefaith.(2005101) His lyrewassilent,yethedreamed, defenseless. Because hewas,now, like everyothermortal. Of thehumanhopeforresurrection ofthedead, Unable to weep,heweptattheloss And entwinedhimlikecoldbindweed. Under hisfaitha doubtsprangup use Krokiewicz’s formulation, “hopelessly gray eschatology” appears eschatology” gray “hopelessly formulation, Krokiewicz’s use was licking the rouge./ I great illusion is a be understood as an affirmation of life’s beauty and sweet- and beauty life’s of affirmation an as understood be Miłosz and his philosophy of literature. Its exceptional Its literature. of philosophy his and Miłosz was wearing plumes, silks, ruffles and armor/ armor/ and ruffles silks, plumes, wearing was would be everything/ Perhaps even a negative proof of the existence of the object was hovering at each flower from the day of the “gray eschatology” of Miłosz’s the private museum of images it images of museum private the continuation of earthly life but us. How are we to we are How us. the mortal body” (78, 56). (78, body” mortal the ucin in function understand religious different different butterfly butterfly 26

73 74 been lost. When we find ourselves on the threshold, in the state of loss, when – as – when loss, of state the in threshold, the on ourselves find we When lost. been there is no reason to to journeys Poetic insurmountable. is “there” and “here” between barrier The side? other the on else nothing is there that be teaching its last…Can fallen“has to age not my themselves in reveal poetry of language the which “Treatise”of words to the himself, “farewell Miłosz the about “Orpheusin outlined for perspective and the Eurydice,” from and both But abyss. in Mallarmé. It is not viewed as seductive nothingness, singing mystery, beckoning by the Orphic Nyx/ Night, does not find its apotheosis in Miłosz the same way it did (200559). a diminutive partofgreattotality” not embrace. In “Treatise on we Theology” read: is “There only our ecstatic dance, it in“Treatise onTheology”: existence. This very question returns in Miłosz’s work in several forms. He considers to potentiality,its in all: after chance much the so unveiling of capable is It absence? them and saves that which “is.” But is language also capable of expressing death and tions and metaphors have energy that strengthens things in their existence, captures for a 20 for the poet and replicating God’s constitutive and confirming gaze) as a of instance the words, other (in gaze motivated religiously about 27 possibilities of language as a his attitudes, Miłosz nonetheless finds himself at the center of the debate about the sophical conservatism does not make him anachronistic. Seemingly old–fashioned in external to to work literary believes Blanchot If writing. Miłosz’s in assumption omnipresent an is It necessity,a inherent mankind’s is faith that conviction Pascal’s on relied it decades For construction. ation and our sense of reality. Therefore, to deduced earlier, is constituted in the gaze of God. It is what guarantees its continu- to agreeing mind of act an was

define its ontological status, it allows us to This vibrating great totality, the potentiality that is the matrix of being, embodied Miłosz believes that poetic “seeing” has a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Charles Taylor. Źródłapodmiotowości, Warsaw, 2001. 824andelsewhere. th be guaranteed by the inexpressible “nothing” in the streaming of speech of streaming the in “nothing” inexpressible the by guaranteed be centuryepiphany. That is,meaning.Impossiblewithoutanabsolutepointofreference.(200547) Let realityreturnto ourspeech. That wedon’t know howtoliveinaphantasmagoria. Of a windowpanethattestifiestothefact With itsbehaviorofa birdthrashingagainstthetransparency And firstisa notionoftruth.Itpoetry, precisely, Why theology?Becausethefirstmustbefirst. the subject, Miłosz sees it as guaranteed by (divine) Presence. His philo look into the abyss in the hope of bringing back that which has necessity of the source of sense. Pascal’s metaphysical wager Pascal’smetaphysical sense. of source the of necessity 27 medium to an act of faith: faith that the world, as Descartes as world, the that faith faith: of act an present reality: Taylor, for instance, writes look means to founding power: linguistic representa- touch that which our intelligence can- give sense and to the decadence/ Into decadence/ the mimesis hell are futile, are hell condition necessary confirm be the be - his ownquestionsaswell. marks on his own poetry. His adventure with Jeffers’s poems forced him permanent to left poet, Californian the of work the in element Orphic the on focus a with Jeffers, fascination Robinson his easy: not was It before. gaze Orpheus’s denounced already has He longing. religious our of even longing, our of object the only is which that (III.2). sinews” poets' with “strung lute Orpheus’s of strings the about Shakespeare from a as history to testifies it as tion atten- our escape not should parallel more one elements, Orphic the of Speaking to question about the transcendental source of sense as something “incomprehensible the evades Miłosz – originate all They futile. are mythologies hand, other the On but ispowerlessthere.“ a illusion, an as itself reveals faith our and that ensure the world’s creation and confirm its existence, lose their magical power Miłosz’s Orpheus – we find ourselves “Nowhere,” the words from “this side,” words 30 29 28 Elizabeth Sewell points to produces metaphors of the primordial next to it song, the Producing culture. and nature of that orders: opposite two unites too, lyre, his but animalistic the and human the himself in mediates Orpheus context. Orphic the in neutral not is thinking Miłosz’s in tropes carnal of fre- presence quent The ‘religion…’”. word the through shine mind the of nerves and “muscles to servant is poetry that says mythology.Miłosz archaic the and it without referencing Orphism. In the conclusion of his essay on Jeffers he remarks: of the pantheistically defined unity, although – as I

us” – from this world (83). Instead Zaleski with dueseriousness.(259) I and poetry Jeffers’s not is However,this dies. and trifle into turns attempt, unifying human basic the in participation the “Weltanschaung.”avoids than Poetrythat better thus is it and “religion” word the through shine mind the of nerves and muscles from derived is it whether (regardless sense broad the in religion religion), as seen poetry of opposite exact I that point this at clear be should It He was not indifferent to W. Shakespeare. Two Gentlemen ofVerona. ActIII. Scene2. E. Sewell,TheOrphicVoice, NewHaven,Yale UniversityPress 1960.58.Compare: Miłosz, Ogródnauk . 259. Miłosz Metafizycznapauza . (MetaphysicalPause) 83. 30 Orpheus’s body is his instrument and he himself (and his history) is the is history) his (and himself he and instrument his is body Orpheus’s His lyrewassilent,yethedreamed,defenseless”(2005101). Because hewas,now, likeeveryothermortal./ metaphor of philosophy that he himself personifies, and to and personifies, himself he that philosophy of metaphor religare, supremely Orphic poet, despite the fact that Miłosz did not did Miłosz that fact the despite poet, Orphic supremely the kinship of the linguistic imagination of the modern poet modern the of imagination linguistic the of kinship the Bacon’s commentary in to 29 the Orphic element in Jeffers, especially to 28 bind), but the desired unity can be theistic or atheistic. The atheistic. or theistic be can unity desired the but bind), Miłosz never doubts the primacy of what “is” above am viewing poetry as an appendage of religion (an religion of appendage an as poetry viewing am consolation that may bring relief here relief bring may that consolation the metaphors of harmony and order. De have mentioned – he spoke about Sapientia Veterum religion and that and religion on Orpheus’s the pursuit a approach it approach sentence address

75 76 and vulnerableto thenecessarytearingapart,likeOrpheus’sbody. is theOrphicmoment,encounterwithNight.Thisunityconstantlyexposed language, vibration of sense, constant oscillation and dissemination of meanings. As Hegelian tale, mythical the of space the is as – a aporia, an 34 33 32 31 – says Jeffers, whom Miłosz translated. (33). other” the or zone one renouncing without it, in form its find will duality our and spirit, the of needs sublime the with together intestines, the of movements the urinating, at position squatting the sperm, of flow,gluiness the in which “the rhythm of the body will be in it, heartbeat, pulse, sweating, menstrual Milan”, “a poetry and philosophy. He often declared himself to embodiment (epitome) of philosophy. Miłosz never doubted the connection between upne “n n bs, ild ih h agih f rnin ognss passing organisms without a transient of anguish the with filled abyss, an “in suspended to tions a figure ofidentityandidenticalnessdifferentelements. as crucial most the is metaphor which among tropes of language the in language, poet’s death his head continued to the after long that recount legends (Orphic tale Orpheus’s teller,like the of body “in thegut,muscle,intastingoneselfthatislikea catstretching”(84). he finds himself embracing – identifies God the “with rhythm of blood,” finds him writes about the need to ” – to – percipi” “AIn meaning. of devoid exist, not percipi: literature “opens us to to be thepoetofthatwhichis . creation competing with the created. Miłosz was never one of them, always wanting act the about enthusing Book, mythical Work,the the worship who poets and ers Miłosz, as I that poetry of religion the serving gaze, poetic the of absolutization an here: play

But the desired unity of mind/soul and body is a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry This longing for unity that Miłosz shares with Jeffers did not erase his objec- his erase not did Jeffers with shares Miłosz that unity for longing This h gz o Opes wie Lvns ge byn te eahsc of metaphysics the beyond goes Lévinas, writes Orpheus, of gaze The Miłosz, Metafizyczna pauza . (Metaphysical Pause) 87. Robinson Jeffers. “Tear Lifeto Pieces.” Miłosz, Metafizycznapauza (MetaphysicalPause). 84. Miłosz, UnattainableEarth . Ecco,1986.33. the metaphysics of the American poet. Our humanity is like a like is humanity Our poet. American the of metaphysics the and the space of a of space the Aufhebungand trace” (87). poet of the five senses” (2003 170). He spoke intriguingly of future poetry Until hehastornitto pieces, The poetcannotfeedonthistimeoftheworld have pointed out earlier, refuses to be means to means be space of incongruence and tensions disintegrating it from the inside the from it disintegrating tensions and incongruence of space and himselfalso 34 But without our gaze the other, the abyss, though real, does “start with the as body” the pantheistic view of God – that be perceived (2003 573). One more factor may come into come may factor more One 573). (2003 perceived be the unthinkable.” In other words, it enters into the speak prophesies) heals in the centuries of poetic esse est “esse declares Miłosz Home” Philosopher’s coincidentia 33 Mallarméan text, an associative volatiliy of volatiliy associative an text, Mallarméan The mythical tale of the world, told by the be a oppositorum be, for instance in the poem “In priest of. There are many writ- space of mystery and paradox, of Nicholas of Cusa, of Nicholas of 31 Elsewhere he Elsewhere 32 cathedral esse it is as though I spoke of this particular aspect of literary auto–presentation: “I BlanchotAlready presentation. of object the distorting and blurring incomplete, tions and that – as representations of reality – they are always already speech, in the Self of the language (72-3). language the of Self the in speech, that in this perspective the “I” vanishes and being equals speaking in impersonal fact the despite it, in itself speaks but work the in named not is things of being the which in approach Blanchot’s and Mallarmé’s the in even avoided be cannot sary for representation. One cannot, however, avoid the mediation of language. It function of literature, proving thereby that the perspective representational of of the subject cost is neces- the at possible, is it that shows revolution Mallarméan to try mediation ofthelanguage. a as object the of presence the constitutes it function; deictic the of realization tion, and blur the essence of contact (2003 460). Seeing is an act of direct communica- eliminated, along with the deficiencies of verbal and graphic articulation that delay is precisely a I no is there where edge the At / hopes or fears, expectations, Without representation is capable of. The desire “to establishes the relation, but also constitutes it in a only not gaze the as gaze the of importance fundamental the sees senses, other to “I,” making the gaze an act of act an gaze the making “I,” “I” and to to to wants it because radicalization its is it gaze, perception. The gaze of Orpheus is thus something different from the contemplative our of horizon the beyond is which that into outside,” the of streaming “eternal 37 36 35 and most of all, towards our a own presentations. “being towards endeavor, poetic own one’s towards suspicion arousing representation, at attempts our towards distrust inspires reality, our “upholds” that language is it that knowledge the particular, in and difficulty, this of ness reality.aware- barest an the But covering language of veil the tear and “I” of rid performs exactly the same function for me as a as me for function same the exactly performs the presence of my name, which goes beyond me and whose stonelike immobility presence, impersonal objective, an but reality, my or presence either longer no

contemplation, distance which – although it allows for the abandonment of the the horizon of our world (72, 75). (72, world our of horizon the Instead Zaleski Can this gaze be free from its objectifying aspect? Never completely! One can Poezja żalu.Katowice, 2001. 118-143. by KrzysztofKłosiński in“Wymyka misięmojaledwoodczutaesencja,” Kłosiński, This motivation of Miłosz’sdistrusttowardshisautobiographical projectisdiscussed Lévinas, 72-73. Lévinas, 72,75. gesture of pointing does, unclouded by the always unreliable and imperfect and unreliable always the by unclouded does, pointing of gesture avoid the mediation of the subject: depersonalized lyric resulting from thefrom resulting lyric depersonalized subject: the of mediation the avoid unite with the perceived – is still a desire for the kind of relation in which the mediation of language is were chanting my own dirge: I will, leaving to leaving will, our 35 Miłosz, too, while praising sight above all above sight praising while too, Miłosz, 36 see, purely and simply, without name/ No attempt at representation can be can representation at attempt No trace of presence and supremacy of separate myself from myself, I 37 tombstone weighing on the void”the on weighing tombstone avoid the distance that is proper is that distance the avoid It reminds that they are usurpa- us the autonomy of the “I” and“I” the of autonomy the us way more perfect than literary say my name, and ex post and or not-I” or poet” am

77 78 makes him'infinitelydead'”(173). writing. The necessity to necessity The writing. more than ever, and – as a antinomy between language and reality that evades it, is what drives literature today to attempt an is It ordered. be to to Writingattempt incomplete. an and becomes unreliable always tion, the world, always reveals itself as a 39 38 (324). tion in itself and a falsifies the original because to because original the falsifies and discredits always Figurationthat figuration? of form incomplete and illusory a topos ofelegiacpoetry. became story his and Underworld the into descended Orpheus since this just than ancestors, even though it was more than just this for them as well. It has been more Writing literature would be an unnecessary task, to of things and if things and events did not pass, if memory was a a in were been lost is what sustains and justifies literature. Would literature be necessary if we a perpetual process. is auto–presentation this that adds – sense ultimate becomes never sense which in a only is it as – transient is unity all that aware Miłosz, by or its psychological processes. Literature of the Orphic tradition, whether by Blanchot to non-transparent is it because non-integral “is” anditwantsa resurrectionofthatwhichwas. of what was in the word. Miłosz’s word wants to Eurydice” puts an end to that “issetinthebrocadeofstyle”(2003228). face to world – without the promise of ever being able to to inexpressible, the able,

our imagination, if our impressions and feelings retained their intensity forever? that which is internally contradictory, an attempt to attempt an contradictory, internally is which that The desire to 3 . Literature, even when it wishes to Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry But can absence and lack find representation through anything else than an than else anything through representation find lack and absence can But All that remains, then, is to is then, remains, that All What is found in poetic representation, is always Blanchot, “The Gaze ofOrpheus.”173. Blanchot, “The Blanchot,”Literature astheRightto Death.”324. 38 face. This is why we must be distrustful of everything in our representation In “The Gaze of Orpheus,” he says of Orpheus, “the song immediately song “the Orpheus, of says he Orpheus,” of Gaze “The In perfect unity with that which that with unity perfect tear through to performative paradox? “We don't the hope pervading Miłosz’s work, the hope of resurrection make present, especially to especially present, make philosophical question – finds itself again at the heart of love – like Robinson Jeffers loved the wild swan of the of swan wild the loved Jeffers Robinson like – love give integral character to character integral give reality, the hope to become a become represent absence is an impossibility,an a is absence represent form of auto–presentation and auto–interpreta - 39 rid itself of the demands of “I” and represent , if we had perfect insight into the nature the into insight perfect had we if is, hunter,unrepresent- the chasing forever itself and unaware of the entirety of entirety the of unaware and itself be hymnal, it wants to see reality’s true visage, to otium negotiosum, as it was for our cross over the breach, to instead reply for we have no language, make present that which had which that present make a order that which cannot which that order non-integral Self that is that Self non-integral of reality. “Orpheus and force at least equal figure of language of figure praise what contradic- give unity give solve the meet it over death,anepiphanyofpresence.Butthemiracledoesnothappen. disagreement: he waits for a poet’s calling. Departing from the traditional version of the myth, he manifests his of “something other,” of lack and emptiness. “Her face no longer hers, utterly gray.” – the object of presentation. What has been lost is absent and appears as a that is absent from presentation and this poignant fact makes loss – rather than her a thus is She not. is but resembles she that something contains, refers to refers which remains in the presentation. In the presentation she is always a a for beloved his kill would it order,but mythical the in him place would gaze His gaze of a who loves and suffers and of the man who writes of love and suffering. It is also the a is gaze his that knows he because look not will her.He to try not will he Eurydice, at look not will he promise: his keeps He ing. Miłosz’s Orpheus knows about the futility of the ritual outside the world of the liv- text thatbeing reveals itself. of the chanting authorial voice. More so: it is a to will the than reference other no itself, than reference other no has utterance to referred be can poem the that things of state the point as Jeffers. But – an Orphic might say today – every poem is performative, since to important as was and Orphism of antipodes the on himself found a a of dream poetry’s Orphic – death above life of triumph the in resulting and world the changing of of poetryasa toolmagic,religiousritualcapablemovingtheSunandstars, Writing is an act of giving sense, it upholds already far,” saysMiłoszinoneofhislastpoems(309). to which in 40

second time. Once so obviously present, she is now beyond language, escaping that poetic mythology. “Poetry makes nothing happen” remarked W.H. Auden, who W.H.Auden, remarked happen” nothing makes mythology.“Poetry poetic In his refusal to Instead Zaleski Literature is one of those rituals that uphold the world in its existence. But existence. its in world the uphold that rituals those of one is Literature Miłosz, “What doI.”Selectedand LastPoems.Miłosz, “What 1931-2004.Ecco, 2011.309. something beyond the image, to image, the beyond something magician, a And hefellasleepwithhischeekonthesun–warmedearth. But therewasa fragrantscentofherbs,thelowhummingbees, How willI livewithoutyou,myconsolingone! Only noweverythingcriedto him:Eurydice! Sun. Andsky. Andintheskywhiteclouds. And behindhimonthepathwasnoone. It happenedasheexpected.Heturnedhishead Under theluminouseyeofexitfromunderground. talk with the living. And the flowers wilt, useless, laid when we were we when laid useless, wilt, flowers the And living. the with talk Day wasbreaking.Shapesofrockloomedup look, Miłosz’s Orpheus betrays the condition of the poet and the astv lnug ta priiae i te rsne s only is presence the in participates that language causative trickster, a miracle, for a brave who wants to different, happy ending, a something “other” than what the image the what than “other” something our guarantee of reality, it is in the poetic world in its existence. But the dream tear the veil and outsmart fate. does not exist before it. Poeticit. before exist not does 40 double gaze: of the man the of gaze: double sign of something of sign triumph of life Miłosz at one at Miłosz shadow, she figuration figuration address say

79 80 traditionally,Ovid’s since been has return his and death of realm the into descent new.His the and old the 43 42 41 identify who Mallarmé, as such turn,” “linguistic the of poets the by differently of Cusa believes contradiction to in Miłosz’sthought a is It evil. and good between placed world the beyond judgment, moral the from it removes that contradiction the art, of immorality poetry,the of of “Orpheus and Eurydice” writing includes a a it Is life. is atmosta it – loss the for compensate never can poem the But it. in disappear and text own his face abyss, the of well the into look Orpheus makes it writing, of will the with This new mythology, as hermetic as the Orphic teachings were once, equips the writer hrceitc f u ae ht o Młs i as a also is Miłosz for that age our of characteristic renewal. This time his poetic image is also a also is image poetic this But recovered. be can which that recovering words, other In beloved. the of which memory returns with new force, recovering – through repetition – the image a be can dream consolation: Orpheous falling asleep “with his cheek on the sun-warmed earth” is a infernale, a other but all that is other tends towards unity and participates in it (16). the of mediation the through accessed and presented be only can sense final its in complicatio, between the dynamic of this dialectic retains constant, polar tensions between what “is” exists as the European metaphysics, is given explication. For Nicholas of Cusa, Neoplatonist, tant, receive new interpretations. “Is”, word that Nietzsche believed to Aquinas: “it is good because it is.” But old categories and notions, although impor- being? In his poem, Miłosz still equals being with good. He repeats after St Thomas in itsentirety, a metaphorofagreementtoexistence.

it isa never-endingmurmurofbeingthattheliteraryworkallowstoreverberate.(73) to distance this of murmur incessant the allows world, the away pushed that words look at the one who writes (this is how Blanchot defines fascination.) Poetic language to a from it ing If seeing and cognition – writes Lévinas – are an act of taking over their object, of master- Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry As a Is it because such agreement is at the same time an affirmation of the mystery of Lévinas, Spojrzeniepoety , s.73. Strauss, Descend and Return.16. elsewhere. See: Niemoralnośćsztuki . (ImmoralityofOgródnauk Art.) .Paris, 1979.161and be touched by what we see, touched from a daimon mediating between the contradictory orders of being, Orpheus unites modern desacralized space devoid of the promise of sense. The image of figure of consolation then? Things are not that simple. For the author the For simple. that not are Things then? consolation of figure work ofmourningwhich,aswehavelearnedfromFeud, alwaysserves safe distance, then the remarkable reversal that occurs in writing allows us allows writing in occurs that reversal remarkable the then distance, safe coincidentia 42 alteritas and . figure of unity, lost and recovered, of an alliance with being with alliance an of unity,recovered, of and figure lost katabasis , viewed as a as viewed Metamorphoses, figure of live-giving oblivion, of rest and respite, after respite, and rest of oblivion, live-giving of figure oppositorum. – his journey to unitas. The only truth, one beyond comprehension find its positive resolution in God. This is viewed Referring to distance. Literary work takes over the gaze, consolatory function but also the lie Hell – happens in modern scenery, otnain Baudelaire’s continuation figure of transformation and transformation of figure Cassirer, Strauss writes that recurrent theme recurrent explicatio and be crucial for metaphor of 43 reemerge… Nicholas cité 41 moving force that holds the reality of things in suspension (253). post–Heideggerian philosophy.post–Heideggerian a has “is” hands, invisible by lead is I a became being, of Mallarmé, Rilke and Blanchot, much fromtheonefoundinwritingofmodernOrphics. ness means universe from which God is absent (89). Mallarmé, In language. our of borders the with world our of borders the 46 45 44

have said in “Miłosz – poeta powtórzenia” (Miłosz, a Instead Zaleski “Miłosz, poetapowtórzenia.” Teksty Drugie.2001.Vol. 4/5. Blanchot inStrauss, DescendandReturn.253. Ibidem. 89. vibrating void, an aporia that is the matrix of sense. And, as And, sense. of matrix the is that aporia an void, vibrating coincidentia 46 As we have seen, an interpretation not differing not interpretation an seen, have we As completely new interpretation, one typical of typical one interpretation, new completely oppositorum, believed to 44 For Blanchot, negation is the poet of repetition) to Translation: AnnaWarso 45 In the writing of be the principle one who nothing-

81 82 1/1/1935” (Letter from 1/1/1935) not is not as much dedicated to to poems written in the third person. “O orders, is something Miłosz is well aware of and fears. He uses several methods to several uses He fears. and of aware well is Miłosz something is orders, poets bytheirname,surname,pseudonymorperiphrasis. only on those instances which mention clearly and beyond the realm of doubt other ence I ence meaning ofthoserolesandenriches withthemthespaceofhisownpoetry. of a in Miłosz’s work to work Miłosz’s in quotations, allusions, stylistic mimicry and similar techniques that are too plentiful function, as speakers of their poetic work. Others yet make their appearance through poetic their in strictly also sometimes but roles non-literary various their in them mention or a or mention odes, or witty verses. They are written about in the third person as well: from a And hesaysa lot,inseveralwaysandfromperspectives. work andonwhathesaysinitaboutpoets–otherPolish poetsto beprecise. poetic Miłosz’s on only focus will essay my prose, discursive his of genres several journalist, reviewer. Although he discusses poetry and comments on other poets in incorporates it into it his other roles: that of a break the boundaries of poetry and to aołw wskeiz “oyak” Llay to (Lullaby) “Kołysanka” Iwaszkiewicz, Jarosław That poetry as a Miłosz’s poetic work evolved with time: in the prewar period (which for conveni- They are addressed directly in dedications and poem titles as recipients of letters, In his creative work Miłosz frequently surrenders his role as a Poet onpoets Jacek Łukasiewicz biographer, chronicler, and literary historian in his poems, he broadens also the will treat here as a as here treat will short commentary to commentary short space strives to be thoroughly discussed in this paper.I this in discussed thoroughly be whole) one will find recipients of his dedications in the in dedications his of recipients find will one whole) be fully autonomous, isolated from other textual a long ballad or a or ballad long młodszym bracie” (To open up poetic diction: assuming the role literary historian, lecturer, publicist, quasi-essay.summons Miłosz óe Cehwc ad “List and Czechowicz Józef a will thus concentrate thus will Brother) is dedicated as directed specifi - poet, or rather, he brief visionaries cannotcarryon. catastrophic new the work whose centuries past the of authors major several lists rhetors whopreach“officiallies.” with Różewicz contrasting eternal”), life, his and poet/ the of laughter thunders he directs his emphatic praise for the redemptive element of poetry (“And all around TadeuszAt alive. still those and essence) poetic of devoid not time same Różewicz Swift for support in writing poetry that is critical, satirical and mocking but at the Jonathan asks (he gone long those addressed invocations poetic His writers. other stanzas –in“Los”(Fate). baroque exquisite of and płocha”) “Rozmowa (in “star” or “pearls,” “seconds,” as His work. cannot post-uprising poems these included in that very knows he spells, with shore old the from away pushing But more.” no us visit “should ghost the that so graves, their on volume declaring that there is “no wizardry of words” in him. He lays his prophetic-didactic Gajcy,Baczyński, generation: Trzebiński,war the of poets the addresses Miłosz it, the exception of the (already post-war) “Przedmowa” (Introduction) from of catastrophicsymbolism,the“twenty-yearoldpoetsWarsaw.” foolishly,– continue who poetic those the sees – he believes side, he other the now a takes contrary,Miłosz belonging to ing the war.the ing In muzzle to muzzle a of Death the (On mężczyzny” młodego śmierć “Na (in Jesienin instance for name, you bad son, you timid poet and a cally at Jerzy Zagórski, addressed already in the opening apostrophe: “Jerzy, Jerzy, 1

It was after the war that Miłosz’s poetic space opened up widely and filled with His writing from the war period does not speak about other poets directly, with Poet onpoets Łukasiewicz The plural form in this poem is not ironic. But this changed dramatically dur- dramatically changed this But ironic. not is poem this in form plural The the quoted passage.[(A.W]) number, CP].Wheretranslations wereunavailable,I providea working translation of in NewandCollected Poems: 1931-2001(Ecco,2003)) referencedfurther as[page Wherever possible I refertotheprintedtranslations ofMiłosz’sworkpublished Young Man): “With what love for life and condemnation for God/ placed the placed God/ for condemnation and life for love Youngwhat “With Man): his mouth Sergiusz Jesienin, poet.”) In “O In poet.”) Jesienin, Sergiusz mouth his we walksomewherefar Restless, blindandtrueto ourtime, of thecenturycoveredwithreddust Norwid willnomorerevealto ustheharshlaws coolly touchourbrows,andsootheheads no morewillHafez'slongforgottenpoem no morewilltheskiesspeakinFaustian choir, evening overstillwaters,asinConrad'sprose, No morewillfromyourpagesshineontousfoggy the realm of the past somewhere on the other side of the abyss. On the Rescue, Conrad, Goethe, Hafiz and Norwid are no longer viewed as viewed longer no are Norwid and Hafiz Goethe, Conrad, leap in their direction. From there, looking upon what is what upon looking there, From direction. their in leap Rescue make use of numerous talisman-words, such friend wronged.” 1 Other poets are mentioned by książce” (Toksiążce” a Book) Miłosz Book) In Rescue. In

83 84 genetically primalhere. their structure. in At inscribed the same are time, images, we know the that of it is shadow the the names that in are remaining most crucial: poets, the of names but such as “evening”, “skies,” or “poem” are anthropomorphized turning into images a by accompanied is it but fragment quoted the in imagery poetic strong is There dust.” red with covered to reveal more no will “Norwid metonymy: of Hafez's long forgotten poem/ coolly touch our brows.” Finally, he defines by means ing metaphors: “no more will the skies speak in Faustian and “no more choir” will following his prose” comparison-based Conrad's definition within another,as waters, built still on anthropomorphiz- over evening foggy/ us onto “shine – book the metaphor. He has done that before: “No more will from your pages” – he addressed the metaphors, behind every image there is a the poetic image – definitions of artistic creation and of the described poets. Behind resembles (or imitates) a and not to identified by their names are actual subjects of sentences. Descriptions refer to have beenmovedminimallysothattheresultingimageisambiguous. in coexist history,of history,literary space autobiography.of and types constituent those All gathers together those already dead and those still alive disregarding the boundaries rich and as complete as that unveiled in No other poem among his work presents a Sartre, Rabelais, and Conrad, the author of the Light of Culture: ‘The horror.’ And climbed/ Into the twentieth century” (114). civilizers, a 2 didactic and satirical the In of his tale uses a even they are not portrayed directly. Instead of Conrad himself, the decisive passage But scene. historical) literary only (not historical the on protagonists as presented Wyspiański.are and They Conrad on passages the in happens what is This poets. background, we are not as much reading subjects as objects shaped by the “defined” cism, rather than an impressionist lyric: the “I” or “we” – readers – are pushed to Wyspiański is spoken of as being defeated by the “contradiction” between solemnity,

A In A Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry to Kurtz’s report,andthe translation– to Kurtz’s lastwords.(AW) Pisał ‘ohyda’a więcjużwstępował/ W dwudziestywiek.” Miłoszseemsto bereferring quoted intheoriginal versionofthisessay, reads“Namemoriale o światłachkultury/ After NewandCollected Poems. Polish versionofMiłosz’sline aboutKurtz, also Treatise on Poetry TreatisePoetryon A Treatisea are they as metaphorical, and – poetic formulates Miłosz impressions and moods of the reader, speaking voice of the poem. A blade ofgrasswillgrow madman named Kurtz” who “Scribbled in the margin of his report/ On Treatise metonym mentioning a And wheretheysatnota single but at the same time they do not overlap fully,that overlap slides not like do they time same the at but (1956) is the main work in which Miłosz gathers other poets. formulates its “definitions” using different method. Those method. different using “definitions” its formulates strong rhetorical and notional element. Immaterial nouns, Immaterial element. notional and rhetorical strong textbook by a A he lists several patrons: Witkiewicz, patrons: several lists Treatisehe Moral literary historian, or a A character in Heart of Darkness. landscape inhabited by poets as broad, as Treatise lyrical “I” that produced the defining us the harsh laws/ of the century the of laws/ harsh the us whose composite timeless space Heart of Darkness: “One of the But these were not poets. piece of literary criti- A Treatise part of part them them the the 2

a the participants of his pre-war readings “at the ball for the Security Police” – is not “shouted ‘Ca ira!’ in Grodno or Tykocin,” (118) and who, after the war, would meet famous, most most poignant the and most as dramatic passages such on other,Julian Tuwim.each explain Tuwimbiographies their – who and work Their time. cal histori- shared they that fact the by also but books, their from only not them knew to tempted is One spheres. both in active are They texts. literary of only not and life, of subjects also are they but are), often they (and things about wrong be may they – authors war to unwilling and worlds poetic their Trappedin work. their of subjects speaking as his ownconclusions:/Ifit’salla dream,let’sdreamittothebottom”(113)). to surrendering passively ers, they were more like bats/ Sucking the blood out of speech on the fly” (113)); or teth- not And invisible. were they them: Yetbreak tethers/ not silken could the at on the ethnic language and style of the period (e.g., – Kasprowicz who “roared, tore to failing either process: historical hand, anda stylenotmatureenoughforsuchsolemnitydesire. to desire the perhaps by his poetic? or by the poet-subject) to poet-subject) the by or poetic? his by perhaps it traying as crucial. Eschatological – that is transcending the boundaries of the present, por- tological dimension of Tuwim’s poetry, one he could not express directly, is revealed thought precisely, and not an element of poeticity. In the passage above, the escha- This “thought” needs to conflicts andweaknesses. own his by caused were they overcome, not could he language of failures not were function of style, like Kasprowicz or Staff, but a but Staff, or Kasprowicz like style, of function rebel they lose their status as persons. This changes in the part devoted to Poet onpoets Łukasiewicz In literary the of participants as characterized are YoungPoland of poets Other Beautiful Times , because poetry itself was degraded by Tuwimby (or degraded was itself poetry because aeternitatis, speciae sub To cover hisvisionsofwhichhegrew ashamed(119-120) As easilyasheusedassonanceand rhyme But histhoughtwasconventional,used Such wasTuwim. Heaspiredto longpoems. And imaginea skeletonwithringsonthebones. There arethosewhoseea pretty, smilinggirl The lightofeternityshinesonoursouls That wewalk,eat,talk,andatthesametime That humanlifewaschaosandmarvel It chokedhim.Insidehisscreamwasanother: Just ashelatercheatedearnestCommunists One couldsaythathefooledtheofficials His facebrokeoutinreddish,hecticspots Tuwim livedinawe,twistedhisfingers, become part of history and to and history of part become posit that this is perhaps partly caused by the fact that Miłosz that fact the by caused partly perhaps is this that posit (part one of be emphasized, given back its fundamental meaning – the them (as Staff or Leśmian, even though the latter “drew latter the though even Leśmian, or Staff (as them A Treatise understand its essence; their own dependence own their essence; its understand ) those poets – name-bearers, appear only struggle against its fatalism on the one the on fatalism its against struggle opulent poeticity.opulent Tuwim’s poetic literary personage. His failures His personage. literary inter-

85 86 portrait in portrait a a either as Przyboś portrays a comic, nottragicone: Miłosz workedonA Treatise. when Tuwimdead as already epitaph, was an also is passage short this time same cult of metaphor. Przyboś’s avant-garde poetry is unjustly reduced to reduced unjustly is poetry avant-garde Przyboś’smetaphor. of cult to fails he as view of breadth lacking discourse; common-sense its and rationalism static images.” to wanted “He cataclysms: historical despite performed exercise, time –of thepresentperceived inan Elioticmanner ascoexistence withthepast. a on (except language Polish the a as root; same the from stemming but YoungPoland the of one the from different poeticity, as language its views He passages. following the in avant-garde the simplifies Miłosz been subjected to. Part III of literary consciousness, probably stronger than any other critical treatment they have into viewforevena second,havingbeenpre-judgedandrejected. a not is there in which Miłosz establishes a of “people’spower.” the speaker-author of speaker-author the The diachrony of literary history mixing with a people are present too, as Mickiewicz is inseparable from Mickiewicz’s quotations). is built differently here – Miłosz does not begin with people but with texts (though passage on “twenty-year old poets of Warsaw”) is dominated by quotation. Tradition hypocrite who uses metaphors to metaphors uses who hypocrite e te otaito bten ht lal cnomt o rtoaim n the and rationalism of conformity pliable that between contradiction the see e atd to wanted He Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The passage on Przyboś is another famous literary portrait and this time it’s time this and portrait literary famous another is Przyboś on passage The ut s n h erir at of part earlier the in as Just Tuwim and Przyboś’s literaty portraits are strongly embedded in the (Polish) the in embedded strongly are portraits literaty Przyboś’sTuwim and Tuwim’s portrait suggestively recalls the imagery of his poetry and it is a Was supposedto feel,thoughtwhattheythought. He feltwhata reasonablesocialperson Przyboś wasa rationalistdeepdown. A style composedofmetaphorentirely. In Shakespeare’stimetheycallediteuphuism. And thusintelligible.Whatwashissecret? No madnessateathisheart,whichishuman, To ashes, andPrzyboś remainedPrzyboś Nations andcountriescrumbledto dust Only Przyboś meritsoursurprise In theswarmofKrakówavant-garde A Treatise slightest formal allusion to allusion formal slightest false “pitching of voice,” a voice,” of “pitching false u mto it sai iae. 11 Młs’ strcl picture satirical Miłosz’s (121) images. static into motion put seems to seems A Treatise A hypocrite or someone lacking in the breadth of view: of breadth the in lacking someone or hypocrite relationship with Tuwim. In his portrayal of Przyboś Treatise, be particularly accurate, as is the diagnosis; at the at diagnosis; the is as accurate, particularly be is a is different, ideological level) to level) ideological different, A

feign ambiguity of the poetic world that hides that world poetic the of ambiguity feign part of) gives place to place gives of) part Treatise The Spirit of History (with the exception of the the poetry of the latter, it is not brought not is latter,it the of poetry the yielding to yielding e vripiis h YoungPoland, the oversimplifies he much faster pace of literary life (that the ease and emotionality of emotionality and ease the the synchrony of poetic of synchrony the the infantile idea infantile the put motion into motion put a technical sphere past thecemeterytwoyouthsarechasinga streetcar. that the Warsaw battle amounted to decision about uprising the right one? “Gajcy lies in his grave, never will he learn/ a echoing AW), – Polish (in verse the ChroniclesofTown ofPoronic. Gajcy in “Ballada” (A choices: wrong the made who those treats Miłosz how is this – patronized also but tenderness with met and summoned are They genres. poetic other in poets fellow (From the Rising of the Sun a of that role: poetic basic of the speaking subject performing several roles, all of which are subordinate to Much has been written about it, as the form of a boundaries oflifeanddeath. the blurred it illusion, an cruelty.was its Metempsychosis in nature order,in nor its reality accept not did he poetry; his about and poetry his in deluded was too, cation” from order ofexistenceduringtheapogeeWWII). to necessary one stylization, naive similarly of example an to able the was poet the narrator,that the of naivety regarding the topic, almost as if it was only by paying the price of irony, of balladic The poem’s styling is a Poet onpoets Łukasiewicz A Gajcy is inscribed in the topos of Pietà in which the mother’s accentual-syllabic In “Słowacki” Miłosz uses a Treatise received a Why didyoutalk somuch?We alltremble,likeyou, The consciousnessandtheunconscious areforeverdivided. You werenotbrotherto theserpentlookingatsun … Against stoneneedsto beflung,tillheismum It isnothimwhosofullofvigor thathishead That writhesintheeelpiercedwith a toothedbone It isnottheeternalspirit,rebel,Lucifer I have tocarrywaterfromsofaraway There isnevertime,andwhenI comevisit It’s becauseofthedrought,forgivemebeloved And yourflowersallcrumbledturningintodust If I cannottalktoyouanymore And I don’t know, andmaytheLordbejudge Rescue where he addressed the dead young poets of Warsaw. Słowacki, But here,to youthiscognactumbler. Because lifeisfinal becausedeathisfinal. Sorely deceivedone Oh sadone,lovedone Ballad) (dedicated to lot of commentary, also in the form of the author’s own notes. sign of helplessness, not as much intellectual, as emotional, is something yet different), he summons and meets with lyrical poet. Miłosz never reached for this form again form this for reached never Miłosz poet. lyrical conjurer rite similar to nothing.” Now the city has risen from the ashes, lament, is stylized into a into stylized is lament, Jerzy Andrzejewski) or Słowacki in “treatise” implied the complexity The World(The all. at it discuss the one employed in “Dedi- be able to able be folk ballad. Was the Was ballad. folk speak of the of speak From the is

87 88 cal poetry. Even if Bujnicki is somehow present in his own poem, his presence is presence his poem, own his in present somehow is Bujnicki if poetry.Even cal nonetheless heterogeneous: court records and testaments are viewed as equal to a not is poem Miłosz’s organism–MiłoszwritesaboutitforinstanceinUnattainableEarth). its author’s (to land native the of to tied integrally Lithuania, old of tradition linguistic The quoted poem of the killed poet is a alluding to It is the same ambivalence of summoning and rejection. The conjurer’s ritual gesture, of the Sun, the of poet, not in a in not poet, “But here, to intense), and that he is at the same time, repelled by the same artefact. The last line, appear because of a tion of alcohol.” One could thus hypothesize (on a introduced withepictonality. to poem Lithuania and about his place of texts birth from several several historical periods, put together among in the placed is it hence and keeping worth is that Bujnicki by work surviving only the view Miłosz’s in is It Duchee.” Grand the of bard poor an unfamiliar formal ground. The only solution is to is solution only The ground. formal unfamiliar an on difficult particularly reason some for but necessary, even desired, is moned be must speakers enclosed inquotationmarks. both of authenticity the why reason the is ground unfamiliar to miliar ground (unfamiliar to unfa- an on – summons that one the and one summoned the poets, two – meet we so and distance: creates it stylizations, of typical is which time, same the At place. take poets of meetings where space the of plane, poetic the of character common Alternatively, I amgivingittoyou,drinkit.You aresofrail,your lungsareweak. peace. in leave can ghost summoned the that so offering the spilling or glass, the the one who issues the call), we both meet in someone else’s poetic form. This form. poetic else’s someone in meet both we call), the issues who one the Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry hs vle i Młs’ ltr ok Smtms aig rsn o te sum- the of present making Sometimes work. later Miłosz’s in evolves This One must stress again that the styling of those poems shapes and highlights the imitate the culture-text of the Grand Duchee. Bujnicki’s lyrical poem is poem lyrical Bujnicki’s Duchee. Grand the of culture-text the imitate where Miłosz repeats a repeats Miłosz where And to parensandparentsofthose sincetime(303) And theskywhichisdearto ususeventhoughit'sdark, That writespoetry, butwater, trees Dictated –becauseitisnottheskill ofthehand Theodore willberememberedbecause ofonepoem To cross somanyborders(301) At closerange,becauseofwhichhewassparedtheneed There Theodoretookthreebulletsinthestomach the second part of you this cognac tumbler,” can describe two gestures: I short citation, but by quoting an entire poem, as in as poem, entire an quoting by but citation, short “cognac tumbler” (drinking cognac in a the same extent to extent same the collage; it’s an integral poetic space whose components are components whose space poetic integral an it’s collage; Dziady, the one that was called forth but often also unfamiliar rather long verse by Teodorby last verse “the long – rather Bujnicki

overlaps onto the present situation: “consump- part of the (broadly understood) authentic which we tie a tie we which different level) that Słowacki did give voice to voice give the rhythm, the physiology the rhythm, the poem with the rhythm of rhythm the with poem tumbler is particularly am drinking from From the Rising the From the summoned the lyri- The memory is imprecise. Information about those shot in the empty lot seems to lot empty the in shot those about Information imprecise. is memory The The followingfootnote(a memory)significantlylowersthetone. In in “1944.” – thatis,insomeoneelse’ssecondarypoeticspace. fuller and more real in Miłosz’s text imitating the cultural text of the Grand Duchee 3 of AnnaKamieńska.” Notebook the “Reading entitled is poem following The time. that at twenty least consists of what could be seen as the main text poem and long a Miłosz’s of Part11 often). more and more overlap modes two these by a in mentioned is too,

point to point , Anna Kamieńska is introduced in a in introduced is Kamieńska Anna Provinces, Poet onpoets Łukasiewicz Some of the poets are mentioned very briefly and occasionally, like Adam Ważyk The maintextissolemn: “You! ThelastPolish Poet!” (Wiersze, Kraków 1993Vol.3 p.272). those whowanted to berecalled.Hewas theonewhoapproachedme,drunk, in1945: Adam Ważyk, avant-gardepoet calleda ‘theorrist’inthe Stalinist era,wasamong on hismeetingwith Ważyk: “Some ofthemwantto berecalled,while othersdon’t. Discussing charactersthatcontinue to revisithisimaginationMiłoszcomments

3 wiles ofart. She wasnotaneminentpoet.But thatwasjust:A goodpersonwillnotlearnthe And thescentsofsoil,familiar sincechildhood. She wasgladdenedbyherbs,wildroses,pines,potatofields. And wereboundbya pactbetweenthedeadandlivingrenewedatgraves. She livedamongherownpeoplewhowerenotveryhappybutsupported eachother, Rich inloveandsuffering,cryingdreamprayer. Reading her, I realizedhowrichshewasandmyself,poor. I don'ttalk aboutthegravesinanemptylotcloseby.) (530) Janka servestea.Politely, wecrunchcookies. We sitina Warsaw apartmentwitha view ontofields. They camefromLublinto seeamaster. Thatis,me. One ofthemissheTheyarestillinhighschool. (Two poetsappear, girlsseventeenyearsold, Wrote Anna Kamieńska shortly before her death. Yes, I 11. “I walkinthedisguiseofanold,fatwoman,” Who hadlivedthroughthewarinRussia and,there,understood.(490) My friendfromtheAvant-Garde,ina longmilitarycoat, – You! thelastPolish Poet! –drunk,he embracedme, Not identicalwitha clayjar. Soletuswritewithherhand: the war period but Kamieńska, who was born in 1920, was already at already was 1920, in born was who Kamieńska, but period war the mode both memoiristic and necrologic (as Miłosz’s life goes life Miłosz’s (as necrologic and memoiristic both mode "Slowly I amwithdrawingfrommybody." (529-30) different manner, although she, although manner, different footnote, added in parentheses. know. We are a lofty flame. (531)

89 90 Czechowicz’s poetry directs the reader (or the listener) not to on theroleofa conjurerorliteraryhistorian. them, no literary historical categories. The poet does not have to to used rituals special no are There them. about reminiscences simply found theirwayintoMiłosz’spoeticspaceforimportantreasons. a as Kamieńska trust, with treated is Świrszczyńska of one and A poetry.wisdom of one layers: valued differently two into split are texts The for inhispoems. to attempted Świrszczyńska to order hay,/Youin raking disappearing, of were even tains, a on running of delight the lovemaking, in to wants Kamieńska.low,the and high the into Split body,the and spirit the Świrczyńska of “Melody, daydream”). of a that 1) “noble”: of meanings two distinguishes he poetry regarding and often this a metahistorical, metaphysicalone: ferent reality that he created or revealed. Not a from theyear1920. a of uniform the in presented is Czechowicz afterlife”). your of lightning character of the situation: “you appear now on this other continent, in the sudden poetic the emphasizes clearly others of tone high The (382)). living.” the among I to aims the poem in several verses of different tonality. The colloquialism of some of them the dead across the boundary of death? There is, but an insufficient one – answers a in acts presume you have some trace of interest, at least as to as least at interest, of trace some have you presume Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry the chantendures,nobodyknows aboutyoursorrow(383) a by apart below?…Set fields dark the soar,voices young for music modest that could How – notebooks checkered transforming greasy washtubs, over vapor windowsill, the on tomatoes yeard, the in shit-houses From In the poem about Czechowicz from Czechowicz about poem the In he “I,” real and autobiographical his by poems Miłosz’s in recalled are They The portrayal of Świrszczyńska is a is Świrszczyńska of portrayal The positive social cliché – irrelevant here; 2) free from the Manichean flaw, devoid eliminate or reduce the distance between the living and the dead (“Yetdead the and living the between distance the reduce or eliminate yet different, more ritual manner. Is there a there Is manner. ritual more different, yet rise above such contradictions “praising being:/ The delight of touch of delight The being:/ “praising contradictions such above rise sapiential text is noble, poetry ought not to not ought poetry noble, is text sapiential best feltwhenshewasstandingonherhead A metaphysical poet,AnnaŚwirszczyńska Liberated fromthesoulwhichscreams:"I!" For, somortal,itwantsto bepure, And thebodyismostmysterious, (“Translating AnnaŚwirszczyńskaonanIslandoftheCarribean,”598-99) solve the riddles that Miłosz is was trying to trying was is Miłosz that riddles the solve flaw in your blood, you knew about Fate;about only knew but you blood, your in flaw direct opposite of Miłosz’s portrayal of portrayal Miłosz’s of opposite direct The Separate Notebook Separate The beach,/ of wandering in the moun- the in wandering of beach,/ biographical, historical, social, but poet – with distrust but both but distrust with – poet be “noble” (Miłosz repeats (Miłosz “noble” be way to way your own continued staycontinued own your its maker but to communicate with communicate be, unpersonally.”be, cycle, the subject the cycle, and does not take summon soldier a solve dif- frequently inMiłosz’swork–theattitudeofstudent. more – or worshipper, the of attitude the including adapted, are approaches new of part second the in Kiślak Elżbieta by thoroughly discussed (as Mickiewicz ample ex- for criticized, or admired was person same the perspective, the on Depending to summon. Inhimisthelessonandwarning. one first the patron,” great “my remains always he But mistakes. his from also but I sarcasm ofa pamphlet. to ode an of pathos the from ways, several in here modified is “practical,” and A after ers disagrees with them about. It is his second most important to dialogue with owes other writ- he what about talks Miłosz here. discussed also are poetry of matters that fact the despite out, singled to tion a For Samuel Zborowski on stage. While reparing the evening of Iwaszkiewicz’s poetry, news of the election of a to reacted have would Słowacki and Mickiewicz how wondered Iwaszkiewicz in published Iwaszkiewicz text about the previous poem („Ze szkodą”) and polemical opens with a is (708)) Warsaw” in Theater National the at Poetry His of Evening an for Poems Iwaszkiewicz's “Selecting second. the as invoked is Iwaszkiewicz that it’senoughto: learned, says Miłosz, not only from Mickiewicz’s great and right accomplishments Walka Jakuba z WalkaJakuba Poet onpoets Łukasiewicz it onceexisted(383). a and silent, are who all and words, your behind you are Where The third part of Mickiewicz is the first to first the is Mickiewicz very long time, actually from the very beginning, Miłosz paid special atten- special paid Miłosz beginning, very the from actually time, long very figures of authority and constructed perspectives to perspectives constructed and authority of figures Against recitationattheyearlyfete. Ambiguous. Eventhisisprotection In disguise,wearingmasks,unrecognizable, I, too,didharm,perhapslessthanothers. If onecanonlybecomeitsservant! How diabolicalmustbethenatureoflanguage … Screams, prophesies,defendingbarricades This ishowitstarts.Andbeforeyouknowthereareflags, Just to whileawayaSundaypicnic: Let uswriteforourselves,a handfuloffriends, Grab youto takethetribalrite. Put twowordstogether, andheretheycomerunning, Treatise aniołem but one very different from the latter. Its basic diction, natural diction, basic latter.Its the from different very one but This Pole who knew their work by heart and who once played is devoted to )) As the perspectives shift, perspectives the As Angel)) the with Battle (Jacob’s make appearance. He was the one taught by the fate the by taught one the was He appearance. make tes n, ne gi, eaiuae te ons he points the recapitulates again, once and, others Twórczość poets and other authors. Poets should not be („Ze szkodą”(To the Detriment)) after Karol Wojtyła was elected Pope. elected Wojtyławas Karol after (hidden) allusion to properly receive them. receive properly State now silent though silent now State the the the

91 92 a chaos, and towards seeking refuge in tradition. A and evil of omnipresence the despite God, in faith redemptive the towards less addressing the eponymous character. Zdziechowski’s pessimism led him nonethe second,the in verses rhythmical with ends and person first the in opens writing, of his philosopher friend not a commandments, or rules, twelve the Among Hersch. Jeanne summons next He a was Iwaszkiewicz that aware was Miłosz depend onthequalitiesofitsfollowers? tradition romantic our of strength the or weakness the then, Perhaps, task. great to Polishcontributed prophetic Romanticism of a a has ously discussed poems. The recipient of the ode is an embodied holiness. Holiness of thesteppeinbloom.” a generation, of “speech work kiewicz’s is – poetry in depth of tone every as – which depths,” of tone that doubts, your “Despite tone, irony: “I without says Miłosz And nonexistence.” through relief of sweet, deeply tation, be grateful.” Philip Larkin's there/ Explaining why all life is hateful./ I “AgainstPoetrythe Larkin”Philip of “Suddenlywith: corresponds clearly (718). optimism andcourage:“ Hersch, form a Jeanne with conversations and writings the from extracted commandments, the about the sense of freedom found in the vastness of nature. In I “What philosophy,than important more being (543) leaves” the of essence emerald the from Jeanne” with (711) Hersch” Jeanne holy man) and numinous (through him acts God’s Holy Power). If the tradition the If Power). Holy God’s acts him (through numinous and man) holy thinker) has to has thinker) Zzehwk, ecutd ih uttos rm rfso Zdziechowski’s professor from quotations with encrusted “Zdziechowski,” acts” (712). subsequent our by it give we meaning the receives and down closed never is past the for 12. That in our lives we should not succumb to Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry “Ode for the Eightieth Birthday of John Paul II” is introduced by the two previ- triple meaning here: denotative (in the title: Holy Father), personal (he is (he personal Father), Holy title: the (in denotative here: meaning triple too felt the seriousness of my duty.” He wants to How muchonemancanaccomplishanhowsainthoodworks(710) Your portraitinourhomeseverydayremindus And onlythedoubtersremainfaithful And theownersoftruthlockthemselvesinchurches When theforcesofchaosraisetheirvoice You arewithusandwillbehenceforth an affirmation of existence. He wants to wants He existence. of affirmation an ipso eo moral code, concluding with the following principle engendering redeem. “Zdziechowski” is thus a thus is “Zdziechowski” redeem. Provinces. opeet wa Młs si erir n “Conversation in earlier said Miłosz what complements In “Conversation”In by“dazzled being about talks he single one is unimportant. “What I single one is unimportant. “What home and fortress...the colors and scentsand colors fortress...the and home poet prone to prone poet despair because of our errors and our sins this triple holiness, it fulfilled its fulfilled it holiness, triple this thinker and a poem that Miłosz’s philippic Miłosz’s that poem bring out Iwaszkiewicz’s succumb “to succumb don't extract from Iwasz - from extract poet (in his role of see why I Learned from Learned,” the temp- the should - An earthworm or – precisely – a – precisely – or earthworm An and at the same time the injured mole. What does one find digging in the ground? does both, obeying the external force (the force of poetry), being its tool – the spade for something in nature, to Poetry isthusimportantalsoforthenon-earthlyfutureofpoet. it becomesidenticalwithhisindividualsoulthathasleftthebody. inhabit that which is earthly, dirty and sinful. Individualized in man, after his death reason, some for does, it – not should poetry that humanity.seems it though Even and God of sphere moral the and nature amoral the spiritual, the and carnal the to returns Death” Tadeusz Różewicz.I willbrieflyrefertothelasttwo. “To the deridingtone,alsohintingatauto-irony. The rhymed ending (of the Polish version) introduces irony to it. Let us try to try us Let it. The last two lines are a is a portraitanddefinition,“Różewicz.” to adds He inventions.” romantic are man/ wicked and nature “good nature: in manent his with replies Miłosz man”(726), Poet onpoets Łukasiewicz To “On Poetry, Upon the Occasion of Many Telephone Calls after Zbigniew Herbert's and Tie” Wat's “Aleksander poems, other includes volume the of part This Robert Lowell,” as well as poems about two Polish poets: Zbigniew Herbert and Różewicz who said that evil comes man/ “from always from man/ only from this, however,to this, adding by is boththespadeandmolecut intwobythespade(727) he digsinblacksoil he wantsto knowforsure in thecomicabundanceofhumanbeliefs in thefrivolityofform he doesnotindulge Forever, clear(724) It wandersthroughtheworld from theagonyofimpaledone from thescreamsofperishingtissue Liberated fromthephantomsofpsychosis For eitheranelegyorode. But thisisnota decenttheme That deathwillnotmissanyone. My dearLarkin,I understand interpret them nonetheless: to nonetheless: them interpret the division that keeps tormenting Miłosz, the division between division the Miłosz, tormenting keeps that division the mystery and each attempt to farm the land and at the same time to mole. The latter has already made an appearance an made already has latter The mole. the volume the last poem in this part, one that one part, this in poem last the volume the saying that evil is, unfortunately,im- is, evil that saying leitmotif (718) “dig in black soul” means to means soul” black in “dig shed light onto it must falsify the poem, weakening hurt it. Różewicz search

93 94 is divided into circles (let us stick for a for stick us (let circles into divided is etry, however, is not a poetry.my and personality my of ground the on ground, my on but them po My I history is present in me to of order the although order chronological in necessarily not landscape, internal I ganize this space arbitrarily to as a oneofthepoetsfulfillingtheirfunctions. from the outside, looking at my place as a moment in the history of Polish and international poetry. “I” am looking at myself a given Sztejnie, in born poet, Miłosz, Czesław for standing a also is there poets these Among behind. texts their leaving and history. They appear in a can beinterpretedusingdifferentkeys. a “Apoetry.In Miłosz’s in individual poets. ”and“Always a Fragment.”written bytheauthorof“Bas-Relief moral and metaphysical dimension. It is an extremely astute reading of the poems injures himself – the mole with his poetry – both in the physical, earthly, and in its Dantean metaphor). ace” to ace” a a a is circle third The a as appears speaker the as released are powers irrational cifically poetic (as the epiphanic circle does not require verse). In the second circle necessary,also spe- but “Melody, equivocal of daydream,” circle the closes) rather it in the language, or who experienced in through the language. Next, he opens (or immortalized and experienced who poets, Polish the among greatest the perhaps greatest, the of one Mickiewicz, With it. experiencing of capable poets other with of the mystery, of being. It is experienced by the “I” directly and in the communion a is circle Mickiewicz, who is especially important for Miłosz, continues to choose them and shuffle, or they shuffle themselves inside me, co-creating my co-creating me, inside themselves shuffle they or shuffle, and them choose wise man who managed to am the center of the system, not one of them but separate from them. I them. from separate but them of one not system, the of center the am guardian of the dead, a dead, the of guardian great force and as a as and force great Secondly, they fill the space of poetry defined as my personal tradition. I tradition. personal my as defined poetry of space the Secondly,fill they First and foremost, other poets fill the space of poetry seen as a The material presented here allows one to Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry In the linear order of Czesław Miłosz’s poetry it is the last of his definitions of definitions his of last the is it poetry Miłosz’s Czesław of order linear the In Those circles are arranged according to A circle of the world’s revelation in an image. It is an epiphanic unveiling epiphanic an is It image. an in revelation world’s the of circle . In each there is an “I” and in each “others” appear. “others” each in and “I” an is there each In Poetry. on Treatise circle of thoughts: here Mickiewicz appears ambiguously as ambiguously appears Mickiewicz here thoughts: of circle demagogic usurper from usurper demagogic single space governed by one causal subject. No, my poetry diachrony, living in their allotted time, composing poems Poor Christian Looks at the Ghetto” (63), the mole was mole the (63), Ghetto” the at Looks Christian Poor judge and a and judge the extent that other poets cannot abandon it entirely. oppose the bourgeois and scientistic a degree, highlighting selected works of literature. metaphysical riddle. In his poetry Różewicz poetry his In riddle. metaphysical * place in the history of literature, at myself while to while the enumeration included in the “Pref- draw several different conclusions. It The Books and The Pilgrimage of the of Pilgrimage The and Books The this imprecise but convenient but imprecise this conjurer in its dual role. dual its in conjurer long but also limited also but long re-emerge. The first

Land of Land Urlo with tradition – that is place for the “I” the for place meet or- - the summonedpoetretainshispersonalidentityinallthosecircles. however,that doubt, no be can There object. unequivocal its becomes Mickiewicz PolishNation to are dead or alive. The ones I to begins it biography.space my particular and this context, In the becomes that life and shaping the language were the most immediate context elsewhere, here it is my of this space. If history, cultural history and cultural history reflected in the language into my personal individual space, into my idiolect. It is where I I that is a or a reader. Theyappearinthepresent,becausethisistimeoflyricalpoetry. and thatitcanlast. a not a is poetry that proves world poetic his in participation their differently than in essays, differently than in the history of literature or memories. that those other poets existing in my poetry exist in it differently than outside of it, never alone. I write in. At the same time, introducing other poets into my poetry, I temptation addressing man’s side” – that it “worse can go beyond the accidental, matter whether I – they appear as real people meeting the real me, not just me as role of a of role as me just not me, real the meeting people real as appear they – Poet onpoets Łukasiewicz These are the circles of poetry as space in which “I” – the poet participates, a Whether it is the poetic space I space poetic the is it Whether It seems that Czesław Miłosz had to, and has to, summon other poets, since poets, other summon to, has and to, had Miłosz Czesław that seems It metonymy of the cultural space that I That a wholewagonofelaborateprose.(109) One clearstanzacantakemoreweight Novels andessaysservebutwillnotlast and am always surrounded by others. And I . Finally, we enter the circle of satire, where satire, of circle the PeterFinally,enter Priest . we of Vision knew personally the poets I knew cannot be reduced to participate in or poetic space that I that space poetic or in participate am a am summoning, and whether they participant of and the language know that it is very important their poetry, even if I Translation: AnnaWarso meet them as master introduce them hno nor phantom own, I own, space space want poet am

95 96 by “a by “a of simply speaks tory.Miłosz ioz n Zine Hret to f h ms iprat otmoay Polishpoets. Both share a contemporary important most the of two Herbert, Zbigniew and Miłosz 3 2 1 the force of a doubted or debated. The poem is a the author of “The Envoy of Mr. Cogito,” bearing witness is an obligation not to seen clearly in the verb modality: imperative in Herbert, conditional in Miłosz. For These seemingly similar statements, however, hide an important difference. It can be up thesand.”(586)Similarly, ZbigniewHerbertpronouncescategorically: wonders if this was the reason why he was saved by the Might “from bullets ripping

The concept of poetry as witness determines and defines the poetics of Czesław of ZbigniewHerbertandCzesławMiłosz Ethical andMetaphysicalTestimony inthePoetry . Bogdana Carpente Zbigniew Herbert.Oxford UniversityPress (1977). EnvoyofMr.“The Cogito”trans.byBogdana andJohnCarpenter. SelectedPoems of referenced. (A.W.) Collected Poems (HarperCollins,2008), orTheCollectedProse (HarperCollins,2010) (Harvard UniversityPress. 1984).AllquotationsfromHerbertcomeThe published inNewandCollectedPoems: 1931-2001 (Ecco,2003),TheWitness ofPoetry. Unless indicatedotherwise,allquotations fromMiloszarebasedonthetranslations Paris, 2April2003. Presented at “LaplacedutémoignagedanslalittératurepolonaiseXXe sičcle.” public confession / Revealing a Revealing / confession public you havelittletimemustgivetestimony you weresavednotinorderto live commandment. It also contains an explanation – the duty of faithful- conviction that the poet’s obligation is to task,” explaining that he can fulfill his life only life his fulfill can he that explaining task,” “message,” its biblical diction and style gives it sham, my own and of my epoch” (259). epoch” my of and own my sham, 3 give testimony to 1 2 his- He be of witness is inseparable from the history of the 20 to faithfulness repeats “I he Mr.Cogito” of Envoy “The In R) it.”(467, make not did who those all of sador of fidelity, helpless “like a line the with contrasted is obstacles” overthrowing forth “surges that lifeline The who passedawayappearsforthefirsttime. the juxtaposition of the instinct of life and the moral obligation of fidelity to most elegiac volume, shaped almost entirely by the war experience. It is also where as back far as traced be can witness as poetry of idea The ness to 4 a by accompanied is bearer witness as poet the of concept Fromthe beginning very the he recalls his deceased friends and imagines himself to make it: “they were all going to to wanted him, like who, those about forget lives and speaks them.” “for Looking at Mona Lisa, after several trials, he does not he that sense the and dust” the in toppled “those of memory the by accompanied to tied to obligation the and else, anything above faithfulness and way to a on murder and laughter of whip the be situation. For theauthorof“Life,” praised bythechoir. buries the dead like the ancient Antigone, refusing to at night our dead.”(50) The same opposition returns in meet might we that “so arteries the entering and muscles of tissue the parting but

EthicalandMetaphysicalTestimony inthePoetry… Carpenter In other words, testimony assumes a several critics. The politicalcontext ofthepoemanditsclearpolemic withMiłoszwerenotedby sense of inadequacy of words and poetry confronted with the task: “too few “too task: the with confronted poetry and words of inadequacy of sense be admitted to those “betrayed at dawn” – and warns that the only reward to the idea of history perceived as suffering. In all his endeavors Herbert is Herbert endeavors his all In suffering. as perceived history of idea the was called — weren’t let’s notletthefallenperish(6) Shadows softlymelt than thebreathofothers(111) poem’s murmursareworthnomore guards bodiesinthewilderness and pilethesandintoa heap(224) I must bringthemtoadryplace I swim upstreamandtheywithme ... the victims of history pervades Herbert’s entire work and his idea his and work entire Herbert’s pervades history of victims the life purlslikeblood poetry isthesisterofmemory the company of cold skulls: Gilgamesh, Hector, and Roland. cry in the night a come / I'm alone” (171, ) Standing on the Acropolis there better ones than I.” The ethical imperative of sacrifice in the name of ideals such as honor 44 garbage heap. This, however, is the only the however,is This, heap. garbage river in the desert,” invisible to see the famous painting but did not did but painting famous the see th century and Poland’s political step into “life’s new stream” be “a Prologue , Herbert’s Light, of Chord bear witness is closely is witness bear delegate or an ambas - where the speaker be expected will the eye those

97 98 circle” (278). a your hands as if to (29). Our duty is to care about their own survival, and the names of the dead turn into “a a Warsaw,In (8). memory” mirror's as smooth as resembles uprising the after which a memory,like without are past the of images presences, real portraying of Instead to go them let we / hands your of shape the to used what of memories the replace and past the of Surging from all sides, life and material reality of the external world blur the contour to duty the of pronouncements The strings / we need a I awareness that the reality we talk about is irrevocably lost. “If I an also but memory of failure the only not is It (105). ” off breaks suddenly view a is places to attempt Each World.” “The Miłosz’s against arguing thereby (28), latch,” gate house’s “the returns,” my and escapes my all “knows that house the to attempt ceaselessly remindusof. reproach of“thesinforgetting”: pyramid, remainsunfulfilled: to poetry for desire The (17) would probably not find…a graveyard, the dead ask in vain for “a mirror that reflects only the immediately given: “the city which stands on water / lost city turns into a into turns city lost Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Duty to I reproach myselfwiththesinofforgetting living –against living –despite ... I move ontheremainsoffaces with a handtornfromthedark for a memoryofyou I cannot findthetitle the languidflowersofpiercedhands you witherscatteringto nopurpose Not foryouto hallowfirewithsong and a windinemptystanzas'rooms Your vainwordsarea shadow'secho failure: “the ocean of flighty memory/ washes crumbles images…the crumbles washes memory/ flighty of ocean “the failure: recreate places that were lost: Lvov, “vast sky of my neighborhood,” my of sky Lvov,“vast lost: were that places recreate remember and to hold a chorus / a remember them; it is an obligation that not only the poet (“cup graveyard: “all that survived is a is survived that “all graveyard: memory”) memory”) (29), but also things such as a sea of laments / mountains’ clamor / a give witness concerns only victims. Herbert does not become an enduring “inscription,” like Sanskrit or Sanskrit like “inscription,” enduring an become single thing that belonged to give testimony are accompanied by a by accompanied are testimony give slight sign from above.” (27) The living only (6) (9) waste touching common things” (6). things” common touching waste be: “our hands won't hands “our be: flagstone/ with a with flagstone/ us” (278). Once again, went back there/ pebble or a rain of stones.” dried kernel” recall old recall repeated pass on pass chair, chalk not only include victims of Polish history, but all victims in the history of mankind. the Polish reader. The need to moral imponderabilities. But Mr. Cogito’s moral imperative is not directed only at old to from a bert’s famous Envoy “The of Mr. Cogito,” but it is takes its full shape in the truth, opposition to courage, as identified attitudes” “upright the with contrasts he that them is it and of Utica citizens who “enroll in accelerated courses/ in falling to history; it is the Polish community that he has in mind describing the opportunism obligation to Herbert’s general. in terror political of experience the but experience, Polish the their reference field is much broader than in the importantly, more but, communism of experience the with intertwined is war of to ability His period. that in published “reports” and testimonies other from witness law never literally surface in the poems, a before and during the period of martial law (1981-1982). However, Poland and martial frequently interpreted as a the of publication the surrounding circumstances the and (1983) date the of Because graphical one. Even if the chronicler of the of chronicler the if Even one. graphical reflects the events along the vertical axis of time but also along the horizontal, geo lasted longerthanthemartial lawintroducedbyGeneralJaruzelski. to out turns describes he that siege the history,and Polish entire the of but continues to Polish state. The task that Herbert’s “chronicler” sets for himself grows bigger as he situation of 1956, 1939, 1863, 1795 and further back in time to to depth and range: each of the described facts reverberates with history and connects on the history of Poland, he swiftly crosses the national boundary, setting parallels the events of the past. As in a in As past. the of events the frame current events in a in events current frame EthicalandMetaphysicalTestimony inthePoetry… Carpenter The formulation of poetry as witness reveals itself with the most clarity in Her- The image of history as a as history of image The , and of the title poem in particular, the volume is volume particular,the in poem title the of and City, Besieged the from Report carry arms” – assumes the role of a Besieged City, especially in the title poem of the volume, whose speaker – “too Kutno Leipzig Agincourt in thebattleofGuagamela on bothsides how to givetheexactlosses - wedon’t know write; little by little he becomes a bear witness to how manyGreeksperishedatTroy violence, defense of the “insulted and beaten” and fidelity to description of the political and social situation in Poland the victims is indeed rooted in the past 30 years of Polish broad historical structure lends his poetry a poetry his lends structure historical broad know the exact number of those who have fallen does hall of mirrors functions on more than one level: it level: one than more on functions mirrors of hall hall of mirrors, the events of 1981-82 reflect the reflect 1981-82 of events the mirrors, of hall

chronicler. In both volumes the experience characteristic that distinguishes Herbert’s (404) Report chronicler of not only contemporary, Chord of Light, including not only concentrates first and foremost and first concentrates the beginnings of the their knees” (330) unique Report have the the -

99 100 The author of “Aof author The “indifferent to poem calls himself a “I unfulfilled: remains word, the of understanding Herbert’s in least at witness, ing times when “pure and generous words” are forbidden (259). Hence the task of bear- are shamefullynegligent. humiliation and death. And it is in matters that involve victims that the historians suffering, in lies history of essence the victims, for lies; and crime power, means to another,shown and victims to shows it that one history of faces two sees Herbert historians. professional to to obligation siege’s history” (416). down –notknowingforwhoma siege’shistory” other choice than to Faced with history unable to broadens itsreferentialreality. language the while poem the of actuality narrow the breaks words of choice The an experiencethatisuniversalandgoesbeyondthespecificallyPolish context: levels: first as a three on operates frequently,poems, and entire sentence, Each generalizing. time a through level, linguistic the on already shows vision historical history.Herbert’s in of range The and/or as a be read, then, on two different planes, as a can text KurdsThe the (350). Lama Afghans” Dalai the of misfortune…defenders by touched were “who nations other of history the and Polishhistory the between secondly as an allusion to said so little/ Days were short” he confesses (274). Elsewhere the speaker of the of speaker the Elsewhere (274). confesses he short” were Days little/ so said rt a write Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry h polm f iig etmn i peetd ifrnl i Młs’ poetry. Miłosz’s in differently presented is testimony giving of problem The Bearing witness is doubly motivated for the author of the of author the for motivated doubly is witness Bearing the specterofindeterminacy the mapofhistory a specter ishaunting Wednesday: ceasefiretalkstheenemyinternedourenvoys Tuesday: theMayorhasbeenkilledbyunknownassassins Monday: storesareemptya ratisnowtheunitofcurrency ifrn hsoy oe ht s sal untcd o wre inrd by ignored worse, or unnoticed, usually is that one history, different report on the state of siege in general, of any country and in any moment the victims of history on the one hand, and on the other, an attempt other,an the on and hand, one the on history of victims the gunfire, hue and cry (345). in the He bushwood, sees and mockery” reference to language that is intentionally symbolic, precise but at the same the at but precise symbolic, intentionally is that language Task”in lives he that aware trembling,” and “fear in it considers bear it himself. He accepts his role as a “schemer,” different from those who give testimony remaining similar past situations, and thirdly as a the author’s experience and the experience of his time, fulfill its task and bear witness, the poet is left with no the rulers and “executioners.” To“executioners.” and rulers the * report on the current situation in Poland (404) chronicler and “write(s) : it is a is it Report: (416) declaration about the latter history latter the moral the and television–a “morereliablewitnessthanjournalism”(16). of a echoes can be heard in Herbert’s in was Mr. Cogito. in appeared poems Miłosz’s Both his “task” elsewhere: “I 7 6 5 analysis ofthepoliticalmechanismsourcentury. ror.And ter- Stalinist impending the of testimonies earliest the of one and important most a “Prologue”Birkenau”; outlines Tadeuszover Of “smoke about talks he Borowski” the fate of Jewish victims, abandoned and condemned to Christian Looks at the Ghetto” are Holocaust testimonies, rare in Polish poetry, of experience, abandoningnotonly politics,buthistoryaswell. least I a includes Miłosz’s paradigmatic witness-poem, “Sarajevo,” written in the late 90s importantly too close to close too to attempt an in – which tunately”) published in “Kultura” (Paris, 1983) he warns against the kind of poetry (“Nobility, niestety” “Szlachetność, essay unfor- famous his In witness. of concept very the and witness as poetry both regarding mind his changed Miłosz evolved. It is because in the three decades after WWII his stance on the question of witness a to mostly through a to tended criticism American and English mid-80s, the Until poets. a as society ish to Poetry,”to and “Ruins lectures, the of one devotes He to attempt an in us read in one of mankind’s major transformations” to sought he Europe, Eastern from poets Harvard University, poignantly titled

tragic fate Moral of Treaty”an entire generation; “The (1947) remains one of the schemer in “Not This Way,” cutting himself off from those who give testimony? give who those Way,”from This off “Not himself in cutting schemer their era and the experience of war in particular – a witness literature . “In Fever, 1939” mentions the killed children “from our street” and its and street” our “from children killed the mentions Fever,1939” “In Rescue. Why, then, does he use a use he does then, Why, EthicalandMetaphysicalTestimony inthePoetry… Carpenter But it was also Miłosz who, among the first poets, “gave testimony” to histime But itwasalsoMiłoszwho,amongthefirstpoets,“gavetestimony” Further, in the academic year 1980/81 Miłosz also delivered a literary fact, and literature – as it transcends the message delivered by the press Eseje. Warszawa. 2000.121-126. 99-114. See: „Recepcjapoezji CzesławaMiłoszaw Ameryce,” TekstyVol. drugie. 3-4. 2001. (7) Poems“the childrenfromourstreet/met witha veryharddeath.”“Three ByHeart” say what I Captive Mind, Captive remark that denies it a it denies that remark a political document and transforms into propagandistic journalism. propagandistic into transforms and document political whole – not only sympathizing, but actually identifying with those with identifying actually but sympathizing, only not – whole feel” (610). and his work evolves increasingly towards the existential political and historical lens, reducing it – wrongly and unjustly – 6 and Miłosz himself claims testimony to The Seizure of Powerof Seizure The protect my good name, for language is my measure.” (273). comprehend what the twentieth century was like” (11). like” was century twentieth the what comprehend ufl te oa olgto o wtes stae itself situates – witness of obligation moral the fulfill conditional in “Ain conditional Chord of Light. , published in 1974, as 1974, in published Sun, the of Rising the From poetic status: “Perhapsstatus: a poetic not is this The Witness of Poetry, find in poetry “witness and a and “witness poetry in find (4). Miłosz is aware that “posterity will and “Aand 5 Both “Campo di Fiori” and “A Task”? Why does he call himself call he does Task”?Why Treaty on Poetry” carry on the Treatyon carry Poetry” on collective experience for Pol - oblivion. In “On the Death poets who gave testimony gave who poets admitting that with other be a series of lecture at constitutive part read his work his read poem but at but poem participant Poor 7

101 102 torical reality, such as the author of the to meaning new assigned and out it hallowing contents, its changed victims, nor is it to to aims longer no witness, or as a fact,faitaccompliandpositive. a becomes testimony majority of contemporary poets, turns into validation, negation into affirmation, and the and Herbert, by performed witness of act the in present Rejection be. will and to present, and past individual, and collective existential, and to is “task” the cal and political reality, as the author of the 9 8 external an of intentions the fulfills “secretary” the of, recipient the and sender to contrast In History fadesaway, only“thesumptuous,goldenverse”lasts.

Miłosz also proposes a to not is Which Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry should beunderstood thenintermsofa shift,or change inproportion. coexists fromtheverystartwithan immersioninhistoryandpolitics.Evolution crucial, though,istheinternaldynamic ofthispoetrywhoseexistentialdimensions (F. Fukuyama, TheEndofHistory , “NationalInterest”,Summer1989). Whatis American historiansto aratherhaphazardpronouncement ofthe“endhistory” is undeniablymarkedbya certain“slowingdown” ofhistory, which lead oneofthe 2001.126) fundamental structures” inMiłosz’ssenseoftheworld. (Trzy nieskończoności.Kraków Marian Stalabelieves theshiftfromnegationto affirmation be oneofthe“most American ahistorocity. Comparedto thefirsthalfof20 written duringthefirstdecadeofhisstayinAmericaareanattempt atfacing history waslessstronglypronounced.VisionsfromSanFrancisco Bayandpoems and a longstayintheUnitedStates,whereuntilrecentlybeatingpulse of in otherwords,a forcedremovalfromone’sowncommunity, itshistoricalexperience obvious ofwhich,thoughnotnecessarilythemostimportantone,is hisemigration, The evolutionoftheconceptwitnessinMiłoszhasseveralreasons, themost Is notupto usinquire,wewon'treaditanyway. Or endingitwitha comma.Andhowalllookswhencompleted Without muchcomprehension.Beginninga phraseinthemiddle, Secretaries, mutuallyunknown,wewalktheearth That isdictatedto meandafewothers. I am nomorethanasecretaryoftheinvisiblething How andwhenitoccurred No oneanymoreremembers The earthtookinthescreams Wind coveredthesignswithsnow Mr. Cogito, who follows the ethical imperative that he is both the both is he that imperative ethical the follows who Cogito, Mr. give testimony to testimony give be understood as a a ta Młs rjce te ocp o wtes Ised he Instead, witness. of concept the rejected Miłosz that say conviction. Seen in these terms it is an affirmation of reality of affirmation an is it terms these in Seen conviction. different idea of a uncover the lies of one’s time and the suffering of its of suffering the and time one’s of lies the uncover the entire “unattainable” reality, both historical reality,both “unattainable” entire the 9 Report, but a moral duty of revealing the truth of a (581) poet. He is no longer a Report from a “secretary” “secretary” of an unknown power: th century, thesecondone Besieged City proceeds to; 8 (343) all that which was which that all chronicler or his- it. “Ait. histori- task,” just words and images” (7-9). images” and words just “to reader the refers matter” visible the of detail every ing ol ised ed to lead instead would a as Cogito Mr. imagine we Should dead. the of shadow the in stays witness poetic Herbert’s defenders. fallen her to Faithfulnot Go.” faithful. “Be life, own one’s of cost the at even faithfulness of is believedto behistory. experience – “as many colors, tastes, sounds and smells” (687) – and not only what divine act of creation and being its highest praise at the same time. The chance The time. same the at praise highest its being and creation of act divine “entire human lives” is felt (73). Naming, the very core of poetic act, re-enacts the and of truth as such. Also, a credence to lends that – remembered and felt heard, seen, – detail the is It importance. new Venetianof belt the on pearls or dress polka-dot the as such acquirescourtesans, detail, each Thus, (73). is” it as seen be “can that reality” “objective of existence the poetry of the East and his (49,56). health ofpoetry” but “the never-fulfilled desire they to despair” to the to tries word of author the of poetic the determines This new concept of witness and poetry seen as “a comes a comes to opposed are words three which a tence, concise, as if hammered in metal. Not to Not metal. in hammered if as concise, tence, is which that to attempt opposes an is and creation destructive of act The suggests. poems his of one of title does not lead to lead not does felt into a into felt testimony remains a remains testimony dictated by him came into being I I life “Allmy force: 11 10 not only a against non-existence witness acquires a a as Seen existence. confirms word poetic the by permanent made ity

lasting name in posterity. An unnamed need for order, for rhythm, for form, for rhythm, for order, for need unnamed An posterity. in name lasting words and not to not and words existence but to but existence of Mr. Cogito does not attempt to attempt not does Cogito Mr. of Cogitare Hence the strong presence of description in Miłosz’s poetry,Miłosz’s in description of presence strong the withHence interest his EthicalandMetaphysicalTestimony inthePoetry… Carpenter with the with signifiant Miłosz, Czesław. “Introduction.” Haiku.Wydawnictwo M:Kraków. 1992. willed to createmea poet andnowitis timeformeto presentareport”(589). Two decadeslaterhis“Report”opens withanapostropheto God:“O Most High,you warrant of survival: “I survival: of warrant magical register,” except for Miłosz the “sensation”a the register,”implies Miłosz magical for except matter of style, but – first and foremost – a the act of witness, becoming irrefutable proof of the truth of relation, oe s ls a i i psil to possible is it as close as move an affirmation of reality but to but reality of affirmation an non-existence, to non-existence, have been in the power of a of power the in been have a part of the “secretarial” duty aiming to aiming duty “secretarial” the of part : “When poets discover that their words refer only refer words their that discover poets “When signifié: reality which must be described as faithfully as possible, as faithfully as described be must which reality n fimto o eitne to existence, of affirmation an proof of existence, as with every word the presence of haiku 11 Description is the witness of existence as real- as existence of witness the is Description cast a cast do not quite understand” (3). overcome death. “Todeath. overcome anthology where, as in his own poems, “savor- ho ad ohnns” 43. oty be- Poetry (453). nothingness” and chaos product of Miłosz’s creative mind, creative Miłosz’s of product ashes and ruins, to ruins, and ashes , a Earth, Unattainable spell on the city, asking it to it asking city, the on spell new, metaphysical dimension: achieve a affirm existence; his meditation his existence; affirm h dsrbd bet replacing object, described the daimonion, and how the poems the how and daimonion, an ethical conclusion: the duty the conclusion: ethical an passionate pursuit of the Real” enchant anybody. Not to Not anybody. enchant worldview proclaiming the find my home in one sen- one in home my find sum mimesis...makes for the the symbolic Troyand symbolic the something other than other something and “transpose what was what “transpose poetic in which the which in poetic 10 The idea of giving esse, s n the one as last”(425). totality of totality Mimesis rebellion cogitare earn is is

103 104 toto. and “a and 13 12 Vilnius are more than a As Marek Zaleski rightly observes, Miłosz’s constant revisiting of his homeland and who diedlongago.[738CP] its own limits. Like a crystal, it encapsulates existence, becoming “home” for those two is four” [51, W] and poetic word has magical powers to extend existence beyond by two as cold is what “from savior a Poetrybecomes cipher.”W] statistical [46, a into [him] “changes and nature of part integral an as man sees that biology of law tion” through poetry is yet another form of rebellion and a remedy for the relentless that which no longer is but which used to be with the use of poetic word. “Resurrec- existence isa poetryofhope. to death as such. This is why the author of author the why is This such. as death a only remains systems political by caused Death death. in ceal the truth about the tragic fate of the individual – whose existence always ends who sees“evil”as“embodiedevil,alwayswitha humanface ” (635emphasismine). However, siding with life, Miłosz defines the role of witness differently than Herbert to testimony gives too, He, (59). massacres” fires, of glow the I since “For cruelty: its and history by branded “Toof author the than less No experiences. those by shaped fundamentally Miłosz, by suggested witness of concept the from absent – for Herbert and contemporary Polish writers, is crucial not – despite communism, the initial and impression WWII of experiences the including experience, torical to extinction” (588),anattemptto pushagainstthe“stonewall”(644). a world, this of order order: a whose names “no one but me remembers.” Each evoked character is a ” itself time simply and time, historical against defenseless women, “old Drużyno, those he resurrects in his poems, be it a

ofr eitne s a is existence confirm Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The metaphysical concept of witness manifests itself also in the “resurrection” of The cruelty of war, totalitarian systems, and the deaths of millions, do not con- to attempt an not is reality of conviction the of poetry The 13 equated with fliesandcockroaches. (52) human beingsinto betterandworseraces,judged them bytheirsocialstanding,and rebellion against thepoliticaltotalitarianismsof 20 Reminding ofthe existenceoftheordinaryand forgottenisalsoa formof M. ZaleskiFormy pamięci.Warsaw, 1996.28-31. Historicity does not manifest itself only through large events “in the form of form the “in events large through only itself manifest not does Historicity rite of redemption.” of rite testimony to She livesnotfarfromtheplacessheloved Is mywriting.AslongasI amhere The onlyproofoftheexistenceMissX their existence is thus a eelo aant te atl lw ht etne memory sentences that law earthly “the against rebellion symptom of nostalgia, they are a oet f oos rup, n per a wtes of witness as poetry and triumph, joyous of moment 12 Remembered images express disagreement with the with disagreement express images Remembered

maid, Paulina, or two sisters, Anna and Dora ABC testimony to (594) is not concerned with the status of status the with concerned not is opened my eyes I eyes my opened th centurywhichcategorized Marcus Aurelius” is Miłosz is Aurelius” Marcus “symbol of transcendence” existence as such, part of evil of human of evil of part those who have died. have who those escape history.escape His- have seen only seen have

part of a pars pro

larger warp and woof in the very fabric of history” (71). warp andwoofintheveryfabricofhistory” a time same the at is it because “a that conviction the from stems it as epoch, every of tissue the in subcutaneously almost exists that reality spiritual ing a takes testimony of not onlyto hisowntime. the author of author the that proof is critics and poets young among years few last the in noticeable poetry metaphysical in Polishpoetry.interest for The grounds and tracks new time, first himself breaks the paradigm that he co-created in the 40s, demarcating, not for the testimony,his consequently and rience, Miłosz meaning. and range universal with a a sky,the from falling fire “in also but cities” ruined or armies, foreign by invasions 14 society after 1945 with the most faithfulness. observes, Herbert conveys the collective experience of his generation and of Polish rightly Miłosz as Polishwriters, Among Polishliterature. post-war the for set and

Besieged City detail of architecture, in the shaping of a of shaping the in architecture, of detail To EthicalandMetaphysicalTestimony inthePoetry… Carpenter In: Polish Postwar Poetry. Berkeley, 1983. 121. sum up: the concept of testimony as seen by the author of the of author the by seen as testimony of concept the up: sum Theological TreatiseTheological corresponds to broad sense because it encompasses the whole reality,whole the encompasses it because includ- sense broad the convention of the literature of testimony adapted metaphysical dimension…there is a is dimension…there metaphysical remains a remains purely historical dimension does not exist not does dimension historical purely landscape” (4). In Miłosz, the meaning the Miłosz, In (4). landscape” faithful – and an unmatched – witness – unmatched an and – faithful 14 He also manages to Translation: AnnaWarso endow his expe- metaphysical Report from Report

105 106 literary texts. The achievements of 20 of achievements The texts. literary politics. Self. Distinguishing a postmodern philosophy – of the subject which rejects the idea of a female identity as such is sometimes questioned – both by feminist thought and by language. One cannot speak, however, of a a in results that order patriarchal the of tions on gender and developments in psychoanalytical theory to theory psychoanalytical in developments and gender on tions approach, re-interpreted and adapted by Julia Kristeva, is not necessarily misogynist. an i o ti esy s to is essay this of aim main 2 1 3 (male) identity in the Symbolic order and perceives “womanhood” as a one of existence the assumes that incarnation Lacanian its in especially tradition, self-definition inscribed in the discussed literary texts. Feminism embraces varied to contradictory also possibly itself, in restrictive and tive to as identities, of theories several

Between AndrogynyandEssentialism. I Although discussing female identity in poetry necessarily involves theory,the involves necessarily poetry in identity female discussing Although Female Identityinthe20 ł Anna Nasi literatury. G.Borkowska, L.Sikorska (eds.)Warszawa, 2000.30-42. on Lacan’s diagram ofsexualdifference]Krytykafeministyczna . Siostrateoriii historii P. Dybel „Refleksje wokół diagramu różnicy seksualnej Jacquesa Lacana.” [Reflecting J. ButlerGendertrouble.Feminism andSubversionofIdentity , London,NewYork 1990. The followingessayexpandsonthe presentationgivenatthe32 Research inJanowice,September 2003. Literary Conferenceorganizedby UniwersytetJagielońskiandInstituteofLiterary will treat the existing body of feminist texts as a as texts feminist of body existing the treat will 2 Doubts regarding female identity resurface also in the psychoanalytical the in also resurface identity female regarding Doubts owska “female “female identity” could thus be seen as an element of gender

rps feh edns n nw nepeain of interpretations new and readings fresh propose speak of a of speak th century feminism range from new reflec- new from range feminism century th phallocentric dominance of one gender in gender one of dominance phallocentric CenturyPolish Poetry: . unitary approach: the very the notion of single “identity” would be norma- be would “identity” single point of reference offering reference of point 1 th h itra lgc of logic internal the Theoretical- fixed, essentialist a denouncement “lack.” 3 This Głowiński alsofelttheneedto commentonhisdecision use themasculine: Poznań. in University Mickiewicz Adam by doctorate honorary awarded was she a verbalize theproblemandpresentitsinternaltensions. or extremes certain exemplify that texts literary of choice my dictated what also is within it a I Instead, this. as short as article an in identity female on heterosexual dominance. I subverts and order own its establishes that one transgressive, and revolutionary as believes to proceeds to Even my opening claim – that she “was a her textual auto-creations include areas of non-identity that need to a foremost inspired by Hélčne Cixous. 5 4 never finalized that emerges from Kristeva’s writing a as motion, constant in element a as it posits that one the from womanhood: of concepts theoretical 7 6 female, such as Maria Pawlikowska, Kazimiera Iłłakowiczównam and others” Kochanowska.…Our country has also been fortunate with poets [male. pl.] that were country has been fortunate with poets [fem. pl.]. This goes as far back as to to referred essays, critical his of one in Iłłakowiczówna referencing instance, for Stern, Anatol reservation. with

similar critical concept referring to referring concept critical similar Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska Who was Iłłakowiczówna? In the minds of her readers she was or is first and first is or was she readers her of minds the In Iłłakowiczówna? was Who Iłłakowiczówna thepoet poetów, takich jakMariaPawlikowska, Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna i inne.”(AW) „Kraj naszmaszczęście dopoetek.[…]Krajnasz ma szczęścierównieżdokobiet- masc.,pl.,genitive ]. InPolish: [“-poetów” the secondparthe speaksof“women-poets” (ZN) Sternusesthe femaleform[„poetek”pl.genitive ]inthefirstsentence, andin A. Stern„Poezja młodych.”Głódjednoznacznościi inneszkice,Warszawa 1972.139. a practicecommoninherday.with thefem.ending“-ówna,” (AW) reference itwillbeimportantto mentionthatalsothepoet’ssurname isgendered Nasiłkowska usesthefemaleform “była…poetką.”[fem.sg.instrum.]For future Iłłakiewiczówna intheopeningparagraph (“shewasorisfirstandforemosta poet”) to Polish asboth “poetka”(fem.sg.nom.)or“poeta”masc.);introducing The vastmajorityofPolish nounsaregendered:English“poet”translatesthus Sexual/Textual Politics, Feminist LiteraryTheory,LondonandNewYork 1987.102-125. Entre l’EcritureDesFemmes, Paris 1986;T.Hélčne Cixous:AnImaginaryUtopia Moi,w: of GenetandJoyce.Seealso:H.CixousPrénomsdupersonne,Paris 1974;H.Cixous also to theavant-gardeliterarypracticeandinthisspiritinterpretedwriting oftheMedusa.Cixousalsobelievedthatbreakingdominanceistied The Laugh and symbolicarevolution]Teksty Drugie.2000Vol. 6. Kristeva–kobietai symbolicznarewolucja.”[Juliawoman J. Bator„Julia possibly broad field of differences or, perhaps even, contradictions, which deserve a poet. But there were other determinants of her existence and fate, and fate, and existence her of determinants other were there But poet. discuss a place in our memory. Many years later Michał Głowiński used volume of poetry by another author, forgotten today, whom he do not aim to 5 The latter also posits the need to her using the male form of “poet.” Stern says: “Our says: Stern “poet.” of form male the using her hpeig iett, o awy peet and present always not identity, “happening” the work of Wisława Szymborska on the day the on WisławaSzymborska of work the present the full range of theoretical writing poet” [“poetka”, 4 to the utopian fem. sg.] would like to like would view the female voice 6 – must be taken be talked about. écriture feminine heterogeneous designate 7 Urszula – Stern

107 108 folk-inspired fairy-tale. to attributed traditionally those – others and authors, male by poems echoing some ways: both interpreted a (constituting ones remaining The forms. female use poems a indicating forms verb tense past use poems the of Nine a emerges there loty social confusion, one should add that indeed from the poems collected in 10 9 8 gifted Iłłakowicz,’I becamethecenterofattention.” once, in passing and ironically: “Since I only again it referenced She anecdote. this on commented never Iłłakiewiczówna of the Both Stern and Głowiński use the masculine as a fist volume, fist ing her status as a Noticing a to next table the at seated was a in the name I.K. Iłłakowicz [devoid of the sensitive Iłłakowicz.” It opens with a with opens It Iłłakowicz.” sensitive the female remain a the youngladywroteandevenpublishedliterature. and bobsleighs.” As none of the topics worked, the company at the table hinted that

The construction of the book seems to to unable was who Żeromski, Stefan of defense In to ity.feminine the Using I Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Reading Iłłakowiczówna’s early writing, one discovers that the hesitation regard- poetry, regardlessofgenderanditis,thus,universal. to devoted everyone “Poeta”describes here. sg.] place [masc. of out much very be despite my intentions, that she is superior among female poets and such restriction would K. Iłłakowiczówna Trazymeński zając,Kraków1968.89. Wojda (eds.)Kraków1996.46. In: „RadośćczytaniaSzymborskiej.” Wybór szkicówkrytycznychred.S.Balbus,D. 1997. 179. K. Iłłakowiczówna O muzyceiSzymanowskim,w:Wspomnienia i reportaże.Warszawa guest house in Zakopane where, as a as where, Zakopane in house guest am doing this because our language endowed the male form with the privilege of general- loci communes of literary criticism, a He turnedawayandneverlookedatmeagain. ”Dear God”hesaidflatly„I.K.Iłłakowiczisa woman!” and kindness. interest The faceofmygreatneighborwentdark,slowlyturningto stone,hiseyeslost related. I wrotethosepoemsmyself.” “Yes, yes”I interruptedknowingwhatwascomingandsaid“Actually, not “So, areyoubyanychancerelatedto…”heaskedhesitantly. young person Żeromski started a Ikarowe loty Ikarowe “poetka” or “poeta” was inscribed in her first poetic attempts. Her lyrical role, a male persona of the “young, incredibly gifted Iłłakowicz.” gifted incredibly “young, the of persona male [Icarian Flights] was published in 1912 in Cracow under Cracow in 1912 in published was Flights] [Icarian say that she is a is she that say the female utterance – are exemplified by lullaby or lullaby by exemplified are – utterance female the Stefan Żeromski whose work she passionately read. passionately she work whose Żeromski Stefan series of poetic incarnations of the “unbelievably series of program lyrics, or a or lyrics, program of series had the same name as the ‘young, incredibly fem. ending]. A

imply that the male forms will prevail while popular device used to “great poet” [poetka, poet” “great result of her recent literary success, she success, literary recent her of result small talk asking initially about “skies compliment whose wording is one 8 9 10 year later she found herself cope gracefully with the with gracefully cope ] I sg.] fem. male speaker, seven speaker, male show appreciation.. majority) can be can majority) Weltanschauung would suggest, would Ikarowe creating a soul. Thedream,too,endswithvictoryoflife. of dream the dreams illusion, and life between suspended and radiance” stolen and certainly implies a of the plural “we” seemed very timely. The sense of community is expressed through the repetitive use participation in the patriotic goals. Such a their generation and ready to transforming into Icarus, Pilgrim and Samson, someone feeling a of the speaking subject who declares the end of melancholy and praises rebellion, to add Youth]further the follow of that bellion lyrics and echoes even more loudly in the second poem of the volume, “Bunt młodości” [Re- o from power of will ’s Staff Leopold of reminiscences literary clear as well as tied to features exhibits poem the beginning very the from but five the of stanza fourth Masculine verb forms („bom sądził” i proclaiming a declaration. Such is the message of the title poem, “Ikarowe [Icarian loty” Flights] 11 Appears to Girl [“Dead spoczywającemu” się ukazuje panienka („Umarła dead the of dreams a of is stylized into a into stylized is do życia” [A a and souls are all part of the funerals symbolic graves, inheritance, re-evaluated angels, with Torturedwombs, the thought group. of Skamander the of vitality and to to needs female word “soul.” The lyrical tension is born between the soul whose weakness of the spiritual dilemmas of the recent past, which in turn are associated with the aware much very is speaker the time, same the At preparedness. military words, three cycles,maleandfemale voicesaretreatedinterchangeably. to are included is titled “Shadows,” immediately suggesting role-playing which allows the song of the orphan, in the lament of the sick and the cycle in which those poems however, following a

brighter, heroic future. It is not until the seventh poem in the volume, “Tęsknota potędze act in the real world. Poems such as these foreshadowed, in a move freely between masculinity and femininity. Similarly, in the succeeding the in Similarly,femininity. and masculinity between freely move Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska This is followed by a by AW) J. Biesiada,A.Żurawska- Włoszczyńska(eds.),Toruń 1999Vol.1. p.23.(Heretrans. K. Iłłakowiczówna „Ikaroweloty.” Poezje zebrane.[IcarianFlights. CollectedPoems] oe. e wis et i te rs f i blwd „ósn [Half-asleep]), („Półsen” belowed his of arms the in death awaits He lover. the male cultural pattern that could be interpreted as signaling masculinity, be overcome and the spirit, declarations of power, and the willingness the and power, of declarations spirit, the and overcome be [Dreams of Power] (1901) and Mickiewicz’s “Odeto Mickiewicz’s and Power](1901) of [Dreams That I willbedraggingmyshatteredwingsthroughdust I thought thatwouldfall,brokendownbyyearning And somylifeislaughingatmetoday: the Dreamer]), yearns, sings to Longing for Life] that the feminine forms appear, but the verse itself liberation of the human spirit, a fairy-tale. Its speaker is a is speaker Its fairy-tale. few clearly distinct poems, returns the fairy-tale character: in thematically linked series centered around the confession meet the demands of heroism, including a „będę wlókł) are used for the first time in the a collective willingness to declaration on the eve of the Great War rose, and becomes a “shadow of a of “shadow will to power, and a princess” who, “clad in “clad who, princess” the constructed image constructed the 11 Youth.”latter The poor prince. Here, way, the activism strong bond with cult of heroism. fight: in other possible Sny

109 110 textual knowledge of the author’s gender, which in turn, seems too big of a construction. Reading it as a to translated “I” male internalized) is it (as – they use the confession of strong internal emotionality referring to role-playing or mask of poetry the in found features exhibit not do characteristics gender masculine traditionally referencing and subjectivity male utilizing poems indicates a woman)cannotunderstand. flowers, whose language the favorite poor and orphaned (the feminine mother’s form of the the adjectives clearly bellflowers, wild mention poem the does part last Affairs aimed at winning support for the Polish cause abroad and presenting the presenting and abroad cause Polish the for support winning at aimed Affairs 1920’s and 30’s while preparing speeches commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign at f h pe ta isl cud e en s paig n eea vie. Earlier voices. several in a include sadness, of speak speaking passages as seen be could itself that poem the of part fourth appear,the They however,in references. only biographical in rich is which [Song of the Forest] – the last, very extensive poem of the volume, dated 1908, and followed by a a – history aetiological called 12 subjects. These were trained during actual discussions and presentations on various abstract ing and defending one’s opinion, the preparation of speeches, and public speaking. sized the importance of practical skills such as discussion, argumentation, present- French(English, literature and rhetoric empha- in It courses German). called and of Members ofParliament, ministers,andAnglicanclergy.wives them among students, non-inhabiting the for only obligatory were fees Tuitionclothes. buying of problem the solved but onlookers of curiosity the voked pro that caps round small and togas resembling uniforms wore They housework. (foreigners and girls from poorer families) did not pay tuition but had to a followed it pursuits; intellectual a actually was school The Amica. called D’Esterre, Mme Irishwoman, an by lead and Street Church on a at studied is she precisely) long how for unclear it 1908, (in Later barrier. language the overcoming on spent largely probably earlier, in England. We know little about her studies in Oxford, where her time was Cracow,and in education an received She developed. uniquely was consciousness feminist her debut literary her of time the around Already herself. poet the about

While markers of femininity are not given prime importance in the volume, the in importance prime given not are femininity of markers While Before one begins to begins one Before Iłłakowicz thefeminist The femininity of the speaker is clearly marked only as late as in “Pieśń o Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The curriculum of the house of “Simple Life” included what today would be would today what included Life” “Simple of house the of curriculum The K. Iłłakowiczówna Trazymeński zając,s.40-44. 12 It seems that Iłłakowiczówna utilized the skills acquired in London in the reference to kind of women phalanstery whose life was organized around organized was life whose phalanstery women of kind attribute masculinity to masculinity attribute Leon Plater’s death in the January Uprising. Only in the role-playing would necessitate referencing other than kind of legendary-mythical genesis of a of genesis legendary-mythical of kind strictly vegetarian diet and inhabiting students inhabiting and diet vegetarian strictly poetic description of a of description poetic “us” that is not given a given not is that “us” London school for women located women for school London Iłłakowicz, more needs to needs more Iłłakowicz, forest, and then the so the then and forest, clear personal clear the undefined forest lake forest help with shortcut. be said be lesie” - The TrilogyThe the boundaries of traditional gender roles. Already as a harmful andcontraryto thegoalsofPolish independence. of author (the Dąbrowska Maria of husband the as knows theory Polishliterary who Dąbrowski, Marian activist ence on personalandpoeticexperience. from the Christian ethic) but presented her own, very individualistic vision relying Iłłakowiczówna did not reach for political or moral arguments (like those resulting with the hope of avoiding the conflict that later developed into WWII. In her speech, Polishdiplomacy the by advocated disarmament” “moral of idea the supported It emies Truly Deserve Love] presented in 1934 in Geneva, Prague, and Copenhagen. że nasi nieprzyjaciele naprawdę godni są miłości” [How It Is Possible That Our En- to “Jak by evidenced character,as literary their in riveting indeed were however, was moved by what she read and refused to editing to for texts the of one presented She position. Poland’spolitical the of aspects moral 16 15 14 13 as from London to a wrote she action military for preparation of atmosphere fervent the In have resulted in strict police sanctions. could and safe not was which London, in them sold She herself. newsletters and brochures suffragist of distribution the in participated and women, Pankhurst of the place where Emilia, as a have must poet remembered the history of Emilia Plater. In the Liksna upon Dźwina she was shown Plater-Zyberkowa), Zofia of care the under was she death mother’s her (after family Plater the by Raised birds. innocent killing in point no fly,saw not she did Muscovites the since that instructor dryly,her informing to asked was she until success some Iłłakiewiczówna quotesoneoftheaunts: – activities her regarding reservation of full however,was heroine, the of family

. For this purpose she also enrolled in a in enrolled also she purpose this For aide-de-camp. The practicing of patriotism was for Iłłakiewiczówna also an occasion to Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska men… Imaginehowembarrassingitmusthavebeenforthem!” a with woods the into went she “Because During her stay in England at a entailed theloss of lifeamongprotestingwomen. deeply conflicted withthepoliceauthorities,fight forthesuffragistcause first to putthematterofvoteonParliament agenda.Since1905,theywere daughter, Christabel Pankhurst foughtforthevotingrightsofwomen, attempting K. IłłakowiczównaŚcieżkaobokdrogi , Warszawa 1939.39-41.Emmelineandher i reportaże. 28-54. Text basedontheversionprintedinPolish inthePolish press.In:Wspomnienia K. Iłłakowiczówna Trazymeński zając.15. K. Iłłakowiczówna Niewczesnewynurzenia.Warszawa 1958.232. her already seventy-five teacher,year-old offering remuneration. Amica, ­, she identified with the protagonists: “I protagonists: the with identified she Józef Piłsudski, whom she knew personally, offering her services child, was believed to young age she also became familiar with the work 13 Noce i Noce shoot live pigeons. Iłlakowiczówna refused Iłlakowiczówna pigeons. live shoot 14 It also led to gun and caused a caused and gun ), and who believed feminism to feminism believed who and dnie), have kept a accept the money. The speeches Bohun, was a

child, reading Sienkiewicz’s conflict with the independ - lot of trouble to trouble of lot shooting course and had and course shooting

16 flower garden. The I Kmicic.” was those gentle- those się dzieje, się letter cross be 15

111 112 non-traditional attitudes. of ability to women unbelievable the and contacts these of nature special the emphasized always She Balkans. the in fruitful particularly proved which women, educated of Polandpromoting lectures her groups of local several by and organized tions were a the Polish embassy in Berlin, it turned out that it contained a in opened was parcels the of one After protection. nor help no offered and parcels serve as a about in her memoirs. Doubts were expressed, for instance, whether a the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which often led to to tied ences as a feminism. In the memoirs of the interwar period she repeatedly returns to the memoirssheofferedadviceonovercomingreluctance ofmalecolleagues. to hostile often a in woman only the was She month. local authorities, pleas for financial support, and which came in the thousands every with this particular task personally. Those included pleas for help, complaints about drogi, obok to role position and title of “Secretary of the Minister of Military Affairs.” She believed the expected, after the May Coup d'État when she accepted, not without hesitation, the 19 18 17 exist no boundaries that a there that however, added, he tasks, auxiliary performing for except army the in serve cannot women that explaining back, wrote but offer the rejected Piłsudski as a a in service began she 1915, ary Iłłakowiczówna tore his long letter to

gift to gift Her regained religious faith never changed Iłłakowiczówna’s attitude towards attitude Iłłakowiczówna’s changed never faith religious regained Her I Her dream of serving Piłsudski as an aide was fulfilled, although differently than Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry are going to going are Nothing willsaveyouthen. to allowed along with is a mania persecution If nervousness. own her but colleague biased her not is enemy greatest woman’s the that remember must you respect, this in change today.do we as footing, equal on and work, nothing of should place But their in presence nurse during an epidemic she fell very ill and experienced religious conversion. K. Iłłakowiczówna Ścieżkaobok drogi.234. See remarksonwomen inBulgariaandRomaniain: Wspomnienia reportaże i. nie cytat. K. Iłłakowiczówna Ścieżkaobokdrogi,s.41,jestto omówieniezapamiętanego tekstu, do not know if in the future women are going to going are women future the in if know not do a be difficult, bureaucratic and burdensome. It involved, she says in says she involved, It burdensome. and bureaucratic difficult, be the ambassador.the organiza- feminist European with touch in remained She man. She was one of the very few women given independent positions in positions independent given women few very the of one was She man. diplomatic courier. Once she won the position, the poet was handed heavy professionally active, independent woman, a overcome organizational difficulties and prejudice, resulting from their from resulting prejudice, and difficulties organizational overcome answering letters in Marshall’s name so that he would not have to have not would he that so name Marshall’s in letters answering sense of martyrdom, if your good mood is lost, you have just defeated yourself. have to have her, and generally biased against women. Addressing her nieces in nieces her,her Addressing women. against biased generally and fight against their colleagues’ instinctive hostility towards their very their towards hostility instinctive colleagues’ their against fight 18 strong and persevering individual could not overcome. 19 PolishRussianthe in unit medical army. Working

pieces, taking offense for several years. In Janu company of men, military men, who were who men, military men, of company work in offices, and if they are, if they if are, they if and offices, in work problems that she reminiscences free one as well – that is, not sizeable ham sent as woman could her experi- Ścieżka develop deal 17 -

was a was said she when masculine the used Iłłakowiczówna Meanwhile, sociologist. or gist, feminine forms of professions such as literary critic, historian of ideas, anthropolo of view. to psy- chologism. ungrounded I and open on relying as however, rejected, be should disorders ity only to bareheaded in public). She argued with a with argued She public). in bareheaded (obligatory permanent weave, regular hairstyle visits to gown), evening dress, afternoon suit, (day clothes regarding pectations a a was she that Today,say would we 21 20 consciousness entailed a and Gender. Grammatical forms are often ideologized, as evidenced by Dennis Baron in and a senseofdependenceonexternalevaluation. anxiety with self-irony, but she does not negate the constant care for external form to herself subjecting and and functions exercised by women, at the beginning of the 20 the of beginning the at women, by exercised functions and Polishto feminism it waswithMariaKomornicka. a nor transgression, of act an not is It pathological. or nothing justifies a justifies nothing too short, believing that her position required a adherence to adherence her rule.” from shoulders to happy with her old, patched dress and unfavorable appearance: “My chin extended a of making the During demands. those regarding anxiety narcissistic of signs – contrary the satisfaction resulting from successfully meeting particularly a strict of demands, signs or – clear on glimpses one resurfaces issue the when moments the In representation. of fact the and conduct, of norms position, public womanhood, to tied forms extrinsic purely shun not did she words, other In box.

public function Iłłakowiczówna was also very aware of the customary social ex- social customary the of aware very also was Iłłakowiczówna function public Iłłakowiczówna’s own written testimony, remaining within the scope of her point e iett ses to seems identity Her Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska In the tale of Iłłakowiczówna meanings first seem inclined towards masculin- towards inclined seem first meanings Iłłakowiczówna of tale the In Androgyne andthechild One could definitely say that as much as there are attempts in contemporary in attempts are there as much as that say definitely could One D. Baron Grammar andGender,NewHaven andLondon 1986. Ibidem, 175. minister’s secretary, minister’s to wanted courier,she diplomatic and – servant civil

20 indicate femininity later on. Interpretations alluding to 21 Such complaints are typical of a

will add only that in my use of biographical material I documentary on people surrounding Marshall Piłsudski, she was un- was Piłsudski,she Marshall surrounding people on documentary And so, today one will meet women referring to current fashion. She always traveled with several suitcases and a and suitcases several with traveled always She fashion. current the lips and I potential claim that we are dealing with something dangerous something with dealing are we that claim potential enforce the policy of using female forms to forms female using of policy the enforce fight for the right to harsh self-control. As a As self-control. harsh rsn isl a a uslal rdl, a riddle, unsolvable an as itself present looked like Tsarina Catherine II in the last years of victim of gender discrimination. By fulfilling By discrimination. gender of victim tailor who suggested a suggested who tailor

woman anxious about her appearance the salon), or hats (one does not appear use the masculine to classical style rather than a writer she can compensate the compensate can she writer case of gender disorder – as – disorder gender of case themselves using the refer to refer th century feminist century dress she deemed she dress refer exclusively refer to gender identity aao, but paradox, the notion of notion the professions narcissistic Grammar Grammar women. slavish hat be -

113 114 unconsciously by the language user that is also one of the elements of the male the of domination inthelanguage. elements the of one also is that user language the by unconsciously to (not simple the is such – feminine the use you a are you user.If language every on – “either/or” – choice inevitable an enforces that inconvenience matical exclusive biological definitions of man or woman should be approached as a never expressedlovefora marriedaristocrat. memoirs. In other people’s memoirs of her one may find vague allusions to and the issue of romantic relationships with men (or women) never resurfaces in her both a both tures at the same time, without the need to cultures. Bivalence (or polivalence) is a more) (or two of fringes ethnic the on, living or to, belonging people of situation to Kłoskowska Antonina by used valence” “cultural of term the with it childish, in the poetic work. The categories of cultural anthropology would describe the as well as female, the and male the ranges: different includes which tification sentence opens the second paragraph, and it is thus clearly exposed and immediately Fugulian apppears just once and in the feminine (“[she] started fire”). The quoted a writing at attempts first Iłłakowiczówna’s 24 23 22 a not are you army the “In words: following in approval) without not repeated Iłłakowiczówna of this also required a from the attempts to her immunizing her, surrounding men military the and Iłłakowiczówna between to a Such Piłsudski. by so named was [masc.] Affairs” Military of Minister the of “Secretary of function the only choice, own her cases, of majority the in was, It memoirs. her in used forms the are those – [masc] aide-de-camp an androgyny as described by Virginia Woolf in boundaries and rebellion against the requirements of a a a Iłłakowczówna’s writing through feminist categories we face a sg.] and hostess.” It comes from the poetic prose of “Widely renown ophthalmologist [masc. sg.], Dr Fugulian, is also a an opportunityto combinetheelementsofbothgenders.

conscious attempt at emancipation, and finally, acts of subversive overstepping of fight against gender patterns enclosing women in the restrictive gender ideal, gender restrictive the in women enclosing patterns gender against fight express the independence and the autonomy of her position, putting distance putting position, her of autonomy the and independence the express The fact of overlapping of different identities that refer automatically to Iłłakowiczówna’s writing exhibits a exhibits writing Iłłakowiczówna’s Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Let us take a K. Iłłakowiczówna Ścieżkaobok….237. K. Iłłakowiczówna, XX.Z rozbitego fotoplastikonu .Warszawa 1957.42. J. Anusiewicz,K. Handke(eds.)Wrocław 1994.15-30. a determinantypłci.” Języka kultura.Vol.K. Handke„Język 9, Płećw językuikulturze . Jew and a and Jew woman, you are Kazia.”are you woman, look at the following sentence that appears grammatically shocking. Pole, or – today – for instance, a instance, for – today – Pole,or form cliques, and isolating her from the potential intrigue. All certain personal predisposition that Piłsudski expressed (and man you use masculine inflection, if you are a are you if inflection, masculine use you man 23 22 Iłłakowiczówna never tied herself to herself tied never Iłłakowiczówna sense of belonging fully to clear attempt to attempt clear choose (ambivalence). One can be thus A war memoir. Earlier, the character of character memoir.Earlier,the war Room of One’s Own, say vulgar) instruction absorbed instruction vulgar) say Z Pole and an American. ViewingAmerican. an Poleand rozbitego fotoplastikonu, patriarchal grammar. Finally, construct a construct whole range of issues: om a meant was form two or more cul- is understood as great cook [fem. complex iden- complex discuss the discuss mutually mutually 24 a woman

a one of gram- great, man is a is proposed construct. It de-constructs every essentialist vision. As a draws attention with its grammatical eccentricity, and with the impossibility of the of the first half of the 20 the of half first the of that involves not only people, but also water and herbs, and the entire surrounding. a into them turns difference, cultural from resulting complicated procedures performed in an improvised kitchen and their strangeness, a is follows What masculinity. outweighs femininity on further presentation, character the of beginning the only is This “either/or.” the and hostess.” Femininity and masculinity exist simultaneously, parallel, repealing The fact that her father was a her biological father died in unknown circumstances and she was born out of wedlock. male – form of the name that used the ending. Iłłakowiczówna bore her mother’s name: –ina, -lina) since it was sometimes difficult to to war the after pressures surname, even though she could have her easily abandoned of it. There ending were feminine administrative the kept but forms grammatical masculine used often She and prayer poems, the legends of saints that she wrote, and her declarations of faith. to believed simply was mythologized only after her death as it had a had it as death her after only mythologized was Next To pre-war “Self.” The authorial undoubtedly and to refers and experience, memory,lived on uses relies exception, without presenting a presenting to fails which work a of gence during a turbulentperiodofadolescenceandgainingindependence. towards the foster mother, who looked after her after the death of the biological one, a bore She loving. very both mothers, two had she namely,that a around self-creation her built herself Iłłakowiczówna legend. poetic pre-war essays. and (1958), Confessions] (1957) which could be classified as poetic prose, to already mentioned cycle Z mannerism and tone. These reservations do not apply to believed to believed interwar years and the poet’s travels that revealed to membered impressions, shards, and fragments. Despite reservations concerning the porting herself byteachinglanguages. sup- and context Romanian-Hungarian the in Transylvania,immersed in stayed Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska That Iłłakowiczówna supported the ideal of androgyny, typical of liberal feminism łaoizwa ee woe a wrote never Iłłakowiczówna The poet’s memoirs are always arranged in very particular constellations of re- ]” while remaining “a remaining while sg.]” [masc. ophthalmologist “renown The Road], prosaic talent and for several reasons was not well received. It is an odd an is It received. well not was reasons several for and talent prosaic be universal and non-debatable, and to and non-debatable, and universal be heroic leader with a with leader heroic Niewczesne wynurzenia and have been a been have intended as didactic propaganda, did not foreshadow the emer- successfully combine the educational and patriotic attempt at attempt patriotic and educational the combine successfully th abandon traditional endings such as –owa and –ówna (or (or –ówna and –owa as such endings traditional abandon century, is something completely forgotten today. She is is today.She forgotten completely something century,is rozbitego fotoplastikonu [From a Taieo ae (98, o to nor (1968), [Trasimeno Hare] zając Trazymeński

son of Tomasz Zan, a Catholic poet, probably as a as probably poet, Catholic very individual point of view,of point individual a very in resulting tagtowr mmi bt e etr prose, entire her but memoir straightforward Trazymeński zając reconstruct the basic – in other words, (1938) [The Path[The (1938) drogi obok Ścieżka

philomath and Mickiewicz’s friend, potential to potential Niewczesne wynurzenia [Untimely her the relativity of all customs the years 1939-1948, when she when 1939-1948, years the kind of transformative ritual transformative of kind Broken Kaiser-Panorama] the post-war books: to description of extremely of description result of her meditative meditative her of result refer to transform into larger larger into transform fem. sg.] [fem. cook great great sense of guilt guilt of sense great doctor, Fugulian childhood, the different fact, fact, different the past the false the the

115 116 hy ol so big ht hy seemed.” they what being stop would they to seemed Things non-finality. of temporality, form a itself to questionthehostileorder. to unable time same the at though poetic, undoubtedly and safe is that masculine symbolic order. It is a the rhythm of the poem, joy (jouissance) expresses itself directed elsewhere than the childish imagination, in the mythological imagination, in the music of the word and to belongs are several instances in her work supporting Kristeva’s claim that the poetic sphere there and child the of stratum the discovers poet femininity,the and masculinity ecules that I a but rigidity or I “What continues poet personalization”the the international forum. “I I others. The title of title The others. several among dispersed is issue the writing her in fact in while key interpretative earliest days of childhood I Events spin,themeaningisfluid. attitude to 27 26 25 each time forming a a and events, once related, are not retold, except for an occasional reference serving as failings of memory [lit. “hare memory”], Iłłakowiczówna’s descriptions are precise, with men, unrelated to unrelated men, with it is a hiding of gender but she never stopped blurring it either. What is important is that After mulation based on a on based mulation Polishpoetry.a in is expressed It identity female of version pronounced most often draws upon the sphere of the subconscious, tied to tied subconscious, the of sphere the upon draws often

mentioned earlier,mentioned on nations of Polishreconciliation the the presenting for idea reminder to Attempts to Identity ofthebody Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry “The “The world is a Ibidem, 29. miłości.” Wspomnienia… 28. to siędzieje,żenasinieprzyjacielenaprawdę godnisą K. Iłłakowiczówna,„Jak (1999) No. 37. „Ciemne światłodzieciństwa. O Kazimierze Iłłakowiczównie.”Tygodnik Powszechny I emphasize thechildhood elementinmyinterpretation ofIłłakowiczówna’sworkin kind of identity shaped completely outside the field of romantic relationships Ikarowe Loty Loty Ikarowe very drastic procedure of arranging the elements according to the semiotic range of the relationship with the mother. In echolalia, in echolalia, mother.In the with relationship the of range semiotic the femininity and masculinity thematized in all of her books, I need to the reader. Her narrative memoirs are never composed chronologically, present the biological determination of feminine otherness are the certain fluidity,certain a special place to Iłłakowiczówna never repeated the early experiment with the with experiment early the repeated never Iłłakowiczówna Z “bundle” arranged discontinuously. In my attempt to shape my worlds.” clearly essentialist premise which, from the very beginning, very the from which, premise essentialist clearly rozbitego fotoplastikonu rozbitego it, and including a including and it, have always had a believe non-crystallization to very broad sphere in this particular poet, a flexible chaos from which I which from chaos flexible which I 26 It is a could never quite get used to. From the 25 broad range of varied roles. She very She roles. varied of range broad strange sense of a is a is need around me is not an emptiness an not is me around need hs elrto oes h lecture the opens declaration This clearly anti-essentialist declaration. me and then completely suddenly completely then and me very accurate formal description. formal accurate very be the fundament of poetic childhood. constant provisional, can tear away mol- away tear can a pre-conceived pre-conceived 27 Apart from Apart had to go outside go relate the sphere per- for- otherness. I a to Beauvoir’s famous claim that “one is not born a Gretkowska, OlgaTokarczuk) Manuela Filipiak, (Izabela women by written prose the in dominate feminism of writers manifest their traditionalism, or even open misogyny ,while several versions among whom a poetry but in prose, which is tied to the artistic life. New stimuli in the feminist discussion found their expression in not participating in stopped or away passed already pages following the on discussed poets the after words, other In 1989. as Polandlate in as debate artistic and demic Anna Świrszczyńska, while Western traditions feminism became the subject of aca- for 70s the in and Hillar Małgorzata of case the in 60s the in 1956, after happened field this in achievements poetic important most the explainable: easily also is It of discrimination.” of social discrimination, as well as economical, political, religious, and all other kinds my otherness, remaining acutely aware of the evident discrimination of women. Of on theonehand,a necessity, andontheother, a universallyacceptedsocialfact. equality in access to the time when genuine social change took place, when the revival of aspirations and also was it But Communism. during ideologically controlled and was licensed strictly movement feminist The Republic. People’s the of decades the in discourse public the from vanished Iłłakowiczówna) by (also WWII before basis regular on presented dimension of female identity. The very word “feminism,” used in Poland lute way of being in the world, biological and corporeal, became the most frequently destructive, responsible for starting wars, contrasted with the biological creativity of expressing thefemaleexperience withfeminism. to “Życie jest jedno” [There is One Life] to to devoted Dawida na kanie “I oehdw dfiute to difficulties foreshadows 28 Mary) Virgin the to of cult the with for compensated she (that mother her by tion to introduction the In life. cultural from absence and silence of years several after life, her of end the at formulated

woman – and a and – woman have been the psychological background of her literary work. She continues: “I it. Womanhood given by birth and giving birth, femininity as a think I follow from her commentary – does not identify writing about womanhood and womanhood about writing identify not does – commentary her from follow The “feminist revolt” in Polish poetry happened much earlier, and Simone de Simone earlier,and much happened Polishpoetry in revolt” “feminist The Małgorzata Hillar declared herself a Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska In both poems there reappears a Warszawa 1995,s.9-10. M. HillarDwadzieścialatminęło odkądumarłam,w: Gotowość doZmartwychwstania, have written only two feminist poems.” She refers to motherhood. Hillar considers “Kropla deszczu” [A deszczu” “Kropla considers Hillar motherhood. have never tried to unique polarization of attitudes can be observed: many young male [Waiting for David] (1967), a [Waiting(1967), David] for feminist, fully aware of my womanhood and accepting it as my as it accepting and womanhood my of aware fully feminist,

28 education, as well as the professional activities of women were, She nonetheless believed her feminist work to work feminist her believed nonetheless She

ecie t ih h ctgre o Wsen feminism. Western of categories the with it describe resemble men to similar idea: that of male creativity as something her last volume of poetry she reveals the rejec- the reveals she poetry of volume last her the emergence of the voice of a feminist as late as in an be her feminist poems and – which seems volume containing a containing volume woman” does not really correspond achieve equality, in fact, I two texts from Drop of Rain] and Rain] of Drop ex post confession, state and an abso new generation 16-poem cycle 16-poem be marginal: be cherish Cze- am am -

117 118 30 29 30 a as viewed is dominance for need male The peace. and life brings that one women, a A emphasized. strongly is statement the volume, the of poem last the is it as and follow” will peace world/ considers the possibility of a a by future, the in point and sacrificearedividedbyanabyss.Thisabysscouldbecrossedperhapsatsome though in fact destructive – masculinity and femininity entailing the pain of birth of a voice but as a but without breaking the dominating code. She does not appear as a believed the prose poem to female cultural heroes in her work, such as Helen, Madame Bovary or Valkyrie. of multitude the by foreshadowed only is feminism “calligraphy.”Future and work, which began in the 30s, Czesław Miłosz used the notions of “intertextuality” for this, in 1970, in a liberation through overcoming the dualism of body and soul. She matured long successfully presents both the social drama of the woman and her own vision of by natureallshecandoisfallsilent. for her at all, not even enough for her to a becomes ” tightens the female space so female that subject it confronted with the male “Self the of construction metaphysical mystified, the – the patriarchy of of validity critique feminist the fact, in proves, poems her in subject the of construction The suckling pig”from“Karmiąca.” [Nursing]. of a “matriarchate”is,thus,believedtobeanimpossiblehypothesis. desired but objectified and impossible to motherhood, on poems the in Other the as itself reveals child the Also, love. of act to an unsolvable drama: the need for male love and at the same time the impossibility Republic. Womanhood is an impassable condition here and appears to transformed variety of the ideological ninely” vision back from the day of People’s war. They use stereotypes and today often seem to a are

. The woman is seen as placed inside male culture, her presence is emphasized conditional “If she/ took over / the world, / peace would follow.” hidden subtext of all invention and social discovery and two extremes: creative – build an understanding more permanent than the temporary relief found in the Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Through a Through However,deceptive. is overthrown be could vision Hillar’s which with ease the It is difficult to ruler of the past, next to Małgorzata Hillar. Księżniczka wyobraźni.Kraków2003. I am indebtedfor this observationto AgnieszkaNietresta’s researchpublishedin: M. Hillar, CzekanienaDawida . Warszawa 1967.67;M.HillarGotowośćdo… ,p.83. Cz. Miłosz Jakiegoż gościamieliśmy.to O Annie Świrszczyńskiej, Kraków 1996. confession intertwined with assessment of the present and condemnation of condemnation and present the of assessment with intertwined confession prison. She is rejected by the Symbolic order, there is, in fact, no place no fact, in order,is, Symbolic there the by rejected is She prison. character. In one of the poems describing a vision of physical, biological womanhood Anna Świrszczyńska Anna womanhood biological physical, of vision confront those texts with philosophical questions. Hillar’s poems note included in matriarchal society.In matriarchal toned down version of the poem, from 1995, introduces 1995, from poem, the of version down toned be her artistic speciality. Referring to women-built civilization. “When she/ takes over/ the women-built civilization. “When the king there “squirms his lush favorite, glittering Poezje Wybrane speak. Banished from culture and harmed be expressed as a Czekanie na Davida na Czekanie be a slightly subdued and - “femi [Selected Poems] she still great concert at the court subject, a

this period of her 29 The possibility

“pink human (1967) Hillar (1967) be marked by recognizable

own style. The second – to – second The style. own Character] makesanappearance: kobiet, work also contains elements of social provocation. In the cycle of portraits, a also is there but obvious something as treated is masculinity and manhood of man who refers to a as latter the describes speaker The serious. with a with poet’s enemy and it is most advantageous when it is non-existent. Let me explain to it introduction the in work poetic her about talked down to work,we’llshowthem!” mouth of a of “baba” – “womanoid”]; but also the neutral, even warm, “babciu” [granny] in the name calling]; or, more intensely: “babsztylu,” “babiszonie” [more pejorative forms “ty of negativity the includes and broad is as well, there is a is there well, as androgyny. For example, in the prose poem “Sztuka” [Art], referred to to effort much require not would it and here, pronounced strongly not is subject speaking the of identity (1972) [I 60. about was herself author the when 70s, the as late as matured and ing, first in sex – as in the poetry of Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska or Halina Poświatowska. “Kissing” should probably be read here as a a then and with the pomp of endearing charm. Her chest heaves rapidly. She smiles a 32 31 beggar is “dziadówka.” [dziad with a a even sometimes poor, someone means also “dziad” and coupled, always are baba] of equivalent male [the “dziad” in Polish; it is a a is volume the of style, to

hidden assumption that I As she was going through this fundamental change, in 1973, Świerszczyńska 1973, in change, fundamental this through going was she As Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska The new formula of corporeal identity emerged gradually in Świrszczyńska’s writ- Ibidem, 136. A. Świrszczyńska Lirykizebrane,Warszawa 1958.44. [Six women] “Amelia czyli Kobieta z paradoxical shortcut: writers have two goals. The first one is to is one first The goals. two have writers shortcut: paradoxical a Am Baba] can be considered a rejection of culturalism, to In mattersofloveAmeliaisanintellectual. To be indecentistoconfirmone’sfreedom. This, precisely, isnice,asitindecent. She says: Amelia likeskissingmenshedoesnotlove.Sokissesstrangemen. child; to Czarne słowa painful smile. His Majesty looks the other way.”other the looks Majesty His smile. painful folk expression referring to bold and irreverent assertion of identity.of assertion irreverent and bold disrespectful is “Baba” talk of the desire to desire the of talk candles as candles and to the approving, self-descriptive “hej babki! [hey ladies!] let’s get [Black Words], in poems described as “African stylizations,” destroy their own style. The latter is more difficult and difficult more is latter The style. own their destroy (the speaking poet) is him. But Świrszczyńska early prove that it could be contained by the formula of formula the by contained be could it that prove “beggar” (interestingly, the word for the female the for word (interestingly,the “beggar” fem. factography, and laconic expression. The title breakthrough, tied to jest, interwoven with the tendency to tendency the with interwoven jest, dim. ending] The semantic field of “baba” socially acceptable expression for having an old woman. In folk tales “baba” and babo” [direct address that borders on borders that address [direct babo” charakterem” [Amelia, or Woman of the wife as the wife.” The equation “deadly seriousness of the dying the of seriousness “deadly 32 : “Style is the is “Style wybrane: Poezje a fundamental shift in 31 The question of question The create their create Jestem baba Jestem by Miłosz wicked Sześć be

119 120 found a commondenominatorintheneedfordestructiontomaintainrelevance. a creating of war,possibility of the shock and The change, stylistic about theWarsaw UprisingfromBudowałambarykadę[I BuiltaBarricade](1974). a and experience war the between a Świrszczyńska, In annihilation. mass of shock the after civilization 34 33 time.” more takes from each other / with their beautiful white teeth” the poet says in an epigrammatic verse A emotion. of heat the of expression an as pain views even it that strong so is “I” female the love, subjectivity.In of experience male the with contrasted not however,is This, excluded. be cannot body the which from motherhood of experience and pain the obligations and stereotypes. Seeing “from the inside” always changes the perspective. the poetical vision of the world, a female persona of the poem. What we seem to social; however, this does not directly concern the situation of the female speaker, the is which that all and love by exposed world,” “normal the in itself reveals difference with practicality in both sexes. Similar equality appears also in the face of death. The for sacrifice always contrasted with cowardice, while idealism is paradoxically coupled the extreme and life-threatening situation. Their reactions are described as a in described episodes Uprising the in equal are women and Men sub-condition. “baba’s” as viewed and outside the from seen always life, social of that – plane one on only male the with contrasted is identity Femaledifficulty. much without them describes and them understands ” “Self empathy,female of the sense the in included are women Other life. of intensity of sign the become also can piness and acute pain and utter despair, which in a of one’s own physical sensations that extends between temporary but boundless hap- who die forgotten ” by must everyone. be The placed “Self within a peasant women, city beggars, wives of alcoholics, those giving birth in pain and those corporeal sensations in relation to umph of womanhood devoid of belying mysticism. Świrszczyńska positions her own metaphor serve a here, except in Różewicz the method of constatation, simplicity, and the rejection of fested in the poetry of Różewicz seems to mani- only,anti-aestheticism invention own her not is style new Świrszczyńska’s a was it earlier attention; to able Świrszczyńska was

Jestem baba Jestem Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The female “I” is, in a codzienności.” Spornepostacipolskiej literaturywspółczesnej . Warszawa, 1996.17.. and byMałgorzata Baranowskain„Szymborska,Świrszczyńska –dwabieguny A Świrszczyńska, Poezje wybrane,Warszawa 1973.15.Quotedin Miłosz’sbook A. Świrszczyńska „Gryzą się”[Biting] Szczęśliwa jakopsiogon.Kraków, 1978. 67. Szczęście jak psi ogon love relationship with a with relationship love is a is different purpose – to 33 manifesto not of female poetry but of “baba” poetry, with its tri- poetry,its “baba” with of but poetry female of not manifesto Only after she moved beyond the layer of cultural stylization cultural of layer the beyond moved she after Only [Happy As Dog’s Tail]. way, fuller, truer, closer to presence rather subdued, entangled in aesthetizations. in entangled subdued, rather presence openly put the question of womanhood in the center of center the in womanhood of question the put openly tendency to the experience of women disrespected the most: old change in style is also present – in the poems the in – present also is style in change man resembles a resembles man formulate an accusation against the Western have been a exclude the ” speaking from “Self gender be facing here is one of the paradoxes of 34 romantic relationship with a Only a the existential truth because of convenient point of departure duel “Our two hatreds / bite / hatreds “Ourtwo duel friendship with the man, Budowałam barykadę, Budowałam gaping amplitude new subject all subject new connection

capacity capacity man man in in ity, ordebate,isnotherpoint. of the “will to polemic references to various in entangled are poems Świrszczyńska’s language simple very their with “I of Instead inside. the from movement of sensation ecstatic the shows it as though, different, is always an individually constructed mosaic. Its presence is usually discreet: the discreet: usually is presence Its mosaic. constructed individually an always is model, and which contains varied cultural masculine and feminine ranges. Its shape a // All my feet / shout. // I feet // When I klozetowa” [I babką “Zostanę physicality.In irreducible an assuming always but soul and body to a as herself with beginning being human to begins she matrix: the changes Świrszczyńska text. the to us telling calques metaphysical utilizes have outside the cultural matrix; or that she practices a on the linguistic construct of the body and not its identity, which the body does not a possibility ofcompleteunderstanding. exhibits volume, posthumous last, Świrszczyńska’s in pronounced strongly most 35 existence opens, resulting from its impermanence. I “When of drama the also here But corporeal. is itself Existence disposal. its at arguments “Dusza i there isa possibilityofidentification. contrary,the On life. her of control in and independent, aware, socially someone artist, the of condition the or background educational the in difference the from between their world and the emotions of the speaker that could result, for instance, an old mother forgotten by her children. There is no sense of strangeness or distance cleaner,toilet figures: empathic and familiar beggar, a of wife old “sister of the bladder and the bowel.” The female protagonists of her poems are futile to spirituality. That Świrszczyńska re-evaluates the body is her great merit. It would be a as to

way,Duchamp’s Marcel create a create the centuries of tradition holding everything that is of the flesh as lower, and lower, as flesh the of is that everything holding tradition of centuries the Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska Androgyny is a is Androgyny Two patterns,severalmodels The corporeal formula of womanhood in Świrszczyńska is a is Świrszczyńska in womanhood of formula corporeal The Sometimes a Sometimes Kraków, 1978. 13. A. Świrszczyńska „Mamdziesięćnóg”[I HaveTen Feet] Szczęśliwajakopsi. ogon result something that must be denied, rejected ,and contrasted with elevating with contrasted ,and rejected denied, be must that something result attempt a ciało na plaży,” [Body and Soul On The Beach]), but the body has stronger certain kind of corporeal spirituality,corporeal of kind certain of dualism the from free fully not think, therefore I therefore think, Will Be A power,” but she never once mentions Nietzsche because intertextual- run, / I playful fight between body and soul takes place (for instance in instance (for place takes soul and body between fight playful deconstructive critique here and claim that the poet relies in fact highly complex type of identity that does not result in a in result not does that identity of type complex highly swallow the world with my feet // When I a stagnant tradition. Their heroine develops a Toilet Cleaning Lady] she talks about the soul as the good exist only / when I Nude Descending a Descending Nude am,” we are told “I told are we am,” woman and with her own body in order in body own her with and woman believe in the essence anchored outside anchored essence the in believe run.” Staircase. 35 “I run, so I so run, Have Ten Feet” resembles, in The poem’s motivations are motivations poem’s The kind of “naďve realism” and build her vision of the of vision her build exist.” Almost ascetic, Almost exist.” run, / I drunk, peasant, and peasant, drunk, run, / I radical challenge radical female version laugh with my have ten feet single

121 122 Female androgynyisa typicalformulaofmodernistindividualism. constructing such a to opportunity an is work Iłłakowiczówna’s others. in presence weak and spheres selected in accentuation strong ninity,its or appearance of a of appearance to difficult is androgyny why also is This life. social normal in present energetically cuts itself off from the biological definitions as a biologically defined female identity as containable by mainstream feminism which of idea the of implementation an as viewed be could that instances few are there so and poetry Polish in language of a to former the assuming before, done been has it than differently culture and to had Świrszczyńska sex, defined biologically the a require tion) a as in theprocessofconstructingsubjectivity. in the poetry of Julia Hartwig, where the love relationship is a subject the of construction the characterize also anti-essentialism and Androgyny sort of determinism. Świrszczyńska’s poetry is close to 36 the poem neutralizes the compulsion to way,This feminine. and masculine both of as speaker read the be can text the and speaking subject often simply avoids using grammatical forms that disclose gender, a ability to the and rationalism their is attention draws What undetermined. are Szymborska by texts poetic Most women. by written poetry in voice main the is and however, continuation, its found has It unintelligible. and blurred is option this of clarity such identification was an act of independence and courage, even though today the of all description and the fluidity lurking beneath it. At the beginning of the century, culturally as “more masculine” and, at the same time, an awareness of non-finality a the dominant model; however, it needs to founded. Naturally, in several instances one could point out the poets’ dispersion in most important, and generally privileged model on which one’s self-creation is to a with relationship romantic the view not does and world, tion of female emancipation. The androgynous “I” establishes itself directly in the to tied “Self,” the of models common most the of one of development a is It women. towards hostile was which YoungPoland of

fundamental dimension to strong polemic intention towards the male stereotypes rather than a than rather stereotypes male the towards intention polemic strong lack of female identification, but rather its co-existence with models identified models with co-existence its rather but identification, female of lack Visions of womanhood as a I Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry 2002. 111-136. Compare: G.Ritz„Młoda Polskaa transgresjapłciowa.” feature of inferiority,of feature contrary,the on characteriza- but positive of element an believe it to transform situations into intellectual generalizations. Their irony reveals revolution of values. Tovalues. of revolution “neutral” utterance does not exclude incidental returns to returns incidental exclude not does utterance “neutral” be something more than just an adventure of gender in the period complex identity, quite common at the beginning of the century. which absolute truth is related. It was not a strong, basic and irreducible part of identity (and not . It is also difficult to difficult also is It feminine. écriture define each situation with regards to base the positive vision of womanhood on womanhood of vision positive the base be stressed that androgyny does not entail trace the motifs and the methods of methods the and motifs the trace Nić w labirynciepożądania arrange the relation of nature of relation the arrange Różewicz’s tradition. Identity man to man starting point for the for point starting marginal experience gateway to be the only,the the be 36 . Warszawa, spot, as the as spot, gentle one. gentle the aspira- the revolution the worst view the view gender gender femi- be be be the valueofrebellion,crossingculturalnormthatinfactimposessilence. Polish poets willingly mythologize the heterosexual act of sex seeing in the process tinues to contained in the text with the categories proposed by Western feminism which con- convictions internal the describe even cannot one Sometimes situation. historical poetry without the feminist debate, today’s categories do not fully correspond to capturing phenomena has several causes. The feminist revolution took place in Polish cerning womanhood; they only point to the word-transmitterto whatreallymatters. to of values”shehas revolution ligraphy shewascloseto debuting.Afterthe“female This is why Świrszczyńska wants to but a however,note, identity could not One is text of level the on given are we what that the construction of a is a strengthen the referential dimension of the text so that she can reach through reach can she that so text the of dimension referential the strengthen

Female identityinthe20thcenturyPolish poetry… Nasiłowska Those two patterns of identity do not exhaust the issue of poetic creations con- factor from the outside of the text and its textual representation does not require conviction of its existence outside the text, and as a emphasize the constraint (and oppressiveness) of heterosexuality, whereas different, feminine language: it assumes a “destroy style”; at some point she gives up cal- one of the lines of tension. The difficulty in result, a Translation: AnnaWarso new order of values. myth of identity. the

123 124 of one’s own room” (67). the Self,” especially in one of its models that Renato Poggioli names the “the idyll poetic tradition. His poetic work can be placed within the tradition of “the idyll of venerable the by influenced obviously was too that although – record of kind lar relied also on their bringing forth a to difficult still is today that scale the making collection. Białoszewski turned out to Away My Stove…”), a “like stove the as such space, the is It as a ratherbut unprotected), completely was time that around (which privacy of tion 2 1

It has been half a Białoszewski: Idyllic Marek Zaleski shelter or a and provide a working translation ofthe quotedpassage (AW) Czaykowski [BCZ]. Wheretranslationswereunavailable, I leaveoriginalpoem titles Quotations from Białoszewskibasedontranslations byAndrzejBuszaandBogdan („“Zadumanie o sieni kamienicznej”) tenement buildingevokestheimage ofa hopplantationonthedaybrewing. andthesmellofhallwayina Warsawin “Słowadokładanedowiśniowych wołów” manger inBethlehem(„Filozofia Wołomina”); thereareChekhovianoxenandangels its seasons;a beersellingboothinWołomin thatsummons the shepherdslike pastoral imagery, inall suchasthesuburbangardenofEdenin„“Balladaz makaty” Rodzajów Literackich,”Vol. 3.1,p.67.Białoszewski’svolume isrichintraditional PoggioliR. Wierzbowa fujarka [TheOatenFlute]transl.F. Jarzyna,„“Zagadnienia locus amoenus locus recess providing the peace necessary for contemplation and relief. 2 or the wardrobe („Sztuki piękne mojego pokoju”) transform century since the publication of Miron Białoszewski’s debut of the Stalinist age. Rituals and object filling this private this filling object and Rituals age. Stalinist the of 1

One’s own room is to triumphal arch” (in “Oh! Oh! Should They TakeThey Should “Oh!Oh! (in arch” triumphal record of a assess, but the but assess, peripheral existence, a be a be understood not as much a revelator of poetic language of of his poems in 1956in poems his of novum very particu- bas- Łukasiewicz, his decision to alienation, poet’s The work. his of body the mystified they as inasmuch rections di- interpretative important determined Sandauer Artur and Łukasiewicz Jacek Being isjoy, butbeingnomoreis“joyunspeakable.” I it as well. “I Being in all possible forms is good by its very nature and such is our existence in the world. And the worm of consciousness? The poet pretends not to ait” f ujciiy (148). subjectivity of variety” a as work poetic Białoszewski views one if words, other in – poet the of Self creative projecting, the of power of tion a as Białoszewski shares with the Romantics the belief in the supremacy of the Self, boundaries of the world. It is interesting indeed that an arch–anti–Romantic such teristic of Romantic poets who perceived the boundaries of the Self to to omnipresent – being–in–the–world of instance basic most a poet.” (“Of MyHermitageWith Calling”[BCZ]). has its temptations:/ solitude / memories of the world / and that I a joins he that aware is poem simplest possible way – by negation. He strives to strives He negation. by – way possible simplest the in this achieves Białoszewski world. the and subjectivity orders: conflicting to 3 to a than other nothing is case this in which to state cious time passes, as the ending of the latter poem informs. Solitude is an essential the hermitage into a 5 4 grant” posited by Sandauer,

am happy, therefore I paradox that could perhaps be explained if one views his poetry as a a reconcile the contradiction resulting from existence within two separate and separate two within existence from resulting contradiction the reconcile Readings of Białoszewski’s early poems offered by prominent critics such as such critics prominent by offered poems early Białoszewski’s of Readings One’s own room is also an extension of the Self which for Białoszewski is the is Białoszewski for which Self the of extension an also is room own One’s Białoszewski:Idyllic Zaleski After: Sandauer, Samobójstwo Mitrydatesa. Czytelnik (Warszawa) 1968.121and 127. Vol. 29-30). „“Of courseBiałoszewski isnota criminalbuthehas a similarattitude.” martyr, alsorecalledin his essay(„Poezja rupieci”[Poetry ofoddment]Kultura , 1966 relied perhapstoo heavilyonSartre’sreadingofGenet inJeanGenet–comedien et Sandauer sawinBiałoszewskia „“combinationofanartistand tramp.” Thecritic i bohaterowie. [Rag-menandHeroes]Więź, Warszawa (1963)109. This ‘scavenging’attitudeisvery important inpoets.”J.Łukasiewicz,Szmaciarze (…) to investigate theirusefulness,onethat islikelyto bedescribedas‘scavengery’ towards itself,onethatlooksforready-mades amongtherubbishandattempts to acknowledge anevengreaterimportance ofa differentone,onesuspicious „“Acknowledging theimportanceofheroicattitude,onewouldbemoreinclined Uniwersitas, Kraków(2004)148andelsewhere. Discussed byAgataBielik-RobsoninDuchpowierzchni.Rewizjaromantycznai filozofia, confraternity – and not just any confraternity: the speaker of Białoszewski’s of speaker the confraternity: any just not and – confraternity the contemplating mind, as essential as air and the mythology of a of mythology the and air as essential as mind, contemplating the am happy that I 4 and the allegedly ostentatious, almost nihilistic strategy of a of strategy nihilistic almost ostentatious, allegedly the and take the position of an outsider – his “scavengery,” emphasized by private am: “consciousness is a 5 were in fact – or so one might infer today – strategies Sans souci in which one dances the quadrille and - pre think” (from “A 3 long lineage of predecessors: “Yet/hermitage/ predecessors: my of lineage long yeatvt o te yia vie s n attempt an is voice lyrical the of Hyperactivity realization of the “defensive and aggressive and “defensive the of realization private idyll of belonging, belonging belonging, of idyll private Joyful Self–Portrait” [BCZ]) means: dance of joy” the poem continues. be like a like be child: unified with unified child: the extent charac- extent the consider myself feel its bite. demonstra- be the only poet - “va

125 126 false in this particular instance. A instance. particular this in false From this perspective, the world itself becomes problematic – “a – problematic becomes itself world the perspective, Fromthis real. is what of non–obviousness of words, other in real, the of character surreal to a as language the in incarnation newer Wittgenstein’sfrom equipslanguage skepticism its of Modern philosophy writings. found that has that skepticism of result the is it “ordinary”; the of investigation his in Cavell Stanley by suggested is strangeness refer to refer Białoszewski appears to Unheimliche, except in this case we seem to ordinary.a Such a of ally common, everyday,common, ally rudimentary,and in apparent of the ordinary. 6 for ’s – Staff poets Leopold other in of instance, work the in which beauty,” “everyday not also was it But of a political. Sandauer’s categorization political. in Sandauer’s particular appears to of beauty: cult the practiced Czachorowski and Białoszewski Both it.” with fascinated be look, one discovers that the more disused the object, the more will Białoszewski else than the ‘the lying side of our daily Lord, our ordinary days.’ After a nothing is poem] his [in “floor” the ‘commonality,’ of apotheosis another yet with broken and derelict objects, neglected and covered with dust. What seems to a was about Białoszewski’spoetry. cannot be denied) equipped him with too great an latter inclination to (the goodwill patronal his with paired critic the of nonchalance The ing. a fromfar someone as him recall him, remember who those and “oddments,” for

“tramp.” The fascination with ugliness and rubbish, attributed (and suggested) him by Sandauer were not his own. Sandauer writes: “Białoszewski is fascinated undermine and challenge itself and by doing this it raises awareness of the of awareness raises it this doing by and itself challenge and undermine and adamantpostulate:brevity, austerity, notto say–ordinariness.(257) circles of young poets of Kobyłka. He did not immediately obey Ludwik’s [Hering] absolute This is how his friend, Swen–Czachorowski, wrote as well; it was a multi–worded. expansive, metaphors, of jewels with laden baroque, and rich – existence to regard with compensational almost seems youth poetic Miron’s Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry It was neither poetry of a of poetry neither was It dandy who turns necessity into virtue, a 1993. 257. Białoszewskiego. M.Głowiński,Z. Łapiński(eds)Wydawnictwo IBLPAN (Warszawa) H. Kirchner„“Tworzenie Mirona.Noweźródła biograficzne”In:Pisanie rather different origin. It results from the experience of uncanniness of the of uncanniness of experience the from results It origin. different rather dandy and he longed for things of beauty, even though he had to had he though even beauty, of things for longed he and dandy as Unheimliche der Unheimliche tool of everyday communication with the ability, or even desire, even or ability, the with communication everyday of tool The fascination with what is accessible to category immediately leads us in the direction of the Freudianthe of direction the in us leads immediately category be a , but the convenient Freudian trope is trope Freudian convenient the but Gewöhnlichkeit, phenomenologist of what Freudian discourse would Wiklina “tramp” nor “a nor “tramp” more suitable interpretation of interpretation suitable more – invites rather sentimental sacralizations sentimental rather invites – be facing its – so to choice definitely more aesthetic than poetry of oddment.” Białoszewski oddment.” of poetry The Revolution of Things, of Revolution The touch and sight, gener- say – positive variety. be a poetic cultivated in the the severe poverty of poverty severe the utter half–truths misunderstand- scandal to scandal Unheimliche 6 closer settle phi-

as as is is for its immanentization or assimilation) represents the modern epiphany. our knowledge of it (both visual knowledge and one previously acquired that allow resisting and non–obvious suddenly yet and necessary almost and natural form, Beginning with Hofmannsthal, the appearance of an ordinary thing in its proper bordering on awe is the epiphanic scene of appearance, the aura of event in itself. of marvel still concerns, conventionally, the “high” object of rhetorical to is task “Our writes: Koźmian Kajetan poet 7 as losophy” Kant would have said. 10 9 8 Nights of Un–separateness”] the subject the Un–separateness”] of Nights [The nieoddzielenia” “Noce In starfish]). [We, rozgwiazdy” („My Dispersed.” / anything. from separate Not / starfish. “Weare extension: cosmic its also is It ” is more than the locus of manifestation of as the “Self The subject reveals itself as a where the appearance of things is always helped by the presence of the subject. the of presence the by helped always is things of appearance the where precisely how an epiphany happens also in the phenomenon never ceases to becauseExhaustion”things of of appearance the facilitates Białoszewski [BCZ]) O / me grow…Strike reality of stairs that / to to marvel mitage With Calling”[BCZ]) I

astonish myself / and comment on the lives of things around me.” (“Of My Her- poets. Białoszewski:Idyllic Zaleski An older division of labor, as Aleksander Wat observes, assumed surprise and surprise assumed Watobserves, Aleksander labor,as of division older An elsewhere. (2001) p.Landn. Bielik-Robsondevelopstheidea inDuchpowierzchni.126,343and et. al.,T. Gadacz(ed.)withanIntroductionby A.Bielik-Robson.PWN,Warszawa [Sources oftheSelf:TheMaking of theModernIdentity]transl.M.Gruszczyński “Introduction” to Ch.Taylor Źródłapodmiotowości.Narodzinytożsamościnowoczesnej subject aswellthepowerof gazecomplementingthesphereofontologyin to participate”ofthe disenchanted world”andtherelated, inextricable„“will A. BielikRobsondiscussesepiphany as„“providingaffirmativepowerinthe Universitas, Kraków(2001)41andelsewhere. Ryszard Nyczdiscussesmodernepiphanyin Literatura jakotroprzeczywistości. remain unknownto themselves–hasbeenmythemeutseemsmeforever.” philosophy andliteratureto notknowthisaboutoneanother– that extent Wordsworth's perceptionofusaswithout"interest,"inPoe's "perverseness."Why heroes, inEmerson'sandThoreau's"silentmelancholy""quiet desperation," in responded to inliterature,uncountedotherguises–Shakespeare'stragic and to language,thatisknownwhatyoumightcallliterature,oranyway Descartes, HumeandKant) isa relationtotheworld,and others, andtomyself, “My ideaisthatwhatinphilosophyknownasskepticism(forexample, asin Lines inScepticismandRomanticism,ChicagoUniversityPress, Chicago1988.154: in:Cavell,InquestoftheOrdinary: UncanninesoftheOrdinary” S. Cavell“The K. Rutkowski (ed.)Polonia BookFund, London 1985.135-136. „“Dziewięć uwag doportretuJózefaStalina”In:A. Wat. Światnahakui pod kluczem. 10 This division was abandoned in Romanticism – in – Romanticism in abandoned was division This e h dmi o pioohr wie h ts amrto ws given was admiration task the while philosophers of domain the be necessary catalyst, an interaction and a please and amaze him: “I 7 What evokes anxious attention or fascination is The Revolution of Things [Obroty rzeczy] a structure of my world!” („My Jacobs („My world!” my of structure co–existence. “It is from my breast my from is “It co–existence. gaze, marvel and praise.” His sense His praise.” and marvel gaze, principium individuationis. gape astonished / and Balon, co–presence, sentimental decorum 8 This is (in 9

127 128 diversified since Romanticism: next to next Romanticism: since diversified words] turnsintoanincantation, ina prayerfulchant. to attempt Finally,the things. of existence the of order proper the as allegory,late of order the words, other in language, of order the poems, revealed is its ontological status: the thing becomes a a is poem own his appearance in several scenes, perseverations, and alternations. Białoszewski writes an makes turnip” of “greybrowness floor,texture, the and of color presence its the O [Bless, błogosław!” “Podłogo, In shrouding.” monumental of elements/ Mickiewicz’s subject in a to began beauty Romantic awe. or Beauty that demanded admiration, but admiration accompanied by a a Admittedly, 11 to tion admira- poetic compared Romantics the of One sex”). “fairer case, particular this worthy ofordinarinesstakingtheformmysteryplay: needs to things are illuminated by an aura of positive sublimity and this appearance of things cognitive helplessness in the face of strange order. In the scene of their of manifestations or resistance forth bring or him, confuse nor frighten not does admiration understoodinsuchnaïveterms. ask what they mean, it is enough that they not does one admiration, evoke that phenomenon or object reality.an Facedwith to Beauty,according gaze. “naive” the with to ready are they subject, the on discourse the of intellectualization of degree poets gladly position themselves in this aesthetic, although, tired with the growing post–Romantic The awe. and admiration by both accompanied is phenomena and

category in the investigation of the nature of esthetic experience. In the gaze of gaze the In experience. esthetic of nature the of investigation the in category This presentation is has been making appearance forms in poetry in increasingly the “enters it when evening the in beautiful” also “is poem the in stove The Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The instance of the of instance The S. Coleridge, Biografia Litteraria,Vol. 1,London 1817.85. a find appropriate representation in the language of the poet, a . Each increasingly devout presentation of the object in the in object the of presentation devout increasingly Each Metamorphoses. child’s sense of wonder. of sense child’s trace of what its essence appears to appears essence its what of trace my colander. (“GreyEminencesofRapture”[BCZ]) in yourrichness How unrestrainedyouare against theair. your hollowedhalfgloberoundtheeyes and thatyoushinesoina monstranceofbrightnesswhenIraise that youhavesomanyartificialstars. that youarea skyandkaleidoscope How gladI am hlspe i te evc o a of service the in philosopher Sonnets of the Crimea, appearance 11 But the Romantic poet became a became poet Romantic the But of things does not awe the speaking subject, it subject, speaking the awe not does things of relish the sublime, where awe is an important an is awe where sublime, the relish poetry that entered the circle of tormented of circle the entered that poetry “concerting word” – as in Czachorowski’s are. Białoszewski strives to Josif Brodski, strips away sense from sense away strips Brodski, Josif wonder at the world of natural objects be. Throughout this chase, changes chase, this Throughout be. eoe aslt, h aslt of absolute the absolute, beloved

fearful wonder representation representation philosopher. be a express [in express appearance, child of Floor!] side as positively experienced of mundane activities directs us most successfully at the notion of everyday lived “drama ofsmallthings.” details will soon become a way.extraordinary trivial seemingly and insignificant things, ordinary Norwid, In a case, particular this (in things nary ordi- of scene the with preoccupied is Mickiewicz else, anything with than More (5). occurrence” plain of “dignities of spoke who Wordsworth was It ones. simplest the by precisely – things” of “surprise the by inspired Baudelaire), (vide epiphanically hymnal (vide Novalis) but also ironic, a celebratory,is that poetry also is there awesome, and sublime the with delectation 15 14 13 12 visited theallegedgraveofHomerinSmyrna. insignificant. Mickiewicz gives an intriguing reply to a only are occurrences plain of dignities sacralized. is everyday Białoszewski’s – noted have critics as – moreover dread, of instead to out turns reality “strangeness,” its of Because it. strengthens and attractive more reality makes to use we that system symbolic the Other,in a not is Białoszewski in Strangeness out. inside reality of tion result in tormenting repetitions, it does not deprive of sense and turn our defini- not does character.It its in demonic or sinister Tuwimnot in is Gombrowicz, or – sources familiar and literary more into look too – or Freud in than differently the “idyll of one’s own room”) is the fact that the strangeness of everyday objects, suggests what (and noted be should What Hermitage…”). My (“Of amazement” a Things, of Revolution

Białoszewski:Idyllic Zaleski The world is a is world The skulls, a of manure and rubbish, all remains thrown in together: filth, rubbish, swill, bones, broken I time, asitalllookedto melikefrontofaninninPoland. (561) Warszawa (1964). J. Kwiatkowski„“Liturgia i abulia”in:J.Kwiatkowski, Kluczedowyobraźni.PIW, rzeczywistości. 90andelsewhere. allegories” asan novel “projectofanepiphanicdiscourse” inLiteraturajakotrop in Norwid’sBlackFlowersandWhite becomethecenterpointof„“simple Nyczdescribes thosetrivialeventsanddetailsthat version). ActI,Sc.I.8-14.R. sole oftheshoe–to seesoulatworkitisdrama!” Norwid,Aktor[Actor](second „“A small thing!Isitathing?…toseeinthemovementofheel,/ cork M. ZielińskaMickiewicz.Encyklopedia . ŚwiatKsiążki, Warszawa (2001)561. After: D.Siwicka.Turcja In:J.M.Rymkiewicz, D.Siwicka,A.Witkowska, Methuen, London(1971)5. „“Dignities ofplainoccurrence”.After:P.V. MarinelliPastoral. TheCriticalidiom. was entirely uninterested in that!…There was [at the entrance to entrance the [at was that!…There in uninterested entirely was

15 piece of old shoe sole, some feathers – that I It is the gesture of sacralization and the accompanying ritualizationaccompanying the and sacralization of gesture the is It “storehouse of contemplation”of “storehouse to be friendly and deserving of adoration, it evokes admiration evokes it adoration, of deserving and friendly be place of “the carnival of poetry,/ for a for poetry,/ of carnival “the of place

14 Unheimliche. Ordinary objects and actions do not evoke medium of most strange correspondence and epiphanic pile of rubbish) making an appearance in an in appearance an making rubbish) of pile step away from the dignity of trivial and trivial of dignity the from away step tame the world. On the contrary,the it On world. the tame

liked the most. It stood there for a his friends’ insistence that he the author the author of author the author the record of negative sublimity 13 Homer’s Tomb] Homer’s a solemn unceasing solemn hole in the Great the in hole 12 And

long The pile

129 130 “być (znaleźć się) w expression the WitoldDoroszewski, by archaic as Qualified language]. their use ręką, więc językiem biorą nas w umieją nie juryści, “Zwyczajnie – turn] spin, [revolution, obroty)” (pl. “obrót of Polish Language Dictionary cites a kogoś w language: in Polish, things can “take a a in motion, in therefore of ultimatethings: majesty the than lesser way any in not is forms those of majesty the But istence. therefore, Things, nimble.” “agile, means rozmowy)” [turn of direction, turn of events, conversation turn]. “Obrotny” [adj.] (sprawy,tok przebieg, kierunku, “zmiana as such expressions in present also is to theology.appear Things finally captured, and thus it exists in an almost divine way known from apophatic to But they exist not only in the perspective of loss. They are lost in other ways, too. is evident to wonderful! – but they always break, become lost, fall apart or are destroyed. This to resentation of things is drastically subjectified. The elegiac perspective turns out up on the monologic utterance – but never on the subject, and his manner of rep- gives often he – lyrical “pre–romantically” is Białoszewski poet, postmodern or 17 16 leads to they become the object of attention, they evade description. Their contemplation when sublime: appear not do they that mean not does which amazement, awed it always has the character of epiphany.of character the has always it is an old trope that found its way from tragedy to exclusively with reference to andalways but itself, for subject no of treat must it but subject, any of treat may to elegy believed Coleridge subject.speaking the of presence the of exponent – reflection in monody located and genre favorite their as elegy chose Romantics The lyric. the of such, as and, utterance monodist the of prototype the poetry, of starting subjectivization the the of as form itself reveals elegy the and recognition, of scene the in present anagnorisis

be also his perspective, even if it is not directly evoked. Things be something yet different. Does it exist at all then? If it does, it can never be never can it does, it If then? all at exist it Does different. yet something be In the scene of recognition, the alleged nature of things always reveals itself reveals always things of nature alleged the recognition, of scene the In Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry (1992). 11andelsewhere. Gallant, Munroand thePoetics UniversityPress, ofElegy,McGill-Queens Quebec Cornell UniversityPress, Ithaca1967.36andelsewhere;K.E.SmytheFiguring Grief. Compare: A.F. Potts TheElegiacMode:Poetic Form inWordsworth andOtherElegist, Pensylvania State UniversityPress, University Park andLondon (1988)15. After: C.M.Schenck MourningandPanegyric. ThePoetics ofPastoral Ceremony.The the scene of recognition. obroty” obroty” implies engaging or forcing someone into an intense activity. The is always a always is Białoszewski who took years to obrotach” means “to recognition by someone – subjective perspective is always is perspective subjective – someone by recognition volatile form. A form. volatile us always in their “revolution” [PL obrót, [PL “revolution” their in always us be “form of poetry natural to natural poetry of “form be the ” poet (15). himself sentence by Henryk Rzewuski as one of the usages obroty.” [Since they cannot do it by hand, jurists Anagnorisis, turn” [PL: przybierają obrót] and to find oneself in trouble.” Revolution [obrót] 16 One should emphasize that the elegiac the that emphasize should One trace of this instability is found in the in found is instability this of trace appear write or recognition, revelation, discovery, A in their accidental forms of ex- of forms accidental their in pastoral elegy. In modern elegy 17 Memoir of the Warsaw Uprising. As expected of a the reflective mind. It mind. reflective the are – and this is late modern . obroty] pl. “brać idyll ofbeingitself. there lies a a fact in is strategy poetic Białoszewski’s contrary,the On poet. the of role the from to subscribes he pastoral the it cannot be placed within the tradition of “the idyll of lyrical inspiration,” of the ’56 generation, Białoszewski has a to applicable not essay.his in writes Łukasiewicz ” is observation this seen, already have as But, self a “dances” – as the poets of old did, recalled by Aleksander Wat. And his poetry becomes tone will not change much in his latter volumes, though it is never as clear as here. of Things 20 19 18 in turn, in someone “considering himself a himself “considering someone in turn, in ates the idyll of writing as participation in the in participation as writing of idyll the ates

figure of mystery play, of laudatory ritual, of apotheosis. The voice of Białoszewski:Idyllic Zaleski One could say that, as a “‘A speaker the poems Białoszewski’s in joy; adoration, of act an becomes Writing because literally everything is the locus of constant metamorphoses that fascinate and Op.cit. 237.Balcerzan continues:„“InBiałoszewski everythingisworthyofrespect question. (op.cit. 230,229) to “Song onPorcelain” admitting thatMiłosz,too,callsthispositive mythologyinto “agonizing shameofwriting.”One shouldadd,however, thatBalcerzanpoints and contrastsitwithRóżewicz’spoems fromthatperiod,bearingwitnessto the inspiration,” inotherwords,anexpression ofoptimisticmythologypoeticart, Balcerzan classifiesMiłosz’s„“Do Tadeusza asan„“idylloflyrical Różewicza poety” liryczne. WSiP, Warszawa (1982)239. childlike andrefined.E.Balcerzan, Poezja polskaw latach1939-1966,Vol. 1:Strategie – aswereadin“Próba dopasowaniasię”from Rachunekzachciankowy–a joyboth “Art” Balcerzanwrites:„“isa ‘joy ofmultiplicationeverythingbyeverything’ rag–man’ cannot afford optimism in the attitude to belongs to what a pity. (“A Ballad OfGoingDownTo The Store”[BCZ]) how peoplewalk you didnotsee What a pity and I passedoneanotherby. Then acquaintancesofstrangers down stairs. would youbelieveit, down thestairs, First I wentintothestreet and you,dusts…(“Of MyHermitage…”) and youtoo,fork… that youshouldfillmewithconstantwonder, Wall, I amnotworthy tolerance ‘for everything that exists.’” . It is thus not surprising that Białoszewski does not shy away shy not does Białoszewski that surprising not thus is It otium. Białoszewski! Unlike Różewicz, Czycz, Bursa, and the “turpists” the and Bursa, Czycz, Różewicz, Unlike Białoszewski! an ecstatic who dances before the majesty of ordinary things. This record of described experiences, the text itself becomes positive poetic mythology and even though strategy of “arch–poet”: “at the core of it of core the “at “arch–poet”: of strategy poet” seems to seems poet” happening

20 Naturally! The sense of being at his art and towards him- of the world. The latter, The world. the of be a be it. Balcerzan notes that notes Balcerzan it. consequence of the of consequence The Revolution 19 it cre- 18

131 132 used to used up on representation) and poetry itself – a to in verse, the language of the poem as a as poem the of language the verse, in post–mallarmean exponent of Orphisms posits the poet as an intelligence writing to a is title Her writes. immortality,Urbaniak Language seen as an “inexhaustible source” is the cause and the legitimization of a into turns dirge the plaint, a add, should one is, (“Endowed with a rebirth of metamorphosis the of figure the contains XXIV Song Kochanowski’s an Orphic praise of poetic art. A is XXIV Song Kochanowski’s Jan Poland, in Renaissance; European the of residuum magical, shamanistic powers of the poet and the causative character of language, of “Oh! Oh! Should They Take Away My Stove…”. reading her of title Urbaniak’s Irena is brass” than durable “More Białoszewski: in Orphism of echoes the hear poetry of readers that surprising hardly then is It 24 23 22 21 pastoral days to Orpheus considered poets earliest the from but such, as poetry symbolizes He Orpheus. of area thatsubjectto thepoet’sauthority. activity,an poetic therefore of object the becomes is” that “everything security: of home in the world equips Białoszewski’s subject with something more than a wringer” in wringer” the plays “Cecylia when resounds spheres the of music Things, of Revolution The

the Orphic tradition in the essay but the intuition did not fail her: the modern, the air” Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry naiby t h suc o te rhpe’ srtg tee is h character the lies there strategy arch-poet’s the of source the at Invariably of dazzleandmarvel.” render despairimpossible(…)Białoszewski’sherocannotfreehimself oftheweight initiatory pastoral,isOrphism.”Schenck,20 between pastoralismandPlatonism,Arcadianmodern formsof Mourning andPanegyric… cruciallink , 2andelsewhere,58elsewhere.“The and Mallarmé,StateUniversityofNewYork Press, Albany1994,C.M.Schenck McGaheyTheOrphicMoment.Shamanto Poet-ThinkerCompare: R. inPlato,Nietzsche orchestras? SuchasTheSaint CecyliaChorus &Orquestra (createdin1906) or Emannuel Bach, orperhapsCecylia’snameisanplay onthenameofone interval –fugue.” Perhaps then,itisa referenceto one ofthechorals byCarlPhilip in thepoem:“Saint Cecyliainpoliture/wheel–manual –Emmanuel/roller praising musicastheechoofdivine harmony. Matterscomplicate,however, further Orpheus,” HenryPurcell, withlyricbyNicolasBrady(“Ode to SaintCecilia”), The allusionseemsclearto thosefamiliarwith Hail! BrightCeciliabythe„“British Orphic Moment.…130. of ModernPoetry] PIW, Warszawa McGaheyfromThe (1978)153,thelatterbyR. First twoexpressionsfromH.Friedrich, Strukturanoweoczeasnejliryki [TheStructure Transl. MichaelJ.Mikoś echo with the music of the spheres (Friedrich 153; McGahey 130). McGahey 153; (Friedrich spheres the of music the with echo of ritual speech, language of mystery plays, can be found in the poets the in found be can plays, mystery of language speech, ritual of 22 – Orpheus was often portrayed as a TryptykPionowy pinion that is mighty and rare/ A reverse elegy or an unrealized elegy,a unrealized an or elegy reverse [VerticalTriptich]. be also their protagonist. their also be rendering of Horace’s famous hymn, into an incantation that is an affirmation). an is that incantation an into hymn, “singing mystery” (a mystery” “singing figure of lost wholeness, universe that metaphor, the author does not refer not does author metaphor,the 24 swan) – the birth of immortality. But there are also echoes of theof echoes also are there But

“My Inexhaustible Ode To poet of two forms, I 21 The Orphic belief in thein belief Orphic The Exegi monumentum… manque mystery as it gives it as mystery elegy (com- elegy will take sense

23 Joy” Joy” In In

sometimes I commands them: / “waves! put on your wigs / tssss” [BCZ]. “I to seem seawaves Structure” of Salt “The In VII,” Simichidas introduces into his narrative his own song and the song of Lycidas. Tityrus (containing utterances of others, Silenus in particular). In Theocritus’s “Idyll cally–philosophical” mysti - (in the words of “mysterious, its publisher) “Eclogue Virgil’sVI” is a tone. colloquial the and dialogue used gladly idylls Białoszewski, namely, the element of dialogue, always present in his poems. Ancient the Apollonian. and Dionysian the between stretching Orpheus, of condition liminal the figures of language, one that exists in a A euphonies, Białoszewski definitely could be referred to meaningful of power incantational the of advantage taking and presentation of his sense of humor and inexhaustible linguistic ingenuity, balancing on the verge longing for Wholeness: the table is a 25 “Stołowa piosenka prawie o becomes a for the idyll of human family. “We are not men, nor have other tie to allows uponIt one. contemplative one the and active another,the life: a is text the in inscribed a – dialogue his while a becomes obligations everyday from detached retreats, Arcadian native land and landscape, by closest neighborhood. The interlocutor – resident of tus’s idylls and Virgil eclogues – as well as the praise of the familiar represented by but the beginnings of the conversational idiom in poetry are to role, key the play considerations other there, From literature. high in professions several of language the and idiom folk speech, living of genres of appearance the debate, the tone of confession. This pedigree of dialogue forms blurs gradually, and with argument of tone the tone, colloquial its with introduced, is people simple of and culminating with an exchange of gifts. Accompanying the dialogue, the speech

singing mystery as well, one that entrusts its existence to Agon, or dispute, usually a But one should perhaps discuss one more echo of the pastoral poetic tradition in Białoszewski:Idyllic Zaleski have ownedtheirrecordingsofthe compositionsbyJ.S.Bach’sson. Orchestra dell’AkademiaNazionale deSantaCecylia(1908).Białoszewskimight much applicable to contemporary orphismvery well! reaching outside theeveryday.” Poezja polska…,238and242.It is anobservationvery all-poetry (…)a theoryofcommon poeticexperiencethatdoesnot setrequirements does notdemand admissionofitsuniquenessbut it attemptsto becomeatheoryof impossible (…)Białoszewski’sattempts to adjustEverything.(…)Hisarch-poetry everything isthelocusofconstant metamorphosesthatfascinateandrenderdespair arch-poet’s strategy. InBiałoszewskieverythingisworthyofrespectbecause literally Edward Balcerzancomments:„“Everything returns:thisisthefoundationof the figure of argument resolved in a am all things” he says “Liryka śpiącego.” [Verse Of The Sleeper] figure of debate by the free and happy. The conversation The happy. and free the by debate of figure ploy aiming at a at aiming ploy wszechbycie” [A poetic competition between herders in a constant oscillation of meanings whose flickering sufficient reason for poem with a compromise between two forms of social of forms two between compromise

civilized, peaceful, even friendly manner Table Song Almost Of The Universe]. play Bach and the poet – Orpheus, – poet the and Bach play as intelligence writing verse. change the idyll of solitude of idyll the change the volatile substance be found in Theocri- am all things/ and figure of citizen of figure monologue of

quiet retreat, telling title: 25 With

133 134 that itisconcernedwithethicalgoals(Ettin3). in a to he seems to a worldly life. “The man of opinion,” in other words – the “worldly” man, always wears a was solitude Origin of Inequality Among Men that he derives the sense of his own existence,” Rousseau writes in his essay it is from their judgment alone that he derives the sense of his own judgment alone social man “lives outside himself, knowing to munity becomes, taking the form of aporia. 31 30 29 28 27 26 but by our word,” Montaigne comments (87). writers and readers had no doubts that the that doubts no had readers and writers The Great Improvisation – “Alone! Ah man!” – concerning precisely the language) he writes it provoked by the language which (as one learns from the famous line in but text his in only himself is He it. of outside and solitude beloved of world the understanding. The subject of Mickiewicz’s “To Todorov(138). demands that one flee from others in order to a the reader in the text becomes a a it in facto de tempting with the promise of self–sufficiency but evoking fear as well, seen also as

mask, Rousseau writes in substitute for direct communication. “Writingwhich communication. activity direct paradoxical for that substitute is outline the difference between with others. “I his sociability. (Todorov 133) alone.” (III, 3, 625). Solitude is the means but not the end; in Montaigne's case, it improves The closer to possibility this offers to in general but "servitude and obligation"; what he cherishes is not solitude as such, but the Montaigne's position is clear: what he is fleeing, in the final analysis, is not human society Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry modern fashion, made the other a Op.cit. 138. After T. Todorow Ogródniedoskonały.107. examples. Adam Zagajewski’s 1983essay, „“Solidarnośći samotność”isone ofthelast T. Todorow Ogródniedoskonały….133. A.V. EttinLiteratureandthePastoral, Yale UniversityPress, NewHaven(1984)3. Todorow, i J.M. Kłoczowski,Czytelnik,Warszawa (2003). 133.[Translation basedon:T. T. Todorow Ogródniedoskonały. MyślhumanistycznaweFrancji. transl.H.Abramowicz (1957. 87).Thisparticularremark refersto takingresponsibilityforwords.After: M. deMontaignePróby[Essays]Vol. 1.Transl. T. Boy-Żeleński,PIW, Warszawa happy solution. Solitude is illusory, as for the writing man the presence of presence the man writing the for illusory,as is Solitude solution. happy impossible, becomes “dearly beloved solitude,” as the contradiction finds contradiction the as solitude,” beloved “dearly becomes impossible, be, is everything. One could say that it was Rousseau who was the first Imperfect Garden: The Legacy of Humanism. Imperfect Garden: The Legacy 31 treasure that allowed to allowed that treasure ohe Romantics added to added Romantics ohe throw myself into affairs of state and into the world more readily when I modernity, the more intriguing the dialectic of solitude and com- him to Emile. That which he is, seems nothing to 28 (Todorov 107). focus and find himself so as finally to substitute of presence, while the text itself becomes être and guarantee of individualized subjectivity: the avoid the trap of alienating mechanisms of mechanisms alienating of trap the avoid paraître. It was also Rousseau who, already this the questioning of the possibility of possibility the of questioning the this 29 pastoral 30 Todorov comments that for Rousseau, meet them more effectively,” observes live only in the opinion of others. And 26

T Unlike in modernism, Renaissance 27 e Solitude” is “an exile in both” – in manages to Princeton University Press (2002) is an allegorical utterance and utterance allegorical an is avoid aporia: solitude, communicate better him and what On the am of culture. of idea the of commonalization and domestication the in especially sphere, the public of “domestication” the in results dimension private the of and “domestic” conversation the of public making The created. were poems Białoszewski’s when a of also but sociability of to o („Zadumanie speaking of a becoming stronger, grows conversation of element the Things, of lution beyond the code, allowing to of language (“An Evening Conversation”), in a mediation the without accessible is accessible, latter,if The original? the of place the take then, substitute, the Can says. it than different something means always a is 33 32 munication assumed by the poetry of social realism turned out to after all, he had a though he does not share the enthusiasm of his avant–garde predecessors a with is whom, writing Białoszewski, debuting For that. only not culminating intheutopianvisionofsocietyartists. presence of the other, the reader – a loneliness is undesirable and soon, fortunately, becomes impossible: the co-creative ence of language is no longer a For a are asleep, the landscape of left-bank Warsaw evokes images of ancient Mesopotamia in the suburbs while right next to of shameful inferiority. His Madonnas from Raphael’s paintings enjoy carousel rides sentiments that have always pushed manifestations of plebeianism into the sphere a is Białoszewski

h nx aqie nw ess a odnr cnesto bcms n allegory an becomes conversation ordinary an senses: new acquires next the Białoszewski:Idyllic Zaleski Conversation is, clearly, marked with impaired understanding but in Białoszewski lives in the conversation, he sees is as theater as is sees he conversation, the in lives Białoszewski deceptive occurrence, blurring and mutilating the intention of the speaker: it speaker: the of intention the mutilating and blurring occurrence, deceptive Tadeusza Micińskiego , Wydawnictwo Literackie,Kraków(1978)32and elsewhere. retoryki nadmiarudoutopiipozakodowej.” Żywiołwyzwolony. Studiumo poezji the RomanticsbypoetsofYoung Poland” isdiscussedbyJanProkop in:„“Od Mickiewicz. Thedreamofa communication„“beyondthecode,” inheritedfrom discussed byCavell. a social habitus.Thisandsimilar Romanticconceptsofdemocratization ofcultureare the Emersonianide ofanintellectualdemocracyand hisconceptofthecommonas Formulated byEmerson,„“domestication oftheideaculture” isa realizationof strictly postmodern poet, such as the avant–garde Przyboś, the non–transpar- 33 and withthehumpofunderstanding.(O mojejpustelni…) before myfellowbeings with thehumpofhumility Be then–O I!—humpbacked I don’t write forwardrobesonly. After allI speaktomen This commonalization is essentially synonymous to synonymous essentially is commonalization This lot in common (maybe this is precisely because the model of com- true rarity in a in rarity true political dialogue, disappearing or hidden in the years the in hidden or disappearing dialogue, political “pour the soul straight into another” (“Conversation”). in kmeize”, n fo oe ok f poems of book one from and kamienicznej”), sieni problem and justifies the Romantic, aristocratic culture laden with gentry with laden culture aristocratic Romantic, them their neighbors, “tenants of Art Nouveau,” future poet – is something expected and assumed, utopia of direct communication, one kind of conversation, even conversation, of kind raison d'être of the poet, but . And lettre. la avant be its caricature.) democratization. The Revo notation 32 -

135 136 34 manuel / – roller – interval – fugue,” and sheets are hung to golden Homers” hang down, the roller of the wringer turns, “wheel –manual – Em- whose bazaar rams are crowned with “Aurignac aureoles” and where “sheepskins of to is philosophy of task the that and mean we what nor think, we what neither know position for knowing it than any other man – unless wanting to wanting unless – man other any than it knowing for position reach, even if (especially because) it remains within man: “No man is in any better and which makes the search for ordinariness the most difficult task within human to closer us bringing with or to or use, ryday a philosophical distrustbehindhispractice. is there that suggests volume debut Białoszewski’s Already self–knowledge. of ity to things of world alienating with no trace of the struggle with the difficulty in translating from the strange and to avoids, It style. ordered and high of standards the avoids language Białoszewski’s when it is the effort to position. And this discovery about himself is the same as the discovery of philosophy, n etrta oref”(xiii). way to northeansweranybetterthanyourself

bring us to s Młs’ tr, a term, Miłosz’s use Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry This commonalization also includes his poetic diction – and not without a One of the first statements of Cavell’s of statements first the of One Of Essays. CUP, 2002. xiii] Nowa 2000nr12,s.99. [Cavell’squotationfrom:MustWe MeanWhatWe Say?A Book S. LaugierKoncepcja zwykłościi demokracjaintelektualna , transl.M.Apelt,ResPublica And whothoughtup And whoseideawasit And whosetongue called “closeathand”… one ofthose a heavenly body Try andcatch Piercing usinnebulae. and round. And theygoround This seemsself–evidentto theauthorofTheRevolutionThings: the dimmerstars?(“On TheRevolutionOfThings”[BCZ]) go roundthebrightones? that dimmerstars the MilkyDropofanobject? has savoredto thefull ourselves – to replace the conceptual knowledge of the world with a with world the of knowledge conceptual the replace find answers and permit questions, which nobody knows the poel st tn, a tone, set” “properly bring back words from their metaphysical to ourselves – which is not something self-evident at all at self-evident something not is which – ourselves the language of the subject endowed with the abil- the with endowed subject the of language the Must We Mean What We Say We What Mean We Must la ad nesadbe diction understandable and clear

34 dry by “Saint Veronica.” know is a is know sensual one, sensual is that we that is their eve-

reason. reason. special his profession. przekłady”) is both an everyday and a and everyday an both is przekłady”) („Dwa mattress” the from “translation or umbrella” an of “translation the as such of ourselves lie in waiting? Reports on the meetings of mutually irreducible beings, deficiency of speech and the strangeness of things hastily assumed to leave the word get to we do how pisać”): umiem („Nie asks he word?” the of out way the is “What faith. good much too with and thoughtlessly too adopted language of labyrinths the in poetry,of task The to according 35

Białoszewski:Idyllic Zaleski R. Nycz, Literatura jakotrop….226. Oho! R. expressible” inspired by„”…jak to powiedzieć”from Białoszewski’slatervolume, Ryszard Nyczformulatesthe notionoftranslationfrom„“the factualintothe 35

the thing without losing ourselves in the world where both the Białoszewski, is to is Białoszewski, most difficult practice for a for practice difficult most bring us back to back us bring Translation: AnnaWarso ourselves, lost ourselves, poet aware of aware poet be extensions

137 138 of EwaLipska: words the in is, presented been has What suggestions. semantic of devoid remains a as confusing sometimes is it hand, other the On irretrievable. and likely because it allows access to of the meaning of the one, unique moment. The purpose of this essay is to is essay this of purpose The moment. unique one, the of meaning the of image, it offers a which tries to 1 structing theirmeaning. however,which, ekphrases, photographicto leave of poetry Polish in number large the hence case, the usually is former The comment. explanatory an providing and image momentary of tion a between choice the insurmountable; seems aporia resulting The presented from a

Photography has become a of theTwentieth Century The OneMoment:PhotographinginPolish Poetry . Zalewski Cezary In this context, a Paweł Pyrka) Lipska, Ewa. Żywaśmierć . Kraków:Wydaw. Literackie,1979.49.Print. (translatedby time to think in whichtherewasno the onemoment captured onfilm solve this problem differently. Instead of solely focusing on captured

genetic perspective, allowing for a reconstruction of the process that led to more interesting, though uncommon, trend seems to 1 frequently used device in contemporary poetry, most scenes which, having already occurred, are unique the reader the often difficult task of recon- of task difficult often the reader the

more explicit and clear indication its creation. The image is direct recep- direct subject, as it as subject, be the one present requires a panying phenomena: the spectral flames confirmed by both the dynamic nature of each of these visions, as well as all accom- is hypothesis body,This the ectoplasm. of psychic parts of equivalent poetic the is Jasieński”) Bruno poet the of photograph diumistic-magnetic spaces (the realm of painting of realm (the spaces to effort an made or it a as who commentators, its puzzled long has 4 3 2 photographs aswithphotographing. with concerned much so not are reasons such for precisely that texts poetic three 8 7 6 5 the keyboardinstrument(95-6;94). However, accordingto themonographer:“ it would gradually take on the shape and properties of some (usually dead) person. formless, and mist-like Initially medium. the of proximity the in ectoplasm called tracing a “horizon” ofsorts,uponwhichthephotograph andphotographingappear. period especially since these ideas were extremely popular (and recognizable) in the interwar interpretation cannot, therefore, ignore the references to full-sized humanfigure.Oftentheyareonlyhands,headsorbusts”(105-6). a full-sized

TheOneMoment:PhotographinginPolish Poetry… Zalewski Thus, the initial sequence of images in which there appear several separated several appear there which in images of sequence initial the Thus, poem The I Not all mediums possess the ability to ability the possess mediums all Not Participants in séances would invariably observe the appearance of a of appearance the observe invariably would séances in Participants Główny: GebethnerI Wolff, 1922.30. Print. (translatedbyPaweł Pyrka) Czyżewski, Tytus. Noc--dzień: MechanicznyInstynktElektryczny.Kraków:Skład Ibid. 94. Ibid. 95-96 Miesięcznika "Lotos", 1939.105-106.(translatedby Paweł Pyrka) Świtkowski, Józef. Okultyzm IMagjaWświetleParapsychologji . Lwów:Nakł.Red. Ochorowicz attheturnofcentury. worth notingthatauthorsofthose textsusetheterminologyintroducedbyJulian (Occultism, MagicandParapsychology), Lwów1939,byJózefŚwitkowski.Itis 1936, bothbyLudwikSzczepański andOkultyzmi magiawświetleparapsychologii Polish Mediums), Kraków1936,Spirytyzmwspółczesny(ModernSpiritism), Mediumizm współczesnyi wielkiemediapolskie (Modern MediumismandGreat As showninnumerouspublications oftheperiod.Themostimportantinclude: Print. W Koncepcjach Polskiej Awangardy, 1918-1939 . Kraków:Universitas,2005.120-123. LiteraturaI SztukiWizualnePrint.; Śniecikowska,Beata. Słowo--obraz--dźwięk: Cf. Lipski,JanJózef."O Poezji Tytusa Czyżewskiego." Twórczość 6 (1960):74-75. Czyżewskiego)." Poezja 1 (1969):40. Cf. Pollakówna, Joanna."SpełnienieDwoiste (Uwagi O Twórczości Tytusa 5 . Czyżewski introduced them to specific context, one that has been directly indicated in the title. A (“Me- Jasieńskiego Brunona poety fotografia Mediumiczno-magnetyczna familiarize it, by placing in the intersemiotic or intertextual intertextual or intersemiotic the in placing by it, familiarize 3 or surrealism or the initial and final sections of his texts, thus 7 and a exude enough ectoplasm to ectoplasm enough exude 4 , respectively). Undoubtedly, the poem Undoubtedly,poem respectively). the , result have either completely ignored ignored completely either have result kind of telekinesis, magnetism and mediumism, 2 by Tytus Czyżewski by 8 used to materialize complete complete activate matter 6

139 140 the experience, interrupting the sleep in a in sleep the interrupting experience, the verbalize it, independent of the magnetizer. However, only the magnetizer can end people, instead leaving them active so they can experience their state internally and distribution oftheopeningonomatopoeia). to corresponds line last the of form graphic the poem, Czyżewski’s in (thus, 10 9 According to (172-5). sleep magnetic called Ochorowicz into the sphere of another ritual. The eccentric spiritual séance becomes what Julian of sanctum inner (secret) a the with replaced is house the of interior the formed: trans- radically is space order,while somatic of center the becomes heart the Thus, equivalent of the magnetizer’s gestures designed to sound the as line opening the in onomatopoeia the interpret we if especially sleep, the sphere of in ritual. This move another signals it because dysfunctional, not Special is temple. displacement Weekend the inside secret) (most shown is house the of instead changed: to break thisrule: “inward” is the nature of the images (spine, lungs). However, the final vision seems legs, fingers, hair) take part in it, and vice versa: the closer to corners of the living room), the more external parts of the body (hands, brain, eyes, to a a in them of each (almost) though time, same the ous technique. He emphasizes three times that all of these “activities” take place at as referring to referring as magnetic sleep. The onomatopoeia in the opening line most likely can be interpreted they magnetizethesubjectto putthemsleep(209).

parallelism that arranges both somatic and spatial components based in relation in based components spatial and somatic both arranges that parallelism temple. This spatial shift is not dysfunctional, however, as it signals the passage passage the signals it as however, dysfunctional, not is shift spatial This temple. the “center”. The farther the vision is located (adjacent room, kitchen, bathroom, However, Czyżewski clearly modifies the course of the séance, using a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry In order, therefore, appears somatic center (heart), and the space is radically is space the and (heart), center somatic appears therefore, order, In Gebethnera I Wolffa, 1917.172-175.Print. Cf. Ochorowicz, Julian. Psychologia I Medycyna.Cz.II. Warszawa: Skł.Gł.W Księgarni Ibid. 209. I wake you you drowninorangewater and youceaseto live you areattheceilingofa Gothiccathedral you aretellingmeinyoursleep The furthercourseisthenrelatedasfollows: inside thechalicetabernacle and isatthismoment heart stopsbeating Ochorowicz, magnetic sleep (as opposed to the sound equivalent of movements that the magnetizer the that movements of equivalent sound the udziwniony seance wake you 9 In fact, it probably always was magnetic magnetic was always probably it fact, In is in fact what Julian Ochorowicz called similar fashion to fashion similar put the magnetized person to different location. There is even is There location. different 10 hypnosis) does not subdue the medium, the more how it was induced was it how simultane- makes sleep. the as experience ofdeath,which,asinthecasedrowning,comestoosuddenly. second perspective on the other hand focuses on subjective sensations (anxiety) and The parts. its of all of destruction slow the and body the of disintegration causing death, of aspect somatic the emphasizes approach first The life. of fading evitable to sleep. Czyżewski chose Brunon Jasieński to own their relating inside, the from talks then and outside, the on experience their similar. The difference is in the perspective; the original medium first materializes to seems experience their of extent the but articulation, of means different use different, are rituals two The “begins.” sleep (magnetic) “ends,”and séance chic) to thanks images, dreamlike into turn visions 11 the séance or magnetic sleep. during conducted always was but essential, was Takingpictures late. already is A 13 12 to a “after” The avant-garde artist's strategy is exactly the opposite: Jasieński portrait is created séances present that which is extraordinary in terms of what is known and familiar. to cally explored. evidence that paranormal phenomena exist, phenomena paranormal that evidence

parapsychologist would probably remark that photographing at that moment that at photographing that remark probably would parapsychologist recover them. That which is ordinary will thus appear as uncanny and amazing. science as the artistic effect of such an operation is always limited. Photos from faithfully recreate the extreme sensations. They revolve around the slow yet in- yet slow the around revolve They sensations. extreme the recreate faithfully TheOneMoment:PhotographinginPolish Poetry… Zalewski h pe bilaty aae to managed brilliantly poet The Czyżewski’s intention is different. He does not intend to here the object ofinterest isnota person: Photographing appears to haveasimilarfunction in AntoniSłonimski’sNegatyw,but Gabriela. Fin-de-siècle'istka, Powieść. Kraków: Wydawn. Literackie, 1958.446.) though notvisible to all,werequiteapparentIndiananchorites.” to(Zapolska, positive andmaterialobjects.They aretheshellsofourmaterial‘self,’whicheven photographsyouseebeforearenot fromtherealmofwonders.Theyare “The Pyrka): sièclistka (1897).HereHelenaistryingto convince heradversary(translated byPaweł This wasthefunctionofphotograph ofectoplasmInGabrielaZapolska’sFin-de- "Lotos", 1939.125-130.Print. Józef. Okultyzm IMagjaWświetleParapsychologji. Lwów:Nakł.Red.Miesięcznika Nakładem Wydawnictwa "NaukaI Kultura", 1936.65-67.Print. andŚwitkowski, Cf. Szczepański,Ludwik. MedjumizmWspółczesny I Wielkie MedjaPolskie. Kraków: series of extraordinary effects, but in a in but effects, extraordinary of series and I conjureyourspectralface I copy tobromidepaper I bathe thefilmingoldenwater lit fromthesidebyglowoffires and I seeyourface light themagneticaurora I set thecamera Only nowthepoetdecidesto introducedevicepromisedbytitle: 11 The goal was to obn to cut rcie. Ectoplasmic practices. occult two combine be the “object” of both rituals in order 12 and should therefore be systemati- be therefore should and the sacred space, in which the (psy- the which in space, sacred the produce objective and irrefutable manner that makes it possible it makes that manner subject the photograph be 13

141 142 represented by the photographer’s monologue, refers in fact to fact in refers monologue, photographer’s the by represented to death fromtheperspectivesofsubjectandobject,simultaneously. rated fromthebody. in the poet’s eyes, while the face takes on a result also exhibits this relation: dread caused by deathly sleep probably appears to references metonymic contains paper) the merging universal dimensionisnotobviousandstillincomplete its of identification that reason this for probably is It reference. genuine of devoid apparently and brief too stereotypical, is that manner in situation eponymous the 15 14 poem The cal. presentation of “local” earthly reality, the stronger the emphasis on the metaphysi- a Barańczak’s Stanisław dissonances constructedusingthetechniqueofzoomingin andout. sions can be observed not only between the two perspectives – both contain internal to moves then a adopting by poem. It is organized analogically to a less atthesametime. or more American in was who Baudrillard, Jean “tourist,” another of reflections as “stranger,” immediately notices. In deciphering them we find most valuable the poet, the which practices society, American in exist that practices cultural other

student of English metaphysical poets, chooses antithesis as the conceit of his of conceit the as antithesis chooses poets, metaphysical English of student otc ytei o te eahscl n cnrt eprec; h cerr the clearer the experience; concrete and metaphysical the of synthesis poetic niae a indicate t em, oee, ht aaca dlbrtl ue a used deliberately Barańczak that however, seems, It h mduitcmgei poorp tu peet a presents thus photograph mediumistic-magnetic The II a taking of act very The Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry hy em seily motn we w cnie ta Brńzk a befits as Barańczak, that consider we when important especially seem They

Zeszyty Literackie, 1988.42.Print. (translatedbyPaweł Pyrka) Barańczak, Stanisław. Widokówka Z Tego świata:I Inne Rymy 1986-1988 . Paryż: Z Lat "W Daguerotyp RaczejPióro Zmieniam." Teksty Drugie 4 (1999): 178-79.Print. Stanisława Barańczaka." WDrodze1 (1990):98.Print. andLubaszewska, Antonina. Cf. Kandziora, Jerzy. "ObserwatorZaświatów. O Wierszach Metafizycznych (Słonimski, Antoni. GodzinaPoezji. Warszawa: Ignis,1923.63.) And wallsofdustintocathedralgloom. Pulsing poeticalityintopoundingofpoetry Turning cloudsofdayintoeveryday shadow Take a hugenegative And withthehissofmagnesium I will setupmytripod, agr ubr f hnmn. h poes f rpig a cropping of process The phenomena. of number larger negative strategy, outlining what will not be included in the frame, the in included be not will what strategy,outlining negative the proper presentation of what the photo will show.will However,photo ten- the what of presentation proper the Zdjęcie 14 (Photo) seems to seems (Photo) ioók z Widokówka photograph (flash of light) and its production (sub- production its and light) of (flash photograph the process of photographing; the poet begins (A świata tego be an exception to exception an be spectral quality – it is dead and sepa- (translated byPaweł Pyrka) otad rm hs ol) is World) this from Postcard 15 the two rituals. The final The rituals. two the . ytei, portraying synthesis, this rule, as it shows it as rule, this ceai approach schematic a whole range of range whole picture, Barańczak seems to the followingprincipleseemsto apply: a as showing joy was, he came to society. When Baudrillard wondered what the nature of the common phenomenon of a suggests it hand, other the shows a beamingsmile. tion idyllic. Instead of signs indicating a is totally focused on the individual dimension of the person, making the representa- and all experience related to subject photographed the around appear people other no If reconstructing. worth however,implies, parallelism a This misfortunes). issues, (of The act of removal is both physical (of people, words), and metaphorical, or internal 16 even withsucha goodstrategy, smile. theubiquitous,self-satisfied a produces it since frame (i.e. beyond the sphere of life), the resulting individualism becomes a

TheOneMoment:PhotographinginPolish Poetry… Zalewski Smile if you have nothing to nothing have you if Smile Such an image is, on the one hand, typical (especially for photography), but, on your facewiththezerodegreeofjoyandpleasure,smile,smile. out spontaneously in your smile. nor your total indifference to Print. Baudrillard, Jean, andChrisTurner (transl.). America . Londonetc.:Verso, 1988.34. mask, at the same time covering and creating distance. In America, therefore, America, In distance. creating and covering time same the at mask, to blur abit I’ll juststepbackmaybe expression, thepose; shadow; yes,thisisthe while awake,your focus to captureyourdream just likethat,letmeset oh yes,standstill In thesecondstagephotographerchangeshismethod: misfortunes andwords millions ofunnecessary remove fromtheframe let mejustzoominto in common;oh,thisisgood; with whichyouhavetoolittle to pass andissuestoo I’ll justwaitforthepeople Don’t move; yes,that’sit; The firststageisasfollows: vacuum devoid of subjectivity.A of devoid vacuum agree with Baudrillard’s diagnosis. By removing others from the the conclusion that its artificial, studied character acts their presence disappears, it would mean the portrait specific “style of behavior,” functioning in American in behavior,”functioning of “style specific say. Most of all, do not hide the fact you have nothing to say.nothing have you fact the hide not do all, of Most others. Let this emptiness, this profound indifference shine Give your emptiness and indifference to difficult experience, the face now probably chasm impossible to impossible chasm certain vision that is that vision certain 16 others, light up paradox, paradox, “cover” “cover” say

143 144 a the sameinthisregard. exhibit can a anyone if Because illusions. American of nature the exposes again Barańczak “images,” opposing two these contaminating By are. they unclear and silent, and thus could be seen as, paradoxically, the more accurate, the more blurred or self-knowledge,onlytautologicalrepetition. Simultaneously,identification “empty,”same. no however,remains the offering it a becomes It communication. of ecstasy the in pates and its purpose is not to such, it has nothing of the traditional image or scene, or of traditional theatricality, 17 tivate. Theessenceofthisactivity, however, ispureself-reference: to according Americans, which filming, detailed of practice to entation willbedonefroma distance,eliminatingalldetails. the inner experience (dream, thoughts) of the subject. On the other hand, the pres- portrait will be made accurately, so that, again, the external appearance the will reflect hand, one the On dissonance. stronger even shows presentation positive The is why the poet uses it consistently. The final part of the monologue reads as follows: intensity anddeepermeaninglessness.” surface their emphasizes doing, so in and, like, with like up hooks immediately hooked upto itself.

narcissistic tendency (thanks to (thanks tendency narcissistic copy of one person is no different from a from different no is person one of copy capture a capture The strategy of demystification serves to If so, then a a Thus Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Video, everywhere, serves only this end: it is a is it end: this only serves Video,everywhere, Froma Obtained in this way, the self-reflexivity reminds us of “a of us reminds self-reflexivity way,the this in Obtained Ibid. 37. a single-use flash and there’sjustone left though it’salreadydusk, yes, finally, staythiswaya moment; for a blinkofshutter; be quiet its laughunsympathetic a snapshot: lettime, thoughts, noothers yes, great,thesearethe in theface,onwallbackground; the lines photograph, even one focused on the “internal analysis,” also partici- also analysis,” “internal the on focused one even photograph, cultural perspective the dissonance is clearly weakened. The intention The weakened. clearly is dissonance the perspective cultural precise and multi-faceted image of a of image multi-faceted and precise photograph inevitably forsakes its unique, strictly individual aspect; present action or allow self-contemplation; its goal is photography), then on a on then photography), 17 integrate this antithetical poem and that copy of someone else. All are equally are All else. someone of copy screen of ecstatic refraction. As refraction. ecstatic of screen person seems analogous to analogous seems person doubling, a doubling, larger scale everyone is everyone scale larger Baudrillard often cul- often Baudrillard short-circuit which short-circuit mirror image of image mirror to the be risky, however, since,asSusanSontagpointedout,mostofthem always distant, often dating to ously. Regardless of whether they belong in the family album or not, their origin is grafuje uczennice z uczennice grafuje photographing. An example of its implementation is the poem the is implementation its of example An photographing. of act very the accompanied that intentions the on focuses used, rarely rather one to tempt a of elements the very moment it is taken becomes the proof of loss, a The first, described by Andrzej Sulikowski, Andrzej by described first, The techniques. different two purpose this for uses He current. is what and old is what Szuber avoids the nostalgic sentimentality by showing a its consequences. However, this effort is as pointless as it is energetic; a analysis seem to Thus photographs appear to a broader phenomenon,onewhichsointriguedBaudrillard: of example an just is This mechanical. the of persistence the suggest dusk at light to is purpose pal justification. The mechanism works like any other American device, whose princi- the camera not only signals the final stage of taking the photo, but also presents its to frame the in be not will or will what from focus of shift The 20 19 18

TheOneMoment:PhotographinginPolish Poetry… Zalewski the generalizedpathosoftimepast.(21) to tend photographs of intentions and qualities particular The 1900. today,to would, likely subject more its be of do not keep their emotional charge. A In the poetry of Janusz Szuber photographs appear as frequently, as unambigu- III to has Everything expenditure isanactofmourning.(68) seek to and cold) has to heat night, and day seasons, (the cycles natural of character intermittent the power,and I Inne Wiersze . Warszawa: J.Mortkowicz,1935. 79-80.Print.) perspective.(Tuwim,of howpathosappropriates theviewer’s Julian. BibljaCygańska Tuwim’s poemRyciny (presenting19 Sontag, Susan. OnPhotography.NewYork: Picador USA,2001.21.Print. N.B.Julian Ibid. 68. (2004): 113-14. Print. Sulikowski, Andrzej. "Twórczość Poetycka Janusza Szubera." Pamiętnik Literacki 2 reach what is deepest in the people portrayed. The second method, and method, second The portrayed. people the in deepest is what reach explain this in terms of fear, perhaps obsessional fear, or say that this unproductive photograph and its presentation is imbued with sympathy in an at- an in sympathy with imbued is presentation its and photograph confirm the aspirations which aim to ignore the natural order; the snap of the shutter and the flash of flash the and shutter the of snap the order; natural the ignore be replaced by a WyższegoNaukowo-WychowawczegoInstytutu w be working all the time, there has to has there time, the all working be not only generate narcissistic delusion, but in the final nineteenth century. Viewing such images is sometimes functional continuum that is sometimes absurd...You may th photograph of 1900 that was affecting then because centurydaguerreotypes)isa goodillustration 18 19 move us because it is a is it because us move 20 carefully reconstructs the concrete the reconstructs carefully negate the passage of time and permanent work of mourning. be no let-up in man's artificial man's in let-up no be dramatic contrast between photograph taken in taken photograph S. podczas majówki podczas S. Eliasz Puretz foto Puretz Eliasz the mechanics of mechanics the be swallowed up in up swallowed be

photograph at -

145 146 process takes place not only at the technical level, as it is accompanied However,this by framing. a appropriate most the achieving at aimed actions, rapher's photog- the of presentation the with begins Szuber reflection. further for point” of EducationalScienceinS.duringthepicnicMay1902”). 22 21 reflection focusesontheoneelementofdresscommonto allgirls. too many people prevented individual characterization. Instead, the photographer’s focus on whole figures. However, there is no presentation of faces, as if the presence of since the details that he points out allow for separation and isolation, only to to tries photographer The w to exemplification of this opposition, it turns out that it is unstable. A to trying is photographer the when but natural, and hat) straw butterfly,(tin artificial is what between difference the on based elements isolating involves framing of process The one. anthropological an in foremost and first but reflections andintroducingnew ones: of the photograph’s author to work. photographer’s The lyrical monologue moves smoothly from the perspective intention inferred and attributed by someone who much later looks at the effects of in frontofthelens,butitisalsorecognizedbyphotographer watchingthem. to available only not is experience unmediated pure this conventional or solely cultural. However, the fluidity of this boundary suggests that that the somatic experience of any of the schoolgirls would not be direct, but rather be perfectly mediated. Therefore, the photographer uses conditional mood to to access any subject, the of view of point the from orders; two a exist would there Otherwise arrangement. clear the

roku 1902 roku impose a The long, almost baroque, title describes a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry It is significant that here the corset does not function in the temporal perspective, This was the intention behind taking the picture or,the carefully,picture is more the this taking behind intention the was This Print. (translatedby Paweł Pyrka) Ficowski, Jerzy. Śmierć Jednorożca. Warszawa: PánstwowyInstytut Wydawn., 1981. 29. Unlike InJerzyFicowski’s Dedykacjawhichemploysa temporalperspective: Znak, 1999.24.Print (translatedbyPaweł Pyrka) Szuber, Janusz. OChłopcu MieszającymPowidła: Wiersze Wybrane 1968-1997.Kraków: in a cocoonofoldfashion a face abovecorset wrap In a gingerphotograph less minemoreneverquitemine. of whicheachonemightsay: In tightcorsetstheiruntightbodies, in strawhatstiedwithribbon, In theshadowoftinbutterflywings, 21 shape on a

(“Eliasz Puretz photographing schoolgirls from the Higher Institute Higher the Puretzfrom (“Eliasz schoolgirls photographing body that nonetheless eludes its constraints, thus disrupting zoom in on the schoolgirls standing in front of the lens, the of front in standing schoolgirls the on in zoom that of an observer, while echoing slightly the previous lyrical situation that is the “starting complete separation of the of separation complete the schoolgirls standing schoolgirls the capture the closest the capture corset is supposed their body would body their reflection. finally state 22

nical) activity, insofar as it as activity,insofar nical) presentation of photographing (Czyżewski, Barańczak). And conversely,more And the Barańczak). (Czyżewski, photographing of presentation more specific it is (possibly for various reasons), the more accurate and broader the the type and frame of reference is based on the prominence of the local context. The a between relationship the that therefore, seems, It one. anthropological an Szuber and America), on (focused perspective can be traced back to to references textual of mediationwhichbuildsidentitythroughtheinfluenceothers. epiphany of the self, which almost immediately must be surrendered to The autonomy observed by the photographer is thus fragile, a dimension. erotic at) (hinted its in especially dimension, somatic the constitutes others. Szuber clearly emphasizes the creative aspect of the process; a this operation, as it attests to attests it as operation, this of possibility mere the by intrigued is he However, schoolgirls. the of physicality avoids visualization, which would “one more time” recreate the The poet-observer a in and life, (later) to similar runs it that seems it nent and momentary. Their private, biographical sphere remains concealed here, but Self-experience, forming the basis of identity for each of the girls, is thus imperma- perspectives: innocent self-perceptionarethereanymore. always be cruel, burdened with the knowledge that neither the schoolgirls, nor their will mercy such course, Of manipulated. not admired, be epiphany,should which a captures accidentally) (perhaps it way the in is photograph the and in his name, as well as his own, he recalls the original intent. The uniqueness of they affectthem,stimulatingbehaviorsleadingto variousformsofappropriation. representation. The more the women try to TheOneMoment:PhotographinginPolish Poetry… Zalewski In the poems discussed above, photographing is not an autonomous (but tech- (but autonomous an not is photographing above, discussed poems the In IV The final stanza reveals a reveals stanza final The The poet senses, however, that this is not the effect the photographer had in mind that daymonthyearminuteofinattention. asks cruelmercythatoneoncelived Modestly hiddenforeverexposed and forloosewhitebloomers. who willinventotherthighsforthosestockings blink, alreadyfadedandpassedto strangers than ittakesa cameralensto And havingwhattheyhadnolonger (faded) photograph, the students will be watched, observed by observed watched, be will students the photograph, (faded) the occult spiritualism, while Barańczak adopts a other types of discourse. In Czyżewski’s poem the references the poem Czyżewski’s In discourse. of types other is included in a in included is conclusion drawn from the juxtaposition of the two the of juxtaposition the from drawn conclusion the defenseless, so to so defenseless, the how the image continues to continues image the how hide from the eyes of others, the stronger range of photographic expositions and expositions photographic of range broader context, i.e. marked with the with marked i.e. context, broader speak, status of photographic of status speak, function. Both in their in Both function. sort of instantaneous moment of inner of moment

stranger’s stranger’s look civilizational civilizational the process

147 148 Szuber assumes that death is a processes, presenting a to simply there is and photography beginning the from observable is death Czyżewski in because is That else). someone by conducted (however effect final the of observation and framing, both presents Szuber image. the of framing of process the showing one, middle the on focuses and elements these both ignores Barańczak photograph. finished the then lyrical situations. Czyżewski chooses to approach that fundamental question, which is reflected in the texts’ structuring of uncovering inthema moreorlesshiddenfascinationwithdeath. photographing (and photography) can now be used to to cal fashion, leading to leading fashion, cal a in context the use explanatory power, as it is applicable to paradoxically,Thus, (Szuber). more activities possesses discourse abstract less the universal is the type of reflection employed, the less attention is devoted to and intheory. practice, in both man, of actions the “after” and “in,” “before,” mortality present the past compared with the present. In other words, the poems about photography the juxtaposition of these poems, we can also observe a observe also can we poems, these of juxtaposition the Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The differences between the poems are therefore visible only in the way they way the in only visible therefore are poems the between differences The It seems significant, however, that regardless of these differences, all three texts similar way. It explains the photograph in an almost identi- almost an in photograph the explains It way. similar the conclusion of a of conclusion the thanatological aspect of everything within civilization, and temporal phenomenon, possible to document it; whereas Barańczak equates the two the equates Barańczak whereas it; document different aspects of the photographic process. observe first the model (and his vision), and thanatological nature. However,thanks nature. thanatological

penetrate different discourses, Translation: Paweł Pyrka sort of feedback effect: feedback of sort capture only when specific the original.Otherwise thetranslationwould becomea treatiseofendless footnotes. voidable choices prevent equipping the translated work with the complementarity of be said that something always happens at the expense of something else. Those una- could it terms metaphorical less In counterpart. its time same the at being source, a of creation the involve sarily and aesthetic function. It then becomes glaringly evident that translation must neces- consistency of the source language system, both in terms of its purely formal aspects ticular cultural or literary context. The most difficult case would be one that tests the of poetry is any attempt to to ting submit- thus counterparts, statistical their or language, target the of characteristics the against going mean would which units, rhythmical same the of use the involve the language, can be the cause of problems in translation. Should the translation of then rhythm (dominant) “natural” the on based formations rhythmical of assessment the in others, among observed, be can which language, target and source of patterns unseen in texts devoid translation, of poetic in function. Differences difficulties in unique the intonational poses and discourse prosodic poetic of organization of ­degree The system. linguistic the within operations translational and interpretive requires multi-valued semantics of the text. The ambiguity of expressions in a ­apparently most trivial ones, such as its graphic conventions, to the from text, the of aspects all of interpretation the involves It interpretation. with worst nightmare. Considering the effort it requires to Miron Białoszewski’s poetry seems to tied inextricably is poetry, of translation any especially and translation, Any by CzesławMiłosz:Four Translations Miron BiałoszewskiasInterpreted. T omasz Łysak the tyranny of phonetic usage? Another type of challenge in the translation translation the in challenge of type Another usage? phonetic of tyranny the introduce into the target language forms specific to “new” text, whose shadow in some ways obscures the the obscures ways some in shadow whose text, “new” have been written so as to translate it “from Polish into the complexities of the be a given language translator’s translator’s a par-

149 150 of fate,isattachedto thesegment: line a of favor in abandoned is arrangement) graphic of tion preferences. the editor’s from result may layout this hand, other the On exclamations. of force expressive between individual exclamation marks. Such graphical fragmentation enhances the additional spaces between the final word and the exclamation mark, and the spaces the utterance (repeated syntactic arrangement). Especially noteworthy are only the to They take away my stove – Give me back my stove), and the proximity of the translation 1 someone with“natural”skillattranslatingpoetry. ours,” such perception is not surprising. Still, the task has been undertaken and by as a the original title is divided and in the transformation that the second verse undergoes The mechanism of transaction can be observed in the way the two-verse structure of in the translation of all titles) does not compensate for the missing quotation marks. together with the ellipsis at the end of the title. The introduction of italics (present ers rendering the whole title in capitals). Quotation marks disappear in translation, Polish typography (with some anthologies capitalizing only the first word, and oth- the titles. The translation retains the English convention, while Polish editions follow (Moje Jakubyznużenia). Felt” (Autoportret odczuwany); and “My Jacobean Fatigues: My Jacobs of Tiredness”as “Self-Portrait essay); this in discussed not – zawsze na miastko (Garwolin Ever” to Down Going of TakeThey If Even (Ach,“AStove” Awayzabrali ); gdyby,the piec nawet gdyby “Andworks: early Białoszewski’s of five include 1983) in expanded, Even, edition, are preserved: “Mam piec – Zabierają mi piec – Oddajcie mi piec” (I piec” mi Oddajcie – piec mi Zabierają – piec “Mam preserved: are parallelisms Syntactic lines. individual of organization as well as layout, of terms hand, thetranslatordecidednotto furtheremphasizequotedverse. involve any drastic change of tension between the two parts of the title. On the other of role the to line second the reduces lines, two

the original can be observed in the identical distribution of the components of components the of distribution identical the in observed be can original the Further on, the “exact” method of translation (word for word; precise transposi- Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Translationsin published At first glance, the poems (“And Even...” and h frt he ped-tna rti ter hrce i tasain bt in both translation, in character their retain pseudo-stanzas three first The California Press, 1983. Miłosz, Czesław. Postwar Polish Poetry: An Anthology.3rded.Berkeley: Universityof result. The change in print size, accompanied by a They took it away („Zabrali”), which expresses despair, grief and the acceptance a grey ). Paradoxically, this change does not does Paradoxically,change radości). this do oda niewyczerpana Moja ald o (Ballada Store” the naked What remainsis PostwarPolish Poetry hole a kind of commentary (in an effort to effort an (in commentary of kind a “Garwolin sklepu); do zejściu Ach gdyby…) use different editing for 1 (first edition in 1965 and third and 1965 in edition (first graphical separation of the more free approach. The approach. free more have a have on for Town express Ballad stove – stove like progression of the sharp left margin. the final line of the original stanza („szara naga jama”), which concluded the stair- The shift preserves the principle of “conservation of mass,” following the ellipsis of 2 colon’s role was to was colon’srole a with replaced been has “I line: the of end the at colon the mentioning worth is it to contribute not ac to cording since, remains “szaranagajama” even Not “szara.” line the of beginning the to happened what is This translation. the in non-functional be conceit, the translator chose the former, while removing the elements which would the two options: to words, which, in Polish, evokes associations with the syllabic Japanese language. Of it is impossible to Thus, consonants. by compensated or vowels, of level the on either equivalent, no has original the of alliteration vowel perfect the since disappears, effect euphonic from (apart words of structure to impossible “sza-ra-na-ga-ja-ma”, cluster: the of realization) (or variation one omits consistently pseudo-stanza final to transferred is period a a of instead where line, following the a such for reason The (“;”). closure as functions clearly it the pseudo-stanza Other differences are limited to of “zeszedłem” (bordering on incorrectness) have no counterpart in translated text. Few departures from the standard language, such as the use of complementary forms text devoid of traps. The original itself invites an economical translation technique. to close remains to tions aspira- no with capitals in printed is verse first the of word first the – conventions return. a offering without much, too sacrifices It unsatisfied. While there can be no objection to of excessive conservatism and consequent elimination of non-functional elements. accused be could it hand, other the On equivalence. semantic simple on based one ment bythespeaker(Andthisisenoughforme;)fromsubjectofthatstatement. of “opening.” On the other hand, the semicolon separates the self-referential state- rnltblt. ne gi, h tasain eel a reveals translation the again, Once translatability.

period appears, thus disrupting the sentence character of the whole pseudo-stanza. MironBiałoszewskiasInterpretedbyCzesławMiłosz… Łysak In contrast the poem “Apoem the contrast In The translation of “Ode” can be characterized as a as characterized be can “Ode” of translation The perception. Cf.W. Sadowski,Tekst graficzny Białoszewskiego, Warsaw 1999.p.46. Sharp marginis used to introduceachangeeitherIn the objectormannerof create additional focus for arrangement. Apart from this, the translation the this, from Apart arrangement. for focus additional create the translator,the a “such the original. This can be attributed to attributed be can This original. the distort the sense of belonging of individual syllables to the translation. As for other minor differences in punctuation, in differences minor other for As translation. the I remain faithful to break the necessary fragmentation of lines, to lines, of fragmentation necessary the break Entered ... ends in an opening of sorts (“:”), while in the original the end of a of end the semicolon in semicolon Ballad of Going Down to Down Going of Ballad ) in the cluster the in naked) punctuation as required by English. The first line of whim” is essentially devoid of function and does and function of devoid essentially is whim” its correctness, the translation leaves the reader stair-like division: “szara / naga / jama.” The jama.” / naga / “szara division: stair-like edr n nls, eas o monosyllabic of because English, in render the “letter” of the the “letter” text or to comma, which would promise continuation, promise would which comma, . In the original the original the In me;. for enough is this And 2 It seems obvious that in this case that the . In addition, the addition, In greynakedhole.

iceac i typographic in discrepancy comparable poetic effect in effect poetic comparable the Store” is an example of example an is Store” the the balladic quality of the of quality balladic the dictionary realization, or realization, dictionary procedure is revealed in revealed is procedure to mi wystarczy:” which wystarczy:” mi the indentation at indentation the retain its literary constitute a constitute particular sort -

151 152 tween the speaker and the content. By avoiding contrastive conjunctions, which only be- distance the emphasize would that elements (purges) removes “Self-Portrait” choices soradicalasinthecaseof“And Even...” It should be emphasized, however, that here the translator would not be faced with Polish original, limiting the changes within the acceptable economy of expression. the follows text English the that fact the change not do differences minor These “Apauses, end-of-line clear on a “taking necessitates but repetitions, the separates only not line first the after comma the retained: not ing the emphases. The absence of punctuation in the last segment of the original is It is clear that the changes follow the economy of the text, only occasionally rearrang- with thesubjectpostponedto the endofsentence: restores the relationship, while retaining the inversion within the syntactic structure the first enjambment the predicator is detached from an adverbial – the translation treated as a meaning. Removal of the graphical elements is also an aesthetic statement: form is generates (potential) meaning, by assigning to in translation) is to the most superficial level) for both readings. To a a effects: opposite have substitutions the representation, cal glance, this may seem inconsistent. first While the replaced At units have units. the same smaller graphi- two into division its in results last (Autoportret) the pseudo-stanza in present omission the However, whole. continuous one into latter the to serves pseudo-stanza second the in found ellipsis The explained. ily to decision Milosz's tissue. its within clearly itself locates typography with “burdened” one apart, stanza the a leaving as function same the to procedure The simply noticeable, but rather specifically indicated), but also the status of the line. a only not stresses characters a Such dashes. of wholly consisting in lines of lack the in accordancewiththeacceptedmodeofinterpretation. “Noszę sobą / jakieś swoje własne / miejsce” (I the translation: “Zawsze jednak / pełza we mnie” (Yet always is crawling in ), me and line with removed typography. After all, the form of the text already allows (on allows already text the of form the all, typography.After removed with line Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry A It is worth taking a ale istnienie pełne czyteżniepełne, pełza wemnie Zawsze jednak quick comparison of matter of secondary importance to replace an empty verse with a with verse empty an replace extract the form (or some of its features) from the realm which closer look at the two enjambments which were abandoned in breath” between the lines. While lines. the between breath” Autoportet odczuwalny with “Self-Portait as Felt” reveals remove the line containing only dashes cannot be eas- be cannot dashes only containing line the remove different writing convention (absence of text is not is text of (absence convention writing different space between lines. While an empty verse breaks verse empty an While lines. between space Ballad...” clearly indicates its delimitation units. delimitation its indicates clearly Ballad...” the content, and thus can be modified existence full ornot Yet alwaysiscrawling inme it a bear by myself / a choose between them (as it happens marker of absence does not have not does absence of marker fixed conventionalized (present) Ballada... grouping of typographic of grouping complete ellipsis vs. ellipsis complete place of my own). In does not insist not does assemble of the enjambment was thus a but both also “własne”, etymologically “swoje własne”. The reason for the deletion and “własne”, in English constitutes one collocation “my own”. “My own” is after all translation of: ““jakieś swoje własne”. What in Polish is an enumeration of “swoje” A similar “cleansing”takesplaceasthesecondenjambmentisdeleted: a in statements formulates translation the vision”, the “blur of the first, the onset is also the end of the line) not only have opposite meanings, opposite have only not line) the of end the also is onset the first, the of case the (in lines short these of Onsets margin. left the from start line fourth and a has lines six of consisting pseudo-stanza ing in relation to graphical play of some lines being shifted away from the left margin. The position- the titleseemspuzzling. to to dedication poem’s the of omission The Tiredness.” of Jacobs “My title): proper the of lation “My Jacobean Fatigues” (My Jacobean trouble/problems) and secondary (the trans- one phrase: “Moje Jakuby znużenia” to would be:myown/place). to would be completely meaningless. Polish syntactic pattern would make to it own impossible my moving Therefore, own). (my belonging definite and (a) nation. In translated text there is no escape, as it is caught between indeterminacy determi- all escapes original the in which place, The space. as place of elusiveness perceptual the expresses a, article indefinite the using by arrangement, This own. to a textandinconfrontationwiththeoriginal. both withintherealmof“new” a above examples show that the interpretation adopted by the translator, while being The object). an of role the in (acting “miejsce” word the of nature transient the of ellipsis, however, focuses, through transposition, on the most accurate representation enjambment does not disrupt the syntax of the original The pseudo-stanza. second to reduction (in terms of form), is not reductionist, as the changes can be explained om hc ms vsby lutae Młs’ tasain rcie s applied as practice translation Miłosz’s illustrates visibly most which poem Białoszewski’s texts. It is impossible not to word order in Polish (and its semantic implications). The omission of the first the of omission The implications). semantic its (and Polish in order word English-speaking readers; however, the sort of compensatory multiplication of multiplication compensatory of sort the however, readers; English-speaking express the meaning of “jakieś” through the article a. (one possible rendering possible (one a. article the through “jakieś” of meaning the express MironBiałoszewskiasInterpretedbyCzesławMiłosz… Łysak The accumulation of expressions highlighting “selfness” might seem as inept as seem might “selfness” highlighting expressions of accumulation The Once again the translator manipulates the “look” of the text, abandoning the abandoning text, the of “look” the manipulates translator the again Once to enjambment missing of cases two the in different is What M Jcba Ftge: y aos f iens” Mj Jkb zuei) is znużenia) Jakuby (Moje Tiredness” of Jacobs My Fatigues: Jacobean “My Miejsce jakieś swojewłasne Noszę sobą Artur Sandauer is not surpising as it would not be understandable be not would it as surpising not is Sandauer Artur the margin in the translated text is the same for all lines. The first conscious decision to two, apparently redundant versions – main: ey ymtia srcue te first the structure: symmetrical very address the extension of the title from a place ofmyown I bear bymyself include the phrase a more direct manner. direct more the faithfulness the the next line next the place of my

153 154 when juxtaposedwiththeoriginal. to shifted adjectives, the translated poem appears somehow “slimmer” when compared which govern gradation of adjectives in English (Higher and Lowest). Without the the two words describing height also disappears as a between similarity morphological and phonological The positioning. in shift the breaking the first pseudo-stanza into two smaller ones, and additionally abandoning by contrast the highlighting on focuses translation The ja”). – („Najniżej observer the of („wyżej”)that observed and is what of that points, two the closer brings ing The proximity of the two words is emphasized by their positioning; a (lowest). “najniżej” and (higher) “wyżej” related: (semantically) grammatically “incidentally” are poles two The world. represented of arrangement spatial the of representation graphical for allow “Najniżej” “Wyżej”and of positioning the but effect disappears in the translation, in which, surprisingly, the graphic arrangement zdychanie”, confirms the lack of compatibility between the hero and his world. This T.Ł.)– na default dna by do me, przylepiona (i.e. / flądra niż gorzej “ale later and ence for the negation “Nie tylko nie jestem / którymś z The placement of the speaker’s determinations in front of the specific points of refer- emerge. reality of steps the reality.that and breast hero's the of out is it end the In original; it seems that there is an organic connection between the speaking subject the line, thus creating a a as translation in appears ja”) – “Najniżej after inserted be the primary, enumerative,functionofthelist. to have would of preposition the “zamieszkiwania”, to order in that however, noted, be a by separated lines two syntactic polyvalence. “[H]ejnały kształtu zamieszkiwania dotyku” is expressed in graphic form. of implications semantic the ignoring while sense), ordinary the (in content the of presentation the at aimed clearly is simplification resulting The work. the of tity to to to appears interpretation even more important, than the phenomena resulting from its the reading. Milosz’s becomes a tive negativesentences(alsoaligned). The connection between them is disturbed (or enhanced) by a adjective. The first set of adjectives is followed by another: “ale gorzej” and “gorzej.” superlative and comparative of that form, grammatical specific highlighted which the original, but this impression in not validated semantically, unless secondarily, watch rather than recite that is inscribed in the text. His translation is not limited changing the medium (language), but it also interferes with the genre and iden- Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The alignment of the text to In the second half of the pseudo-stanza, the apparent pause (a pause apparent the pseudo-stanza, the of half second the In On the level of language, the translation also surrenders the text’s semantic and With the system of alternating indentations the text ceases to graphic text in which the visual aspect is no less important, but perhaps clear dividing line. This division does not stand out in the comma (just like the third element of the list). It should It list). the of element third the like (just comma be focused on reading, one performed against the need the against performed one reading, on focused be the left results in the loss of graphical arrangement reflect the connection between “kształtu” and “kształtu” between connection the reflect consequence of different rules be used, which would nullify would which used, be testamentowych bohaterów”, series of four consecu- period at the end of end the at period be just a comma could comma vertical read- poem; it probably not enough to enough not probably ditional period in but the such first representation pseudo-stanza, of dissonance is ad- the is translation the in highlighted graphically is that world his and hero the between dissonance the of trace only The are. we where forget we moment the in comparison, In Miłosz’s translation resembles a world). the of construction the collapse (and power true release its power through unified graphic form. The potential energy of the original could all of blow the stripped has translation visually,the “strike” but may text of mass original: “Uderz mnie / konstrukcjo mojego świata!!” is lost as a a as acts of “białoszewski-ness”. to Instead, he tried to enough significant seem not did approach an such of benefits the text, “new” the in reflected were original the of features experimental the that expected be could it clarity.Although of sake the for experimentation sacrificing to can be seen as more or less justified, but it seems clear that the translated text tries vide a chance that the character in the translated text avoids the true force of the impact. follow the content of the original as closely as possible (in the ordinary sense), ordinary the (in possible as closely as original the of content the follow MironBiałoszewskiasInterpretedbyCzesławMiłosz… Łysak The examples analyzed above illustrate how even a different reading of the poet’s words. Some decisions made by the translator semantic unifier for the text. The dramatic tone of the final appeal of the of appeal final the of tone dramatic The text. the for unifier semantic carefully express that which in his interpretation is the essence justify the “cosmic” disaster. It is therefore somewhat by somewhat therefore is It disaster. “cosmic” the justify stuffed tiger in the museum, which frightens only correct translation can pro Translation: Paweł Pyrka result. The original’s h translator. the -

155 156 felt present to present felt then that it started to received as a terminations, continued as a over time. It can be assumed that the martial law, regardless of its suspensions and by the date of 13 December 1981, the end of this practice appears somewhat blurred of “Jaruzelski’s war.” If the beginning of this kind of poem-writing is clearly marked terminology. from theother side ofthebarricade–that authorsfelttheneedto usemilitary attempted to attempted a in was law martial the of fact the time same the At situation. new the of meaning the about people between communication independent of forms the of one as law martial of world the in lived It horizon. axiological and cognitive linguistic, its be would what and appear would it where determined possibility, of framework its delineated They law. martial of determinations specific the outside un-thinkable work of kind the was it stigma: indelible an it upon placed time same the at and to birth gave which communication, of mode(s) particular the – aspect was graduallybeingobscuredbytheexperiencenextday. 13 on uniforms military given presenters TV the were only Not language. propriate to sense internalized by this poetry – as a as – poetry this by internalized sense th the unique conditions of time and place, highlighting them clearly through ap- through clearly them highlighting place, and time of conditions unique the Poetry of the Time of Martial Law is an immense body of poetic texts, created and Unassigned (XV) Janusz Sł When speaking of poetry of the martial law, we explicitly indicate its constitutive of December … Even the titles of numerous collections of poetry testified – testified poetry of collections numerous of titles the Even … December of response to Raport z Raport fulfill. What's more, it tried to tried it more, What's fulfill. that of a of that awiński shift in the public consciousness from the position of lived and [“Report from a from [“Report miasta oblężonego memory of yesterday, which, albeit not completely closed, completely not yesterday,albeit of which, memory what the colloquial language has recorded under the name poetically open reality up to * task (semantic, artistic, moral), which it which moral), artistic, (semantic, task make noticeable its direct connection direct its noticeable make Besieged City”] (Zbigniew City”] Besieged 1983, but not later. It was this poetry this to the unique contribution to in newsletters and magazines. Among the periodicals created in the first half of 1982 tissue paper gradually disappeared from circulation, replaced by poems published year.next the of Green whole the throughout stable less or more remained growth to increased, gradually to relating texts poetic of mass the teams, editorial and would by hand put the missing letters, the most likely words and even whole lines. almost completely illegible. Then upon the typescript a law. When we received an unfortunate later copy of the typescript, the text was often paper. The light green color is irrevocably fused in my memory with tissue verses green light of on martial mostly typed – self-publishing underground all of prototype archaic creations of underground printing. Plain typescript was the common – the most the resembled papers these of form The scatter! or distribute spread, them, to had many How once. at country the of corners all it seemed as if those sheets of paper carrying poetic speech, were conveyed to verse records of the experience of martial law everywhere. I started receiving, along with leaflets and proclamations printed we commentary,in at striking factories, attempts first and happened what about information contain would which newsletters, and newspapers underground first the of circulation of to fulfill hisdutiesonthebattlefield. to wanted them employed that discourse the that proved – mocking or pathetic ironic, or serious Various uses of such vocabulary, whether treated literally or metaphorically, whether przez tę stronicę [my divisions march/ in even colum / across this page – Szymanek). Marek – Mayer,marches] alias Ryszard Holzer) military and writing (moje dywizje maszerują / równym rzędem only / played have you / time some for stomach/ [my – Szymanek), physiology (mój brzuchu / od pewnego czasu / grasz tylko wojskowe marsze w / wzejdzie świt to metaphorically at titles of looking individual works. The lexical field when of extended “war” indeed in many texts especially continue, could list the – Pepper) (Sergeant Mode”] of the Worlds”] (Leszek Budrewicz), Białkowski), Grzegorz WinterWar”]),the of Śląska [“Silesian Redoubt”](a Herbert), Warsaw’s “Wezwanie” (The Call) which from its first issue had been publishing Unassigned(XV) Sławiński After the shock of the night of the 12 As the underground publishing movement became more organized in publishing 10 th August 1985 “h Wr f evs] Atr Miedzyrzecki), (Artur Nerves”] of War [“The nerwów Wojna pass for militarized speech, for language called to called language for speech, militarized for pass [Soon dawn will rise/ in the flashes of bayonets] of flashes the in rise/ dawn will [Soon bagnetów błyskach provide quite non-military images, such as landscape (Wkrótce landscape as such images, non-military quite provide [“Military Defeats”] (Antoni Szymanek, alias Szymanek, (Antoni Defeats”] [“Military wojenne Klęski Pierwsza i Pierwsza reach its peak in the late spring and summer of 1982. This 1982. of summer and spring late the in peak its reach the work of collecting poetic texts on martial law belongs collection subtitled [“The First and Second WarFirstSecond and [“The światów wojna druga Wiersze w th * December 1981, but even before the start trybie doraźnym [“Poems in Summary Wiersze wojennej zimy [“Poems of provide relevant texts, copy texts, relevant provide zealous and pedantic reader the realities of martial war martial of realities the say everywhere, because arms and ready and arms us from Reduta

157 158 houses a houses than can be found in the library of the Institute of Literary Studies, which after all Polki [To as (such lists reading school from poems litanies), (especially prayers pieces, cabaret songs, soldier ballads, hobo carols, included mainly it varied; and wide was communication literary of level secondary on utilized and appropriated to thematically to subject were to recognizable easily such as and works, popular of “secondary” character: paraphrases, travesties, or parodies, referring to already known to thorial credit was in the case of most works compensated by their reliance on texts au- of lack The names. recognizable with writers professional find usually could one poems anonymous of reality,quality in construct; “folk” however,this behind Named thus, the phenomenon appears to appears phenomenon the thus, Named Anonymous. People’s the – insists Barańczak Stanislaw as – was The those name.of sender its whatever subject, writing any by protected not was integrity and their writing,whilepublishingotherworkslegallyandunder theirownnames. of sphere uncensored this in only pseudonyms used them of Some pseudonyms. who, unlikethoseactingoutsidedetention,hadnoreasonforliteraryconspiracy. texts of authors who remained in confinement, were interned or in imprisoned and the were these Often output. literary prior,legal, their and of based known less or newsletters, magazines,pamphlets,andbooks? country.far,the I So of regions different in 1982-1983 period two-year the in published sort this of gies bibliography, published last year, recorded more than thirty large and small antholo Gajewski’s Józef works. anonymous only containing WojennaOficyna, by Poetry] A Generals. of Night [The wojennej poezji Zbiór generałów. Noc after soon NOWa,and by published WarPoems] of [Anthology wojennych wierszy comprehensive most the including appearing, been had anthologies and readings of such productions. Since mid-1982 more and more individual collections offered has the earliest, but at the same time surprisingly which sober Call” and “The was accurate, it critical more, is What art. poetic contemporary of sections large remained intheminority. to addressed and authors local by written works, local more while (a texts same the largely repeated collections such that even discohits. or songs, folk hymns, church well-known for written lyrics new contrafacta, were Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The third category includes texts which circulated anonymously, whose identity and aliases behind hiding authors by works of consists category second The The first includes works by authors who signed them with their own names, more Seen fromthispointofview, theseworkscanbedividedintothreecategories. Who spoke to large body of uncensored publications. As far as is known to known is as far As publications. uncensored of body large the Polish Mother] and the circumstances of martial law. The range of original texts thus texts original of range law.The martial of circumstances the only minor modifications or adaptations so that they could fit in fit could they that so adaptations or modifications minor only us in these transmissions sent illegally on tissue paper, in copied the audience. There appeared a managed to managed Rota [The Oath] ). Some of the more visible texts get to get fourteen of them, and yet it is much more much is it yet and them, of fourteen be a be sort of sociopsychological-literary of sort remarkable number of messages the public. In some cases they cases some In public. the sort of nationwide canon), nationwide of sort Collection of War of Collection local audiences local me, it seems it me, o Matki Do Antologia the most - the name of a under circulated text anonymous an when situations happened, also opposite The denied! never he authorship whose poem, own Rymkiewicz’s art: folk anonymous ever, the fact that is occasionally involved works belonging to circulation. The interesting aspect of this phenomenon of folklorization was, how- to similarly tastes, or needs performance, of circumstances by required as modification, major or minor involved existence texts’ The original. to led multiplicity sources frequently offer different local or regional variations of the same texts. Such a As contaminations. and interpolations, divisions, deformations, various underwent they circulation encour- of course the In treatment. only offhand their aged nature in parasitic openly were they that fact The integrity. their 1984), when one of the speakers, a to devoted conference IBL an at amazement sheer I author. its from it separating gap the a under later appeared anonymous as published originally text the Sometimes ries. ing hisirritatedprotests. places important to songs can be found in collections associated with some permanent locations, usually were simply sung collectively in detention centers. A which songs the all and authors, interned by created songs the both meant it since that, at one ambiguous an title, same the had all but editions, several in appeared a are There interned]. the of [Songs internowanych example, for of, nature the is law.Such martial the during written works to next found be could songs old collections Piosennik Powstania Styczniowego [Songbook of the January Uprising]. In numerous e.g. gies, both standard sets of well-known works, as well as specialized and themed antholo includes reprints of the old hymn books, but also new compilations based on them, Kaczmarski and in a Jacek of works (especially “Solidarity” of tradition the with associated songs were important as Just occupation. of time the WorldWarand Second the from songs War,Bolshevik the from and Legions Polish the of songs hymns, religious songs, insurrectionist or patriotic of collections the were them among popular Most tion. circula- second of segments visible most the of one creating well), as years later in (though law martial of period the “Solidarity,”during of appeared carnival which months-long sixteen the until Confederation Bar the of time the since song-like, I grew. it which in soil the of component important most the probably were time, specific that at arise not did they as poetry” law “martial of label the under fall not do themselves pseudonym, and then again under its creator’s actual name, gradually bridging gradually name, actual creator’s its under again then and pseudonym, Unassigned(XV) Sławiński This increased intertextuality in anonymous texts, did not, by any means, secure Any methodical analysis should include an extensive field of Polskie1831-1983 patriotyczne kolędy famous writer. This happened, twice I ee hr to here refer blurring of the limits of texts, with none that would pass as the as pass would that none with texts, of limits the of blurring the community where these songs were sung. An example of this different way those of Jan Krzysztof Kelus). This field of texts ueos olcin o erir ok, og and songs works, earlier of collections numerous native of Lublin, provided a remember Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz’s Marek Jarosław remember current (both anonymous and signed) and anonymous (both current [Polish patriotic carols 1831-1983] or [Polish1831-1983] carols patriotic few such collections, and each and collections, such few think, to contemporary poetry (Warsawpoetry contemporary similar mixture of old and new Czesław Miłosz, caus- the other two catego works found in folk in found works striking example of ​​texts which, while result different result Piosenki - -

159 160 to opposed to counter-language, of role the assumed It horizon. linguistic negative poetry’s law orders and notices, sentences by military tribunals – all of those marked the martial rhetoric of TV news, evasive arguments and excuses by egghead supporters, martial and its political collaborators. Newspaper disinformation, propaganda, the deceitful formula in order to lence in order to view (as it didn’t to not opposition Thus poetry which recorded the point of view of victims and rebels placed itself in not foundanypoeticexpression. of all these people, their convictions, hopes, rationalizations, and even scruples have and possibly countless more! And yet, curiously, or strangely even, the state of mind evil, lesser the of ideologues the pragmatists, realists, supporters, silent and hacks only policymakers, executors, activists, and officials, but also the apologists, heralds, not people, of multitudes involved law martial of introduction the all, After sion. to voice of those targeted by the war machinery. the humiliated: the and persecuted, the intimidated, the abused, the of speech the mas. In all its versions, it shared a source ofethnographicdataontheculturemartiallawperiod. the local repertoires and more than other types of publications can be a into insight good very provide material new Warszawa.and old of mixtures These Huta of publishers underground the by editions several in published was which Warsaw,in cross flower the at sung songs of incomplete, however collection, the is express thefeelingsofcollectivedespair, andrekindlehopethewillto resist. about the character of speech that could allowing them to the context of current social experience, created for the readers a speech. On the other hand, the collection of texts drawn from tradition and placed in and means of stimuli expression, a creative both drew they which from cliches, and formulas, comparisons, a time, the of poetry the of authors the by utilized seen as an active element in the creation of poetic speech. It offered a for what is important in the poetic output of the time of martial law, but it must be us quite natural, though, theoretically,a though, not natural, was quite monopoly us its this negative context; the adoption of words originating in the discourse of vio of discourse the in originating words of adoption the context; negative this f ore te wr vraie i aes f ulc peh te ta poetry. than other speech public of areas in verbalized were they course, Of The poetry of martial law left no room for complications or ideological dilem- ideological or complications for room no left law martial of poetry The Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry In general the field of texts discussed above should not be treated as a 15 th September 1989

modes of speech in the service of violence. Hence the multiple references immediately unmask the lie it conceals; the use of the propaganda exist), but to expect something new from writing initiatives, shaping their ideas another poetic discourse, which would express different point of point different express would which discourse, poetic another be able to dictionary providing the necessary tricks and patterns of the non-poetic discourse used by the power structure boil it down to common point of view: it consistently remained today poetically describe a * Ex post, this unified perspective seems what it was in reality – a reservoir of images, symbols, images, of reservoir frame of reference, national disaster, foregone conclu- foregone supply of ideas, hypocritical background background significant - seemingly dependentspeechofa streetsingerorbeggarfromthechurchsteps: to of semanticexpression. what prompted the very act of speaking, maintained it and to and rejection, or, to be identified with any form of dialogue. To cannot relationship of kind This nature. meaningless and deceitful, absurd, to order in newspapers of arguments the recalling cliché; to depreciate and expose to the formal patterns of the official language of policy, quoted in the characteristic Unassigned(XV) Sławiński In the anonymous (pseudo)folk poetry we observe at every step the references the step every at observe we poetry (pseudo)folk anonymous the In Brać robotniczajużimniesprzyja… Podstępnie knująrazemz Reganem Rurarz, Spasowskizaoceanem Ona ocalikrajnaszodgłodu. Partia, wiodącasiłanarodu Wprowadził Pan Premier w Polsce stanwojenny By zaletysocjalizmupoznałnaród ciemny Warcholskim rozruchom,partyjnejdestrukcji, By położyćkresanarchiii kontrrewolucji, I chciała władzęzagarnąć Bo onaponoćmiałaliworwer I wszystko przezSolidarność …nam groziławojnadomowa mimic Białoszewski, of rejection through invocation, was often ridicule or contempt. This double gesture of invocation (Grudzień) (Santa Milicyja) Brotherhood ofworkerssupportsthemnot. with Reaganhatchingtreacherousplot Spasowski andRurarz areoverseas Will saveourcountryfromstarvation. The Party, theleadingforceofnation The Prime Ministertodaydeclared martiallaw So thatvaluesof socialism wouldenlightenPoles dissolution, the riotingofthugs,andparty’s To put anendtoanarchyandcounter-revolution, and wantedto takeover it apparentlyhada levorver And allbecauseofSolidarity quote the hated words was to (Anarchia) we werethreatenedbycivilwar promptly expose their expose promptly managed the growth (Santa Milicyja) refuse them, (December) (Anarchy)

161 162 rhyme. Theresultisthatoftwovoicesalternatingasina comedicdialogue. first line semantically collides with the second, which is symmetrical a and related here by observe Wecan forth. so and on so And simply lethal negation. We learn that the “leading force,” by declaring martial law: a in latter responding to Sometimes the text develops through the collision of two units of meaning: one cor- the volume beginning of martial law. We find its workings in Ryszard Krynicki’s epigrams (from It was equally employed in poetry,“literary” the political lyric, especially from the not exclusively in the poems belonging to development ofspeech: a as appears invocation/rejection of gesture double Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Such a To naród szukaprzedniąocalenia Jaki naródmiałabyocalać? która naobcyrozkazwypowiedziaławojnęnarodowi? samozwańcza władza, śmie sięjeszczepowoływać Że nambezbóluodpadnienawis. Ekonomika taksiępoprawi Różowa przyszłośćnamsięczerwieni. Na lepszewszystkosięodmieni Tak jakeunuchodzyskałpłodność. Wnet odzyskałaswąwiarygodność sense invalidates the former by means of an unexpected clarification or clarification unexpected an of means by former the invalidates sense mechanism of signification, however simple or even primitive, was used Jeżeli w the quoted speech, the other expressing the subject’s own words. The jakimś kraju Na jakinaród (Wojenny walczyk) This nationislooking to besavedfromthem.] What nationwould theysave? that actingona foreignorderdeclared waronthenation? the self-appointedauthorities do theydareinvoke, [If in a And we’llfindourmonetaryoverhanglost. Our economyiscertainto improvethemost As rosyfuturegetsredderand. Everything willchangeforthebetter As theeunuchwhoregainedfertility. Soon regaineditscredibility (Na jakinaród?) country]) full of noble pathos, in which this folklore, or imitating the works of folklore. What nation kind of stichomythic pattern: the pattern: stichomythic of kind fundamental principle for the for principle fundamental (The MartialWaltz) (What nation?) the language capable of mediating between the discourse of the communist regime to and settlement and agreement fective period of sixteen months of “Solidarity,” said goodbye to the in alive much so negotiations, utopian all from away broke finally it seems it Bolecki) aptly called the writings of martial law “a communication, for they have become our occupants. Jerzy Malewski (Włodzimierz whom exists a patible and mutually untranslatable. And there are two types of speakers, between possibility of dialogue has been eliminated. There are two types of speech – incom- any relationship this in because dialogue, of ambiguity or complexity no There's us. and – them It’s actions. their expose who those of speech the is there opposite to false spread platitudes who (about saving those the of country or speech saving the the nation is – There or vice visible. versa) clearly aimed are here oppositions All obscure what they actually do as dictators, traitors, torturers and murderers, and Unassigned(XV) Sławiński kiedy zbrodniejużichosądziły. – Historianasosądzi Krzyczą: żeby bići zabijać. a rozkazują, – Niechcemykrwi więzić niewinnych gotowi nadalokupowaćkraj, mówią dyktatori zdrajca, yawning and impassable chasm. Kłamią: – Ratujemyojczyznę (Drżą zestrachu) (Ratujemy ojczyznę) when theyhavebeenjudgedalreadybytheircrimes. – Historywilljudgeus to fight andkill. and theyorder, – We donotwantblood– imprison theinnocent willing to continueoccupythecountry, say thedictatorandtraitor, the belief in the possibility of developing of possibility the in belief the ... They cannot be considered partners in They shout: They lie: – We’re savingthehomeland– poetry without illusions.” Indeed, the naive hopes for an ef- (We're savingthehomeland) (They tremblewithfear) ...

163 164 lective consciousness aftertheshockofDecember 13th. to specifically used be could that to had now it PRL, by provided reservation the on existence time long its by lazy Made task. difficult known for a for known which they lived now turned out to to ing that awareness onto the past stages of their existence in that country. They had those who realized that they lived in the occupied country could not avoid extend- occupational natureofcommunism. the namely declared, was it which of defense in system political the of nature true it exposed, hidden beneath the camouflage and disguise of everyday existence, the their inevitable collisions. Martial law put an end to a of role the assuming of aspirations, social of language the and was a kindoftotaledbill,presentedtotherejectedsystem. a in and consolidated only were They wordplays. or rhymes nicknames, sayings, jokes, political in strata, social different of speech everyday in isolation, in existed they to others Stalin, of time Warthe and II older than the “Solidarity”; some referred to law,martial the than older much were insults the and ridicule the condemnation, of acts and complaints These existence. everyday neglected and poor the of bles ideas, of national ad democratic aspirations, were intertwined with mundane trou- a devices; metaphorical or indirect any without bluntly, record of anti-communist curses, complaints and grievances, expressed simply and of martial law, and I this limited frontline, and embraced the whole of PRL experience. Indeed, the poetry literature, against the traitors in generals’ uniforms, very quickly expanded beyond ably the most insulted figure on the Polish political scene since the anti-Targowica December. But the verse attacks against WRON or Jaruzelski (Jaruzel), himself prob- terness and anger were initially aimed at symbols and figures directly related to military action – this was a and police during fatalities internments, raids, arrests, mass streets, the in tanks its definitive “no” was first and foremost a as such:itwasitsclearanddecisiverejection. to opposition the that meant look again at the past through the lens of their current experience. The reality in Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Martial law presented poetry, the literary, rather than the folk kind, with a This diagnosis led to 8 In this state of mind grew the kind of poetry we are discussing here. Of course, sense systematized through the anonymous works of post-December years. It years. post-December of works anonymous the through systematized sense th October 1987 long time, but did not know how to how know not did but time, long leave its refuge and desperately seek an appropriate language appropriate an seek desperately and refuge its leave mean mostly its folk and sections, pseudo-folk became a an immediate disambiguation of the ideological situation: reality that demanded opposition in the first place. Bit- martial law was in fact an opposition to opposition an fact in was law martial construct a construct be just another form of experience that they had the time of Gomułka or Gierek. But so far so But Gierek. or Gomułka of time the * response to the years immediately after the World poetic analysis of the changes in col- in changes the of analysis poetic properly categorize. This in turn in This categorize. properly these hopes, precisely because the circumstances of the time: register in which higher which in register shock absorber in absorber shock communism huge truly 13 th

pears to pears law,ap- martial only of months the in experienced painfully society the what that tempt to towards twocontrastinglydifferentmodelsofpoetry. even more – they can work together in a I egies, (to and thus unnamed situation, which poses a writing strategies, methods of two coping with the of troublesome task coexistence of describing recurring a the observe can we perspectives, these Considering Poetic speechrecordedseveralofthemostcommon“locations”: phenomena. the viewing of perspective specific the defined law,which martial of taking into account their location – a “I law,martial the of a poems many in plays chorus that role the emphasized correctly Barańczak Stanisław adequate. perfectly remain poetry, romantic especially earlier, by generated images the as inventing a to leads identity of destinies, duties, and defeats of successive Polish generations, naturally fundamental the of thought The return. and recurrence of idea this about writes Thus in the poem destiny –inevitablyreturninginthebiographiesofsuccessivegenerations. znowu – długie nocne rodaków rozmowy” [And again, the long night talks of my use Jozef Wittlin’s term) in poetry. Speaking about the coexistence of two strat- Unassigned(XV) Sławiński In order to order In The first one I one first The – thepointofviewanexilewhoreceivesbleaknewsfromcountry. – thepointofviewfrightenedandconfused“population”; – thepointofviewuniversityintellectuals; – thepointofviewinterneesandprisoners; – thepointofview“undergroundpeople,”conspirators; I długie trwaniepolicyjnychnocy Krótki czaswolny–i podziemnapraca Z powstania wwojnęnanowepowstanie Czas tegokrajukołemsięzatacza mean the fact that both can appear in the works by the same author, and author, same the by works the in appear can both that fact the mean another thought: namely, that there is no need for poetry to poetry for need namely,no thought: is another there that be a be create a new language to new phenomenon. In fact, it is simply a simply is it fact, In phenomenon. new treat this issue from a from issue this treat kind of sociographic description of various versions of this analysis, Do Matki Polki [To I znowu –długienocnerodakówrozmowy refer to refer as second-hand imaging. At its core lies the conviction the lies core its At imaging. second-hand as give an account of our present destiny, duty, and defeat, And thelongdurationofcurfewnights] Short timeoff–andmoreundergroundwork From uprisingthroughwarintonew timereturningina circle This country’s formula that states that something is here is something that states that formula And again,thelongnighttalksofmycountrymen place occupied by the author in the community the Polish Mother] Mat (Jarosław Markiewicz) researcher’s perspective, one should first at- first should one perspective, researcher’s single text. However, they remain directed challenge to variant of the eternal Polisheternal the of variant the existing “state of word” work hard on hard work again: new

165 166 autumn of1944: is developed into the image of post-uprising exodus of Warsaw’s inhabitants in the Later in this poem by Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz the image of conquered Warsaw current experience. of expression the for models seem, would it as appropriate, most the provided ing the nineteenth-century. The era of Paskiewicz and the tragedy of the January Upris- of narratives history,grim in the deeper on means drawing necessary for searched songs”duringtheGermanoccupation. …” [Axe,hoe…],oneofthe“forbidden that the musical jingle of the underground “Solidarity” radio was “Siekiera, motyka the police units scattering the street demonstrations. It was not a to diversion, sabotage, and camps. This way of reading the present was probably closest conspiracy against the occupants, police harassment, raids, the underground state, spontaneously,somehow began, lived and perceived to was What experience. current the on superimposed Soviet) than rather German, (interestingly WorldWarII of occupation the of images and references of system the in expression of means the found automatically law, martial the by liberated it is that repeats itself. The consciousness of the occupational nature of communism, break theblackwaferofPolish fate]. freedom], “Znowu łamiemy się czarnym opłatkiem polskiego losu” of [Once again we dawn the smothered is [Again wolności” świt zdławiony “Znów countrymen], popular imagination. After all, already in 1968 the students shouted “Gestapo” at Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry However, poetry did not stop on this first – popular – level of identification. It identification. of level – popular – first this on stop However,not did poetry All those instances of “again” are followed by appropriate categorizations of what Pchając dziecinnewózki, dźwigającwalizki… Wychodziliśmy z miastadługimikolumnami I słychać byłośpiewwnieznanejmowie… Szczypały suchątrawę,krzyczelisetnicy Małe włochatekoniekozackichszwadronów Na skwerzeprzedTeatrem, jakzaPaskiewicza, Kiedy sięobudziłem,Polski jużniebyło, I jak przedwielulaty, Lwowską,Nowowiejską And I couldhearsinginginunfamiliarspeech Nibbling atdrygrass,thescreamingcenturions Small furryhorsesofCossacksquadrons On thesquareinfrontofTheatre,astimePaskiewicz, Pushing baby carriages,carrying suitcases We leftthecityinlongcolumns And likemanyyears ago,alongLwowska,Nowowiejska When I wokeup,therewasnoPoland, fall into a into fall coincidence either familiar pattern: familiar Poland permanently crucified, sentencedto Golgotha. of martyrdom, inevitable of vision allegorical an revived was thus And itself. tion ber of poets who sought to 1981/82 amounts to a as which present, the of image the obscured, thus and forward, came meaning cal histori- That historical. something of sense the with imbued was it beginning very to time no had observation for available immediately world the encounter we poems such In fied.” Ofcoursetheyarecarriedinkibitkawagonsandare: Next comes the image of those detained, carried across the city “chained and terri- that beforeoureyes: says Anonymous, as poems his published who Karasek, Krzysztof poet, Another appearing onlyasa repetitionorcopy. result took on a on took result Unassigned(XV) Sławiński But the historiosophical vision, in which the primary sense of the events of modlitwy lubprzekleństw znów powtarzająte samegesty, słowa ... z grudniowego poboru. jak zestyczniowejbranki, gdy nieotworzysznaczasim. pukają nocą,wyłamująz futryn, znowu pukajądopolskichdrzwi, Jak w 63,uGrottgera ... “Branka,” “Żałobnewieści,”“Ludw kościele,”“Pierwsza ofiara” half-unreal, spectral character, deprived of its own weight and weight own its of deprived character, spectral half-unreal, their repetitive character did not satisfy the ambitions of prayers orcurses again, repeatingthesamegestures,words ... or Decemberconscription. from Januaryraids, jak ci zceliKonrada, jakci spodBelwederu, should younotopenthemintime. knocking atnight,breakingthemdown, again theyareknockingonthePolish door, As in‘63,Grottger ... peopleinthechurch,”“First“ Captive,”“Gravelynews,”“The victim” Znów ożywająstareobrazyGrottgera: expose even more superior sense – the meaning of repeti- like thosefromKonrad’s cellorthosefromBelweder, oldpaintingscometo lifeagain: Grottger’s appear in its factuality, because from the factuality,from its because in appear . What is present and present is What doubled. a winter winter num-

167 168 poetic documentalism. At its core was a a basic levelofexpression, whichvalidatesother levelsofmeaning. local, were fragmented. aspect-oriented, It saw the order of the observational data as never strived for a of social activity, and the ways of verbalizing experiences in different environment. It centers and places different of atmosphere peculiar law,the martial of burdens the to sent, as well as by means of indication, by becoming its mark. Such poetry was eager to a experience; and situation event, concrete the called been commonly has the essential or model truth of the time; a or a chromolithographofpatrioticzeal. a poets, second-rate of case the in especially sometimes, was dreaming historiosophical of culmination The allegories. and parables analogies, bloodied / until it had the national color...]), creating a skrwawionej tak mon occurrence (I occurrence mon through actual history. Besides, the theme of sleep has and dreaming here is a discussed poetry that said be can it general In poem thisromanticallegoryisbecomesmorestraightforward: Rymkiewicz’s Marek Jarosław In Ficowski). (Jerzy Komięga Maciej of name pen poem the from comes image This document the “everyday” of Jaruzelski’s war, the state of mind of people bearing bearing people of mind of state war,the Jaruzelski’s of “everyday” the document ground the speech in “here and now” – both through a through both – now” and “here in speech the ground Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The second writing strategy, in opposition to płaczem zranionychwód upływem wisłyz wybucha pęka tętnicatejziemi O patrz! Ojczyznatwojakona. Jak całunjestgrudniowamgła. Nad ciałemkrążyczarnawrona. … [I miała… barwę narodową aż / general definition, but was rather satisfied with observations that general definition, but was rather satisfied with observations that have not yet mentioned Ernest Bryll: Ernest mentioned yet not have To ciało gwoździewdłoniachma, Przebita włóczniągrudnia Look now!Your homelandisdying. December fogislikea shroud. Above itcirclestheblackcrow. in thecryofwoundedwaters] in theflowofvistulafrom explodes bursts thearteryofland [Prophecies] published under the under [Prophecies]published Przepowiednie desire to (13 grudnia) desire to This bodyhasnailsthroughitshands, Pierced bya spearofDecember record the “momentary truth,” and not second-hand imaging I dreamed of the Pope in surplice so surplice Popein the of dreamed capture and instantly preserve what kind of framework for all these Śniłem, że Papieżże w Śniłem, thematization of the pre- the of thematization historiosophically dreamed historiosophically martyrological kitsch martyrological (December 13th) noticeably com- intend to tendency tendency komży call call would haveit,to therealisticeffect. Barthes as birth, giving thus and excess its in dysfunctional almost descriptions, of thoroughness unusual the through itself expressed documentalism times, other i Pierwsza collection the from Budrewicz Leszek by both Library”] National the Entering by Strike the Broke [“Soldiers Narodowej Biblioteki do wkraczając strajk, przerwali bramy Pafawagu [“On theTanks BreakingDowntheGateofPafawag”] orŻołnierze events in the life of a of life the in events to dedicated poetry commemorative of tradition the ground ofpoeticactivity, clearlyto referit. the as name literal the for respect the and speech of colloquialization the is that to by obligations to It is interesting that the chance to meanings. It chose instead the colloquial, prose-like message and literal description. of accumulation the and pathos rhetorical the rejected It patterns. worn toward it this poetry greatly reduced those aspects of because the “poetic” possible which become would has naturally definition, push adequate the on waiting one world, own to maze the through Getting lost. got occasionally artists renowned even and injustice, a thus immediately obvious) patterns of poetic speech about national calamities, loss from its object. These are, first of all, and in the present case, the time-honored (and the world it wants to be already used up, namely to In some of its manifestations poetic documentalism was tantamount to Unassigned(XV) Sławiński Poetry which aims to ... togi obszytewątłympaskiemzieleni), trzech obrońców(siwewłosy, notatki, (wymieniają uśmiechyz publicznością), pośrodku), trzechbrodatychoskarżonych okulary należącedotego,którysiedzi z prawej stronyzakładadlazabawy i niewyraźnie), trzechsądziów(ten Protokolantka ziewa [“The First and Second War of the Worlds”]). At Worlds”]). the of War Second and First [“The światów wojna druga true maze of intricate symbolism and stylistic principles, in which the stereotype was offered by a Jeden prokurator(łysy, mówicicho gawron czyściswojąodwiecznątogę. document, overcome or remove the obstacles which separate it specific community or group (e.g. group or community specific achieve such goals must, before it can say anything about ... gowns trimmedwith faintgreenstripe) three defenders(gray hair, notes, (exchanging smiles withtheaudience) in themiddle,forfun),threebearded defendants the rightputsonglassesbelonging to theone indistinctly), threejudges(theone on the poetics of Różewicz. Both indicated moments, embrace the linguistic perspective unconstrained Za oknem One prosecutor(baldandmutters turn to record important or unusual or important record the poetics thought by many Na przełamanie czołgiem przełamanie Na reach its reach feeding

169 170 mid-sentence, barely begun narratives. In terms of genre they could all be catego be all could they genre of terms In narratives. begun barely mid-sentence, poems, ideas for future use, fragments of greater wholes, instances of speech cut without in lines punch lines, punch no with poems drafts, early poems, possible of sketches indefiniteness, or incompleteness own their indicated texts these part, most the For reporting. or notifying information, communicating for used forms genres. The authors referred to Polish literary tradition, the prison cell is rather associated with visionary flights of fancy. simplicity of expression were all encouraged by the specific location of the subject. In the a speech, of quality realistic Woroszylski, by mention collections such as the two Darłówko, Gołdap, Strzelce Opolskie, Nowy Wiśnicz, Załęże, and so on. One could from broadcast are they dimension: one this in at least defined clearly is speech of situation the that is feature distinguishing whose texts produced in the internment camps and prisons. In other words, sets of works I that By writing. of type this of representative a is there law martial of writings the In O officers: transferred intopoeticspeecha dialoguebetweenZOM was heard, what came from the outside. As in Wiktor Woroszylski’s six-liner which a through itself manifested documentalism poetic the still, times other At Sumero. of pseudonym Quoted above is Adam Zagajewski’s Herbst, czyListydobrata[Lettersto mybrother]byGrzegorzMusiał. [Reason of state] by Anka Kowalska, Jan Polkowski, Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry h dcmnay hrce o pei txs a euly eemnd y their by determined equally was texts poetic of character documentary The It is indeed significant that the sobriety and relevance of observations, a observations, of relevance and sobriety the that significant indeed is It zdawał i brał co będęzdawałi brał trzeba byłozdać ja nie zdałem no zdałem Zmierzch i kind of “quotes” from reality – seemingly directs records of what of records directs seemingly – reality from “quotes” of kind [White meadow] by TomaszaJastrun, by meadow] [White łąka Biała zdałeś tenłom grypsy [Twilight and kites] by Antoni Pawlak, preference for facts, an emotional restraint, brevity and and brevity restraint, emotional an facts, for preference them as diaries, prison kites, letters: in other words, return itandtakeagain why wouldI returnitandtakeagain you shouldhave I did not I did The recordingclerkyawns Polska więzienna [Poland imprisoned] by Lothar Dzienniki internowania [Diaries of internment] Sąd [The Court], published in 1982 under the you returnedthecrowbar A rook iscleaninghiseternalgown. whole family of related works particularly works related of family whole mean the collections and series of series and collections the mean : from Białołęka, Jaworz, Białołęka, from there: Outside thewindow [Fire] by [Fire] Ogień Racja stanu certain certain - process of transition from communism to for the study of the changes in the collective consciousness which take place in the and complex textual reality. And besides, it can serve as a a not is This creation. their of to limited entirely is poems law martial of readability various previous conventions, some of them already used up. More importantly, the however, that is a I forever. buried was it when) (and where is This function. primary a art of poetry; it was not a to proved a produced having energetic, and busy appeared It poetry. movement of meaning in the text – this is my understanding of poetic documentalism. civic, philosophical or personal content, as well as its role as a presence of this dictionary in poetic speech, the way it shone through the moralistic, The directions. different many in proceed could it which from dictionary basic of a in named and identified clearly observation, by validated experienced, them of all reactions; human events, situations, places, landscapes, realities, new by formed a on based were varieties its of all that is point the But lyricism. time personal, civic, religious, moralistic, or even (albeit rarely), metaphysical in its of fact or journalistic reporting. It operated within the poetry which was at the same strategy I fixed to thedaysandmonthsofmartiallawperiod. to was It reading. unauthorized of waters the on sail from it preventing to putting the date under the text, the author wished for it to It wasnota secondaryorincidentalmatterfortheirsemanticsandpragmatics.By creation. of date their by proximity such in held generally be would they more, is to it from away moved yet not to close to reader the allows that shape the in left are which records to [notedowns], “zanoty” as rized assume, therefore,thatitis“post-communism.” school, a literal way. They constituted a the content. The text thus became like a Unassigned(XV) Sławiński It is in fact quite a quite fact in is It 7 In order to 29 th th November 1986 November 1989 the objective or psychological situation they have grown out of, and have and of, out grown have they situation psychological or objective the have called here poetic documentalism transformed poetry into the work be barren. It did not introduce anything new to new anything introduce not did It barren. be trend or its own recognizable style; it remained a avoid confusion let me make it clear that I very interesting subject of investigation for literary history as a bizarre episode in the history of twentieth-century Polish twentieth-century of history the in episode bizarre beginning of any evolutionary sequences, nor did it create a poetry simply “to simply poetry foundation beyond all doubt for this poetry, a distance determined by conventional form. What form. conventional by determined distance borrow the name from Białoszewski. These are These Białoszewski. from name the borrow * a ship anchored in the harbor; its creator time as yet without a be read” outside its original and original its outside read” be the conditions of the time the of conditions the revealing source material do not maintain that the kind of addendum to be recognized as related Translation: Paweł Pyrka the development of the of development the factor in initiating the lot of works, and yet and works, of lot assume they are still are they assume fixed name; let us common ground, common do not deny,not do be forever be kind rich rich the the

171 172 in different, alternative dimension. The principle of a a Mr.Dismantling death. his after house the of owner Tischler’s – structure wooden newly purchased home) to home) purchased newly * to attempt says the narrator in the poem intensely the more transitory and indelibly sensual seemed reality and everyday life. world for the secret codes and rhythms of in searching phenomena, the of surface the beneath delved poet the Atlantis, style of poetic narration, but here, even more clearly than in individual poems from language. the with presenting a brought a that recall we past, distant too into back going Without registers. of his poems surprises with poetic variety and introduction of previously unknown 1 ramp to ramp A Stanislaw Barańczak’s readers are accustomed to “Surgical Precision” On ExposingtheIdiominStanisławBarańczak’s . whichisslippingaway”: “That Kandziora Jerzy Unless otherwise notealll quotedpassages translatedbyPaweł Pyrka dictating a World,dictating Other the Postcardfrom series of image-poems with distinct frames and highly saturated with color, the garden for his disabled wife – can be seen as a as seen be can – wife disabled his for garden the dismantling itall rozbierając to wszystko break through the tangible matter (bits of other people's privacy in the in privacy people's other of (bits matter tangible the through break

specific hyperrealistic record of time, freed from axiology and polemics I had awretchedjob miałem potępieńcząpracę A (1988) continued this new epic new this continued World(1988) Other the Postcardfrom *1 the transcendent, to transcendent, the Pan Elliot Tischler [“Mr. Elliot Tischler”], which is an that hypothetical world. This he did more sophisticated, multi-level organiza- multi-level sophisticated, the question about the fate of the of fate the about question the hidden code governed every poem the fact that each new collection metaphor for seeking for metaphor (1986) Atlantis this those formed around a around formed those perhaps refined intheactofpoetry. enhanced, dramatically become order the outside placement and uniqueness their quality, one-off their affirmation; of object an become They language. of corners the from extracted words individual culture, of texts objects, space, of fragments appropriates the most peculiar, and in a the face of individual poems. With an extraordinary passion, Barańczak poetically reader, being a The events. of coating trivial the beneath concealed mundane, the and disposable the in encoded all world, the of logic and beauty,principles finished superhuman idiom: the fundamental mysteries of existence, marks of genius, traces of the sacred, of “Surgical Precision” involves the uncovering of what is hidden in the accident of a a world – the idiom of private biography, of human body, of a a and habits, stylistic preferences, etc.” – Dictionary of Literary Terms, ed. J. Sławiński), speech of an individual, related to a (as sense encyclopedic literal, its in the metaphor of conversation with a with conversation of metaphor the metaphor of the hero’s single day, and of single human life, is inscribed along with the which in set, whole the of composition the also but meter, and rhyme of tion almost expansive presence of presence expansive almost from theeighties. poetry, the existence of of paths which and was, spaces admittedly,new of difficult to opening an all, of most perhaps and also, is however, volume, latest century.Barańczak’s twentieth the of poems Polish beautiful most zebo”] and poetic road reaches its fullness. I style known from the rightto happinessandrejectedbyindifferentworld. a of confessions of paraphrase arrangement ofpoemswhichrepresentthelackconclusioninthatdialogue. for human happiness. A happiness. human for discourse develops, on the place of man in the universe and the absence of necessity a Schubert, and more distantly, motifs from the poems of Wilhelm Müller – provides A image. and color of joy monochromatic tones of winter. Here Barańczak seems to center where most of the poems are crystallized, while the essential poetic drama scenery free of illusions of domesticity,of illusions of free scenery a where memorized sound, a sound, memorized The poems in “Surgical Precision” which display fascination with idiom are idiom with fascination display which Precision” “Surgical in poems The whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora The most remarkable poetic innovation in this volume seems to Released in 1998, “Surgical Precision” includes a And finally And deep poetic immersion in all other, not exclusively linguistic idioms of the of idioms linguistic exclusively other,not all in immersion poetic deep Płynąc na Sutton Island [“Going to witness to (1994) – a – (1994) Winter in Journey Atlantis melody line. Idiom appears as a as appears Idiom line. melody single personal word, expression or an artifact of memory; of artifact an or expression word, personal single discourse, we should add, which appears to appears which add, should we discourse, and these operations of poetry, may initially stand helpless in bleak, wintry landscape – inspired by the songs of Franzof songs the by inspired – landscape wintry bleak, A . By that I that By idiom. disappointed romantic lover who has been denied been has who lover romantic disappointed Postcard from the Other World, in which Barańczak’s am thinking here among others of their origin, education, profession, environmental hypothetical Creator,hypothetical a in identifiable “set of individual properties characterizing properties individual of “set sense the most extraneous areas of reality, fascinating poetic dream, unfolding in unfolding dream, poetic fascinating Sutton Island”], probably some of the mean both the concept of idiolect of concept the both mean spatial-conceptual philosophical spatial-conceptual

number of poems written in the design principle, indeed as indeed principle, design predict, reading his poems leave behind that poetic section of matter, space, be the unusual, Altana be a be modern [“A mirror Ga-

173 174 remains at the same time a of thesounds-letterscode: obstacle the beyond time, of veil the behind existing yet illegible, completely now universe, entire an inscribed (?) once (?) someone which in “Cześnik,” word the of arbitrariness fascinating The world. objectivized great the all within, inscribed the word continues, a is a Sender’s Problem” which paraphrases Fredro’s to brings which ”Handrail”), in “tubajfor” idiolectic (the time by limited existence, to senses the opens which Glass”), “Behind in youth distant from remembered cucumbers” pickled “fresh a (“Knast,” era personal the language, in sanctuaries and provinces of time, space, culture, and that it does it that and culture, space, time, of provinces and sanctuaries in language, the of dialects the in dwelling expressions, “indigenous” and familiar words, loquial col- into perfection, the absolute, the universe, the encodes inscribes, something? language, that each idiom is able to of territory no is there that discovery the infinity,from the of faces as cidentality “Handrail,” bearingtherefrain, “Ktospamięta?I ktosięodwdzięczy?” in “poręcz” word title the of connotations deep the Finally,are repeatedly). there word particular this of use make him tells something text, the in prehistory this about ask not does poet the (although memory social in lost now is idiom cultural Business”], which carries an extinct grammatical category and a poem the in (wily) “szczwany” word The [“Say, itwon’t be long”]: poem the in episode an is which (district), “powiat” word The prehistory: pictorial and linguistic of subconsciousness, intimate of areas secret the enter which poems these poetic revelations, is anchored in a in anchored is revelations, poetic these nadawcy Problem [“FromKnast”], light the seemingly untranslatable idiom of traditional Polish culture (in “The “The (in culture Polish traditional of idiom untranslatable seemingly the light Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry In all these examples, the poetic amazement comes from singularity and ac- and singularity from comes amazement poetic the examples, these all In medium, a W powiecie skórywszyscyznająsięnawzajem. W… no,to słowo,teżnawpółmartwe…w“powiecie”? ... zniekształconyderywatsłów“cześć”?“czas”?“nieszczęśnik”?“uczestnik”? nikt jużniewie,coznaczyarchaicznyprzydomekczytytuł: ... distortedderivativeoftheword“hello”?“Time”? “Unfortunate”?“Participant”? ] key opening a nobody knowswhatthisarchaicnicknameortitlemeans: Poręcz single, unique set of sounds and syllables, which could hold, name of a of name

separate entity in a the microcosm of matter and its relationship to relationship its and matter of microcosm the , Za szkłem Za [“Handrail”], In thedistrictofskintheyallknoweachother. In the...well,thiswordalsohalf-deadin“district”? time, an idea, but, as a [“The Sender’s Problem”]. Each of these works, these of Problem”].Each Sender’s [“The confectioner from Poznań in “From Knast,” or “FromPoznańKnast,” in from confectioner contain the universe, and finally that someone? word. A word. Debiutant w Debiutant

poem. The surprise at the universe of The Revenge ). The word, the idiolect, word which carries the entire the carries which word carrier of those dimensions, it , Od Knasta Od Glass”], [“Behind [“Rookie in the in [“Rookie procederze “The Sender’s Problem” ) Sender’s (“The whole tradition and Powiedz, że wkrótce Powiedz,że human a series of warnings, pleas and judgments seems to Twój” [two-by-four ... Here? Error. Back. ... Stop. Be. Exist. ... This? Your. Life”]. This for the whole poem: : “two-by-four shaping matter, inwhichhumanexistencecanfindsupport: in that incantation of “tubajfor” with with the pre-idea of carpentry as a ers of the pre-idea of – there is no other way to railing) – radiate in the poem from their material, wooden core. They become carri- to used timber of dimensions – four” by “two (polonized “tubajfor” and life, which is heading into collapse, into non-existence. Two words – “poręcz” (rail) borderlines of language, inorganic matter of wooden railing and someone's human potency; itactivatestimesandspaces. unpredictable its revealing idea, an becomes word that And rest. the from apart a in “happened” but what is more, it carries the mark of its single use or production. It is a reminiscent of the original on the level of sound and rhythm. It is inserted into inserted a is It rhythm. and sound of level the on original the of still reminiscent but transformed, echoed, repeatedly is “tubajfor” idiom the heard, Once from a tempt to the world. of “periphery” the and “center” the of hierarchy human the moreover,against so, to seems It impermanent. is which that together holding dissolution, from text the of villanelle. It seems entwine the poem, to with its core unchanged thirteen times in rhyming position, in accordance with rules of this poem. The word “poręcz” (rail) undergoes multiple alliterations but returns Guide? A Guide? sophisticated rhyming pattern of the of pattern rhyming sophisticated reenact in its verse-making role the idea of caring matter, repeatedly expressed matter,repeatedly caring of idea the role verse-making its in reenact whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora ”Handrail,” an extremely mysterious poem, is “happening” somewhere on the on somewhere “happening” is poem, mysterious extremely an ”Handrail,” The poems ”Handrail” and ”Behind Glass” present perhaps the most radical at- private word, which not only carries its individual meaning, its designation, żeliwnie? Postna szczodrość. w porze przypływuzawiaspomostu,razporaz, za jejsosnowewsparcie,rytm,w jakimjęczy ): ktospamięta?I sięodwdzięczy (two-by-four z – jakbyspolszczyłimigrant-cieślatubajfora Milkliwie oschładobroćkanciastejporęczy reveal the universe in singularity and uniqueness. They start from idiolect, Person who Knows the Way?the A Knows Person who particular situation, which makes it even more accidental, more accidental, more even it makes which situation, particular like cast-iron?Fasting generosity. at hightidethehingemoansonpier, again andagain, for itspinesupporttherhythminwhich ) whowillremember?Andrepayit? (two-by-four made from(byimmigrant-carpenter)–a “tubajfor” Taciturn drykindness ofangularrailing ... Tu? Błąd. Wróć. , which also provides framework provides also which villanelle, wrap around the ends of lines, protecting Guardian? It is one of many mysteries many of one is It Guardian? express it – woodenness, combining be, hidden in the idiom, a ... Stój. Bądź. Trwaj. wisdom of ... word that build the build To? Byt. voice of

175 176 night, but it wasn’tit but night, poem from the collection, so of, area an to is matter inanimate of things and man between relationship The of passingandend: a as seen is body human rainbow”). The proximity of the world of things, of inorganic material, of more durable than the negatives “undevelopable phrase the of ambiguity (the voice man a of layers luminescent with associated be can which “rot,” and “stiffness” depths,” “cold rainbow,of inverted a is “rail” the of idiom The end ofhumanlife,intheevocativeimagefearpassing: to opposed ”Handrail” the in is matter inanimate of existence The it?” “Andrepay of will chorus who the in clearly most poem, the in speak, heightened sensitivity in the poetry of Stanisław Barańczak. In another In Barańczak. Stanisław of poetry the in sensitivity heightened speak, Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry głos, w linięprostą,prostąjakprógczyzapora: pień naukzheblowanyw przyziemny, bezdźwięczny Postna szczodrość,najciaśniejpodręczny filtrujących owadzimrok,podpóri porad: próchno, któremutrzebaokuć,plomb,pajęczyn igliwia skostnieńmrowiąw nas,następodręczy zimnych głębin?A “zimnych”toniemetafora: znad niewywoływalnychnegatywówtęczy: ... Ktopamięta?podnosiwzrok,wdzięczny, what woke him”], there is the “creak of wood, rattling against rattling wood, of “creak the is there him”], woke what stabilizing context for human life saturated with the fear the with saturated life human for context stabilizing Płakała w response to response cemetery, of underground space, unreachable by hu- by unreachable space, underground cemetery,of to filter theinsectdarkness,supportandadvice: rot, whichneedsbindings,seals,spiderwebs needles ofstiffnesstinglinginsideus,tormentsusdull cold depths?And“cold”isnota metaphor: from undevelopablenegativesofrainbow: ... Whoremembers?looksup,grateful, voice, intostraightline,as thresholdorbarrier: trunk ofsciencesplanedintomundane soundless Fasting generosity, the tightesthandy nocy, ale nie jej płacz go zbudził [“She cried in the Stój. Bądź.Trwaj. ... these fears. A fears. these Tu? Błąd.Wróć. the vision of dissolution, the dissolution, of vision the reaction to reaction the vision of an of vision the Here? Error. Back. Stop. Be.Exist.... released fromtheelementoflanguage,a sceneinmovietheater: previously stuck and which at the end radiates a “solution”the from released is narrative poetic was the it text which in idiolect, of a poetic epiphany. The starting point is the image: kitchen, noon, cucumbers in a of features has poem The Glass.” “Behind poem the in cucumbers” pickled “fresh is lesspainful. death own one’s which of light in world, the of continuity the (poręcza), confirms railing longevity,the The of passing. materiality of actual pain the the drama, tial the chimney/ branch, wind, trembling glass,” which are said to said are which glass,” trembling wind, branch, chimney/ the and sacralization of idiolect, an investigation into the nature, the substance of the of substance the nature, the into investigation an idiolect, of sacralization and ing. Thuswecould readthefinallinesof poem. maturity, into feelings of the world’s ungraspability, its mystery, beauty and suffer- loneliness, freedom, into initiation youthful experience: existential of description The ending of the poem, therefore, opens itself to its grain, which we touch and deeply experience, give a a him, of inanimatematterwouldbe,ifI readShecriedinthenight,butitwasn’t what woke individuality and separateness ontological “impartiality,” This Winter. in Journey world is not directed at mankind. This theme emerged clearly already in Barańczak’s sphere of inanimate entities which makes us, humans, realize that the logic of this of people” – more in the sense of a moment in time, in space – perhaps in distant past. Similarly, at the end of the of end the Similarly,at past. distant in perhaps – space in time, in moment Another line of associations and an area of experience are opened by the idiom whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora Before this opening, however, we observe in “Behind Glass” a Glass” “Behind in observe however,we opening, this Before source of tranquility. In ”Handrail” the substantiality, the texture of wood, of texture substantiality,the the ”Handrail” tranquility.In of source sprawdzać życie,własne,naprzegubachświatakładącpółślepepalce. tę mgiełkęnaszklesłoja,krwotoktejszyby, pulsgwiazdy, Tomku, w samopołudnie,czyli każdej chwili,wolnocisprawdzić niewierny jej ekranowyodblaskwypisywał:wolno-ć, kina “Muza,”naścianach,ichtynkui boazerii ale takjasnowtedy, zetrzydzieścilattemu,w salce szybą. Twarz z brodawkamiiwszystkim,strużkąpotu,fałdamiskóry; w słynnym kadrze,teżzaszkłemzresztą,strzaskanąpromiennedrzazgi jak dwiebruzdynatwarzy–takiej,jakąmiałGaryCooper ten wrodzonywaszopóri upór check forlife,yourown,placinghalf-blinded fingersontheworld’swrists. the mistonglassjar, thebleedingofpane,pulsingstar Tom, athighnoon,soanytimenow, you can checkfor its screenreflectionspelledout:youcan,doubting “Muza” theater, onthewalls,plasterand the paneling but soclearlythen,somethirtyyearsago,intheauditoriumof splinters. Face withwartsandall,a trickleofsweat,foldsskin; in thefamousshot,alsobehindglass,a paneshatteredintoradiant like twolinesintheface–thatofGaryCooper’s this innateresistanceofyoursandstubbornness soothing recognition that there is an autonomous different picture, a universals and presents a chance to be “alien to “alien be delay the existen- streak of memory certain exegesis certain moving affairs jar,

177 178 inscribed in a in inscribed cucumber and its “freshness.” “Fresh pickled cucumber” as an idiom is permanently newspaper languageoftelevisionadvertisinglingo. also in distress, because intertwined and undermined by some shreds of newspeak, and sayings, here diluted and incomplete (like the “fresh” pickled cucumbers), and proverbs antiquated of echoes through poem the enters idiolect its formation, this with Along century. twentieth the of modernity the in lost War”First the before a formation, that of a trace time matter,same cucumber the of at qualities and are they meaning; double produce somehow – fulfillment of lack with synonymous (małosolność), a in tight dignity,packed with position, cestors andtheyellowbileofunfulfilledpresent),“garlicvigor,” the“upright” an- noble of blood blue the of (synthesis greenness the skin, the of thickness the – to some old-fashionedness and steadfastness, of quiet domestic resistance to though not literally, in the epiphanic final image, a image, final epiphanic the literally,in not though The initial image of kitchen at noon, of cucumbers and glass jars, will be repeated, pickled cucumber” leads to to have beenadoptedfromtheprototypeformofcucumberjar. seem those all – stanzas into division of lack the from resulting text the in space white of absence the and syntax, or caesuras for respect no with available room of – its “tightness” of “packed” verses, which through their length seek to a in pickles like ingredient preservative and conservative paremiological, this with saturated becomes ration (Bishop, Larkin, Merrill, Hardy, Frost, Auden). This time, however, the idiolectic however,the Hardy,time, This Merrill, Frost,Auden).Larkin, (Bishop, cumulation of images of the New World, and probably translatological experiences to seemed which a like is It revolting. particularly poetics individual language. A language. ”Handrail,” maximalist in reaching out to kitchen and the mysterious words: “fresh pickledcucumber.”kitchen andthemysteriouswords: “fresh confidence and freedom. And the key to from which it emerged into independent existence, capable of checking, of rebellion, this biography, which cannot be separated from the pre-history it holds within, and in found be can poem the story.in life described someone's previously Everything becomes in a subject narrative the remembering, of epiphany this in point, this At distress. cucumber in of aspect unwavering the resembles somehow skin” of folds sweat, of face of Gary Cooper is also behind glass and its texture with “warts and all, a “some thirty years ago, in the auditorium of / Muza theater”: winds of history, to Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The whole text in general seems to seems general in text whole The As mentioned, the path of associations, which runs from prototypical “fresh “fresh prototypical from runs which associations, of path the mentioned, As ”Behind Glass” is a poem that is a is that poem sense finally personalized; it becomes someone's memory, biography, certain era, a era, certain have subsided in American experience, withdrawn before the ac- the before withdrawn experience, American in subsided have social genotype of “mustachio / vilniuses and subcarpathians and vilniuses / “mustachio of genotype social “the era of simplification” – once? Or now? All of its features beautiful, poetically daring text, something radical and, like praise of idiom, and is within the realm of Barańczak’s of realm the within is and idiom, of praise the opening of the poem onto an existential perspective. jar with salt. Also, the formal shape of ”Behind Glass” ”Behind of shape formal the Also, salt. with jar certain domain and community; it is a is it community; and domain certain this biography will always be the jars in the recreate a recreate the essence of time, history, biography, and collective jar, and finally the “freshness” “freshness” the finally jar,and collective form of cucumber jar. The nar- The jar. cucumber of form frame from a from frame return to return High Noon, in which the linguistic poetics, linguistic movie watched movie condensate of condensate use every bit oppression, oppression, trickle map Window, a of image the – idiom spatial the few words of a – a fewwordsof idiom distance between two idioms, that it arose at the point of intersection of the language that Note poems. a in developed be Precision”will “Surgical in which intuition an record a of devoid text, contemplative perfectly This forthevolumeAtlantis[“September”] : subcodes appeared already in Barańczak’s earlier works, such as in the poem times and cultures, the fascination with their existence how it is concealed in exotic ing journey of “common places “ (loci communes) within idiolects, across languages, the world. to had word when a word, which is in the center of the poem, hides beneath the surface of its singleness 1 about the “idiom of afternoon” – meets imposed upon him a a

picture of suburban landscape outside a whole universe, an infinity; it is the prototype, the mother-word, unlike before, unlike mother-word, the prototype, the is it infinity; an universe, whole whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora The fascination with idiolect, and more broadly, the fascination with the amaz- kto bywiedział,coznacząsłowa“spólnyłańcuch”oraz“ziemskiekolisko.” jeszcze przezdobrepięćminutopróczniegoniebędzienikogo, co najmniejmili(1609,31m) ... W promieniu złoci sięw słońcu,jakcorokuświeżoodmalowana. ... ZaoknemwieżyczkaLowellHouse nowojorskiego Żydai kalifornijskiejIrlandki. grupie złożonejz Mulata,Japonki,dwojgaAnglosasów, “goniąc zażywiołkamidrobniejszegopłazu” (klimatyzacja) wyjaśniaznaczeniezdania W pokoju zbiurkiem,tablicąiniedającymsięotworzyćoknem Rapall Noyes andMarjorie BeatricePeacock) the CentenaryofHis Death. Paris: Unesco,1955.177-180.Print. (translatedby George Mickiewicz, Adam. “Ode to also from “pursuing smallermolluscsforthesportalone” (air conditioning)explainsthemeaningofsentence In a roomwithdesk,blackboardandwindowthatwon’t open of harmony.” who wouldknowwhatisitmeansto “encirclethevastworld”with“chains for a goodfiveminutestherewon’t be anyoneapartfromhim at leasta mile(1609.31m) ... Within golden inthesun,aseveryyear, freshlyrepainted. ... OutsidethewindowtowerofLowellHouse New York Jew andanIrishwomanfromCalifornia. to agroup consistingofMulatto,Japanesewoman,twoAnglo-Saxons, becomes crystallized through the astonishment at the at astonishment the through crystallized becomes September Atlantis offers a be reminded of its referents and meanings, shown the way into way the shown meanings, and referents its of reminded be Slavic poetofthefirsthalf the nineteenthcentury, and Youth” Adam Mickiewicz,1798-1855: InCommemorationof similar record of interaction between two idioms: sunny day in an American college. The poem The college. American an in day sunny closed window – the poet writes directly clear thesis or message is the early the is message or thesis clear 1 “soundtrack” – a series of series Wrzesień greet-

179 180 ing addressed to addressed ing be found in much more extensive poems the idiom of space. Such spatial counterpoint to of one’s own life, much less alluring and clear than the life of a of life the than clear and alluring less much life, own one’s of the poem “Tenors” is about, indirectly), become the despised and shunned storyline be ignored by physiognomists who establish the canon of male beauty (which is what common matter, sensoryandtransitoryconcreteness. and its absence, all these universal categories cannot exist outside form, substance, a of idiom and accident, a are poems born of the same idea: to guage. However, I wouldliketosuggestthat“Implosion” and“Surgical Precision” lan- of element the in immersed completely poems Glass,” ”Behind or “Handrail” Chirurgiczna precyzja[“SurgicalPrecision”]. neighbor and(biblical)areonethesame/word.” a reporter? friendlyneighbor?: that is area the because is That Precision.” “Surgical in realized fully be will which idea a point starting the at actually are we Here space. of that the idiom, to idiom, the poet’s job not be deceived by the apparent insignificance and dimensionlessness of the is it However,“Hi-Fi”). (in concert Evans’s Bill of recording the on clinking film (“Tears in the Cinema”), or be considered a (“The Sender’s Problem”) Sender’s isvirtuallyimpossible. (“The to “letter this signs, its decoding though even accident, the in code the narrator – a and a striking here is the eagerness to journalistic, with a with journalistic, a company, ance of speech,thelackpoeticdramaora clearpunchline. quotes, a and open poetic narratives. They seem to mysterious principle of nature which states that perfection, genius, time, space time, genius, perfection, that states which nature of principle mysterious Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Idioms and accidents are often subject to hermetic the from different more be not could texts two the surface, the On Thus, Thus, “Implosion” and “Surgical Precision.” Both poems appear to raczej gęstniałi wierzył,żezapowiadana “Implosion” is a “Implosion”is careful look at the transformation of space with a ​​complementary to i wozy policyjne,a więc nienapierał, verbal event, a and September Od wczesnegorana somewhat ironic, momentarily distanced commentator; a possess the necessary intuition and to and intuition necessary the possess tłum gromadziłsięwokółplacyku –bariera a arto frl acoe i a in anchored firmly narration neighbor, spoken in a in spoken neighbor, touch style of a of style touch record of the demolition of a of demolition the of record “soundtrack,” contaminated by the non-poetic extravagance certain joke (an idea, a show a show Window language idiom is in Barańczak’s latest volume precisely record details, a discover in the local afternoon paper or radio station. What is What station. radio or paper afternoon local Implozja appear and vanish with their narrator, like clash between the idiom of language and language of idiom the between clash foreign language, “in which (next door) (next which “in language, foreign pitiful human depreciations; they can ”Handrail” and ”Behind Glass” can plan) of the Creator. Or, if you will, slightly offhand visual perspective [“Implosion”] and the eponymous professional failure, like the glass high-rise belonging to belonging high-rise eto o tm ad pc, half space, and time of section ​​ordinary and peripheral quality sense at least the existence of existence the least at sense touch of personality of the poetic concept, a concept, poetic hero in a in hero poet-witness? be quite loose the world” the an insur- an romance certain Barańczak’s collection. “Surgical Precision” is actually a of type another with dealing are we fact in that realizing to I a including and vigor rhetorical of full about surgeons, a surgical profession, with an addition of some personal anecdotes, gossip and hearsay called current issues: politics, medicine, social behaviors, particularly regarding the so- the on commenting and reminiscing of form the in eloquence social of display longer than “Implosion.” The chatty narrator’s monologue is a of time and space, can be observed in “Surgical Precision,” a final messageofthetext. all this presentation, its poetic intention, which would reveal another level and the of meaning the explain could which poem the outside “off-screen”from tive voice authorita- the be not will it persona; the with identification complete experience not will reader The audience. street the of emotions undulating and building the and ironies jokes, its with a event, an just also is it poem; the of space the shut not does event to introduced been has that super-consciousness narrative personified The think it would be a this discursive-anecdotal layer,to discursive-anecdotal this whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora The same characteristics of a transmisja TVprzegraw konkurencjizsamym prężył swójbiałybetoni zieloneszyby, smukły wieżowiecfirmyubezpieczeniowej życiem (cowcaleniejestregułą)...... Szesnastopiętrowy stabilny, choćtaksilniepartynaszymwzrokiem. że opalaniesięto krokdomelanomy), wystawiony nasłońce(jakktośnieświadomy,

dose of pettifogging, TV broadcastwouldloseincompetitionwithactual rather thickenedandbelievedthattheannounced misunderstanding to flexed itswhiteconcreteandgreenwindowpanes, a slender towerblockofinsurancecompany life (whichisnottherule)... and policecars,soitdidn’t push, Sixteen stories which move parallel to parallel move which mots bons From earlymorning stable, thoughsostronglypressuredbyourlooks. that sunbathingleadsto melanoma), exposed to thesun(assomeoneunaware verbal event, “captured” as if at a the crowdgatheredaroundsquare–barrier read it without the quotation marks, without marks, quotation the without it read political correctness and encyclopedic erudition, few witty comments in foreign languages. foreign in comments witty few read this poem with exaggerated attention narrative flow, captured in present in present idiom narrative the collapsing walls of walls collapsing the four-part poem, much slightly pretentious random section parallel one, parallel this

181 182 of confidence, a “Implosion,” the reader of “Surgical Precision” experiences something akin to existence. Existence in the idiom of time, space, language. Perhaps, as when reading a first. From a “inner eye” of the poem. From this perspective their communal perfectionism and volume to volume to us provoke should space, of opening arbitrary equally and commentator the of presence imposing the because and on the other hand “Implosion” and “Surgical Precision,” which are disturbing seem extremely hermetic, arbitrarily enclosing their space in a and commentator the eliminate which Glass” ”Behind and ”Handrail” hand, one the on with, contact in experienced trauma reading The idiom. of problem the of two pairs of texts and in a tion andpoeticpotential. those focused on idiolect and the mother-word from which they derive their narra- referential function of words and sentences, as it is in the case of “hermetic” poems, the outside much as situated is poems those of sense the and internalized equally specifically emphasized, i.e. “Implosion”were and “Surgical Precision,”space the lyrical subject is in of fact idiom the and narrator the of figure the where poems to come we how is Here matter? and words of microcosm the entering exegeses, “substantial” vague developing and associations linguistic ing surpris- dark with saturated both Glass,” ”Behind and ”Handrail” than “lighter” ambiguity and poetic condensation, are actually more understandable, unambiguous, of devoid and narration and imagery space, with filled simple, semantically seem would it world,” the from “reports these Precision,” “Surgical and “Implosion” the oneholdingkeyto understandingpoem. fell, we not, is and poem, the of meanings overall the explain would that authority an as unacceptable is expression, of plurality own its of polyphony this in mersed the limits of genre scene, or a torzy ptaków] from the volume A and narration,areto befoundintheseworks? sion”to try and it is possible to and by identifying tensions, antinomies and symmetries which exist between them to appear they topic; the with fascination philosophical to testify and collection Barańczak’s in idiom of problem author. But the fact is that the four interpreted poems constitute the center for the to difficult fairly random moment of someone's life and their linguistic activity,linguistic a their and life someone's of moment random fairly Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry One could go further; the perceived difficulty of reading somehow connects the Can we then say that out of those four poems that particularly interest us here, “Implosion” in some respects resembles Barańczak’s “Birdwatchers” [Obserwa- With that in mind, let us go back to a say whether what we observe here is a is here observe we what whether say higher level, to level, higher certain point the bird watchers are themselves being watched by some understand the crucial theme in the whole of “Surgical Precision.” answer the question: what meanings, hidden in the idiom of space of idiom the in hidden meanings, what question: the answer lack of a stable foothold in the text, since the narrative subject im- way opens the chance of a seek a seek collection of trip impressions, which it seems to transfer the reading of these texts and of the whole the of and texts these of reading the transfer Postcard from the Other World. The latter transcends common principle, the principle of idiom. It is It idiom. of principle the principle, common the poems “Implosion” and “Surgical Preci- poetic strategy intended by the by intended strategy poetic complete reading and discovery be “watching” each other each “watching” be the author’s poetic and poetic author’s the single word or object, the key paradox: in paradox: key the record of record a crisis crisis be at the sequence holds for a for holds sequence the a tion, perfectly exhausting the dramatic potential of all phases of the process without poetic the description of for moment rhythm seems to The space. of dimensions three the of contemplation slow and thus reflecting that which cannot be named, described, or presented in any way. to texts. Both of these poems, so strongly rooted in the idiom of everyday life, turn out of which remains the Inexpressible. Such is the character of poetic operation in these texts belongs entirely to both in narrator lyrical the since justification, of lack their in continue fragments a space, of part Each of these poems indicates its opposite in that it arbitrarily singles out a Precision” – so intensely “spoken” – is eventually that which was not said – silence. matter and existence, is its opposite – non-existence. The main theme of “Surgical Precision.” The main theme of “Implosion” – a “Surgical and “Implosion” in absentee” “great the theme, poetic the actually are verbalization, and in fact, belonging to to subject not categories Precision”), (“Surgical mystery in them. They point to point They them. in an at intensity unusual with Precision”),(“Surgical point expression of plurality and vigor narrative language, of flesh the (“Implosion”),with space of sensuality the their with entanglement radical message, thematic of lack their through particular, in poems These itself. a sense some in is commentary of absence the poems these both In narration. of idiom and speech of idiom the in immersed totally Precision”is cal of time and space incomparably deeper and, perhaps, completely. Just like “Surgi- However, it seems that “Implosion,” unlike singularity. Thisideaisreflectedattheendofpoem: an escape from the world of no classification, from realizing their painful existential hobby celebrations appear to single unnecessary word. With this purely poetic slowing down of perception, of down slowing poetic purely this With word. unnecessary single be in the deepest sense philosophical, touching with the whole of their surface their of whole the with touching philosophical, sense deepest the in be The middle section of “Implosion” is the scene of collapse of the building and building the of collapse of scene the “Implosion”is of section middle The whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora wśród ludzi,obcych,alejesteście–zaufaj Więc światmożejestpoto,byprzeszył,otworzył po jednejstronie,współobserwatorzy nas czasemznak,jakstrzałka:“JESTEŚ TUTAJ: ptaków, pogody, innychrzeczy.” random part of someone's monologue, and in the way that these that way the in and monologue, someone's of part random the the realm of idiom, the sphere of the expressible, opposite moment the disintegration of matter,poem of the disintegration leads the and moment among men,strangers,butyouare–trust So theworldmightbeinorderto pierceandopen (“Implosion”) and (“Implosion”)non-existence or non-being on oneside,co-watchers us sometimeswitha signlikearrow:“YOU AREHERE: that was not described, or expressed or described, not was that reality alternative be as much an entry into the world of ornithology, as of birds,weather, otherthings.“ coincide with the rhythm of the structure’s dissolu- the transcendent space. And it is these that Birdwatchers, is immersed in the idiom poem so intensely preoccupied with ua dsrpin and description human commentary silence and silence random

183 184 Non-being. At the end of the poem the narrator and witness to simultaneously and silently suggests, or rather implies a space, real of idiom the in existence, in “frozen” intensely so “Implosion,” Thus the factthatmajesticallycollapsingbuildingbelongsto aninsurancecompany): abstraction. (Incidentally, we could probably sense some metaphysical overtones in outside the limits of the immediate playful relation and into the space of geometric Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry już ogromnykłąbpyłurósłmunaspotkanie; jeszcze nieopadłnato wszystkodachbudynku– złapanych nazaledwiewystygłymuczynku nowe grzmoty;przekrojebiuri korytarzy, był dlaniejobowiązekzachowaniatwarzy, coraz nieodwracalniej,jakbycięższy gwizdy, oklaski.... łoskot trwałjeszcze–jużgopochłaniaławrzawa, ścian; harmonijkowateskładaniesiępięter; pustki wewnątrz;zapaści,pionowei tępe, eksplozje przemykałysięz piętranapiętro; osunęła się;zanią,pospirali,prędko, pod jednoczesnymciosemkilkusetekpięści, bezgłośnie wzdęłosięi rozprysło,jakgdyby najpierw szkłookien wschodnia fasada,najpierwdziwniewolno,potem po sekundziepopartychwielokrotnymgrzmotem; and alreadya hugecloudofdustroseupto meet it; the roofdidnotyetsettleuponit all – caught intheactbarelygettingcold new thunders;sectionsofofficesandhallways, and harderto maintainface, more irreversibly, asifitwasharder hit atonemomentbya fewhundredfists, silently swelledandwereshattered,asif first theglasswindows whistles, applause the noisestillrang–yetalreadyabsorbed byclamor, of walls,floorsfoldinguplikea paperfan emptiness inside;collapses,verticalanddull, explosions dartedfromfloorto floor; sank down,andafter, ina spiral,quickly, the easternfacade,oddlyslowatfirst,then in a secondsupportedbymultiplethunder; complementary space – of the event records the something begins to begins something The narrator, being one of us, carelessly, recklessly abandons the accident, just when casually alludingto somethingthat“isbehindusandwasleftbehind”: cooling down of emotions of spectators after the successful collapse of the building, ungraspable andextraverbal: to serve only may said was that the significance of the monologue itself, placing it in quotation marks; everything monologue. At the the same time, however,in such ending of present the poem actually revokes anecdotes similar of sequence whole the in positioned perfectly to belonging scene another yet is summarizes it geons of a to Similarly poem. the of end the at found will never meet, but which it will always miss? Such a a monologue, this which with message or code ent there actually is speech of rhetorical quivering, omniscient emotions, den signals indicating that its visible world, the order of the narrative, its human scene oftheevent,willnotexperience,norsense. tangibility,by the leaving empiricists incorrigible and senses the of slaves are who shape: an additional, “superfluous” line that starts something we, who are seduced other story begins, here signaled by the ending and the subtle breach of the poems whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora How about “Surgical Precision”? Does this poem, like “Implosion,” carry hid- shimmering hologram, its own poetic ambiguity. The cartoon joke about sur- świadomym, żejest ważneto,cosięwymyka. a co przypadkiem, ale,gdyczegośdotyka, nie bardzoprecyzyjnym,niepewnym, coznakiem Nie demiurgiem–chirurgiembyć, chociażbytakim: “Nie wyrzucać–to możemiećjakieśznaczenie!.” a główny chirurgwrzeszczyobecnym w tejscenie: śliski wewnętrznyorgan(śledziona, naoko) ponad którąwystrzelajakz procy, wysoko, plecy chirurgówtworząspoistązasłonę, Rysunek: operacjaw toku;pochylone ceased to be:thereisavacuum,visible,slender. carried bythewindbitsofpinkfibers The crowdgoesbackto wherecarsareparked. open up, when one should start to start should one when up, open But thatisbehindusandwasleftbehind. squeeze intothestreets,chasingus.Somethingwas used forsealing,cloudsofbrowndust ... Sothat’sit?Yes, itis.It’spastnine. ; instead of silence, instead of some transcend- some of instead silence, of instead instead; designate a designate “Implosion” the ending has a has ending “Implosion”the , in fact the whole idiom whole the fact in elephantiasis, blank space left by a by left space blank universal human monologue, human universal signal can undoubtedly be look carefully,look an- because the genre of black humor,black of genre the mystery that is that mystery texture

185 186 leaving thecountry: after underwent poet the operation an of story the readers: of group small no by of the author’s biography and works. It contains a a in saturated is poem The text. the loguing narratorisanEveryman,butalsoStanislawBarańczak thepoet,authorof mono The poem. the of character autobiographical as well as autothematic, clear misses theworld’struepulse;itisalwaysspeakingbeside world.” of a to seems monologue, logic of a to language and vigor and a a with forward moving story, “surgical” latter’s The monologist. the of is governed by some strange and mysterious logic, not identified with the intention the whole architecture of the poem, including its arbitrary division into four parts, that suggest could stanza the of form the in variation by caused monologue, the of meaningful This lack of precision, narration. the mid-sentence and of mid-thought breaks in framework the flow logical the with incompatibility form’s that about importantly,more perhaps and, poem, the in stanzas of form changing arbitrarily the about wonder could One Precision.” “Surgical also of structure is the into unknowable, inscribed the of and experience human of paths diverging the about significant, is what of missing inevitable man’s about thought same the Perhaps An issue not to Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry message: “we message: speak “we of, name and describe the world, but our discourse forever darł sięwe mnie:“Mamzginąć? Dobrze,gińmy razem!.” wszystko wokółzakaził, jakbykamikaze i narobił kłopotów: niedość,żepękł,jeszcze odezwał się–a byłemdawnopoczterdziestce (zapomniany appendixmojejkontrabandy), wyrostek, przewiezionyw brzuchuprzezAtlantyk higher order. A slightly narcissistic self-confidence of someone who never found words resist the process of articulating the world, is confronted with the with confronted is world, the articulating of process the resist be missed in the consideration of “Surgical Precision” is the very be encoded in the text, in its extraverbal space, in the form the in space, extraverbal its in text, the in encoded be different, competing rhythm, superimposed on the poetic that importantiswhichslippingaway. of things’weightandconfidentlybeableto say but onethatwhentouchingcangeta clearsense what a symptomisandsimplycoincidence, even onenotpreciseandoftenunclear Not god,buta surgeonseemsbettercareer, “Do notthrowaway–wemayneeditsoon!” and thechiefsurgeonyellsatthoseinroom: a slippery internalorgan(seemstome,spleen) over whichshootsouthighabovetheteam backs serveaskindofbodilycurtain Cartoon: operationinprogress;thesurgeons’ humorous and self-ironic way with the idiom the with way self-ironic and humorous biographical thread, recognizable narrative - Stanisław Barańczak’s poetic formats, a formats, poetic Barańczak’s Stanisław a becomes it time, four stanza the of outline the changing by self-paraphrase; poetic of characteristics some bears poems the time same the At ports all of Stanisław Barańczak’s work, so much inclined towards the Unknowable. to title its Precision”gave “Surgical to helps soon”“ it need may “we as away” “throw not should we that something of indications uncertain just are poems “My message: the bearing “hyperactivity” of the author in this poem. And I a be can which of result the expression, poetic escapes that tery other hand, communicates the inevitable moment when one’s work misses the the on Mys- Autothematism, manifestation. ostentatious too life’s is which respiration accelerated the in “now,” the in entanglement a its like in monologue, present the – throughout life of transience the – opposite its of direction the in points it more Precision,”the “Surgical in element autobiographical the powerful in linesandrhymes,fortunatelysaveditsultimatelyunquestionable logic. to out turned it digressions, included numerous of spite of relief after a Proustian proportions, with unusually lengthy embedded elements, and with a poetry.a through read we when poem the of part first the in As also encounter, albeit significantly changed, many a Precision”“Surgical In can stanzas. one and rhymes of pattern structural variable a in grandiloquence, and randomness anecdotal its in fads, mental its in the poem and in its concept, which is monologue, binding transitory the “winded” I Silence. of side the on mystery,are the those essence, since the reach never will completed, be never will Precision” places himself and his work on the side of this universal monologue that capabilities ofBarańczak-thepoet. whichisslippingaway” “That Kandziora According to According By applying the idiom of his own biography and poetics, the author of “Surgical stanza and a the principle I principle the think it is worth noting that serene self-irony inscribed in inscribed self-irony serene that noting worth is it think half we welcome its ending, along with the fact that in it screamed:“IfI die,youwon’t make iteither.” and infectallaround,askamikazefighter time itcausedtrouble,thendecidedto burst, I've beenlonginmyfortiesandthiswasthefirst in mybelly(forgotten)begancrazyantics the appendixthatI smuggledacrossAtlantic have already described here, the more visible and visible more the here, described already have the entire collection and in some sense sup- sense some in and collection entire the “final revision,” a revision,” “final think that this autothematic frame, “figure” “figure” known from Barańczak’s be perfectly “written out” “written perfectly be Translation: Paweł Pyrka display of self-quoted of display kind of a of kind sentence of almost of sentence humorous poetic humorous understand why understand gallery of gallery complex, negative sigh

187 188 3 2 1 1954 [Questions to [Questions 1954 sobie Zimowym” [The Painting in the Winter Palace] (in the volume early, at the very beginnings of the poet's work, namely in “Malowidło w a is Bridge] the on People [The (1986) moście” na “Ludzie namely volumes, the of one in poems eponymous the although Ligęza), Wojciech and Grądziel Joanna by uses occasional some of concept the and analyzed them. analyzed and to poems few dedicated poet

A Ekphrases inthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Czermińska Małgorzata event In the background,” butaskedabout itthepoetcould notrecallwhere shehad Szymborskiej, Warszawa 1997,pp.113-115) thatthepoem’smottowas„With authentic Anna Bikontand JoannaSzczęsnanote(Pamiątkowe rupiecie, przyjacielei snyWisławy vol. 2;W. LigęzaO poezjiWisławy Szymborskiej.Światw stanie korekty,Kraków2001. J. Grądziel„Świat sztukiw poezjiWisławy Szymborskiej,”Pamiętnik Literacki1996 ed. S.Balbus,D.Wojda, Kraków1996(original sketchwaspreparedin1977); Szymborskiej,” in:RadośćczytaniaSzymborskiej.Wybór tekstówkrytycznych , Szymborskiej,” Pamiętnik Literacki1975vol.4;J.Kwiatkowski„Arcydziełka Faryno, J.„Semiotyczneaspektypoezjio sztuce.NaprzykładziewierszyWisławy consent. conference proceedings.Polish versionispublished bytheorganizers’gracious of universitiesinStockholmandUppsala;itwillbepublishedthe volumeof of Letters,HistoryandAntiquitiesincooperationwithdepartments ofSlavicStudies conference, whichwasorganizedinMay2003Stockholmbythe RoyalAcademy The followingpaperwaswrittenforWisława Szymborska'sPoetry, aninternational study of study in Szymborska's work may seem a seem may work Szymborska's in ekphrasis n h itrrtto o Sybrk' pes (except poems Szymborska's of interpretation the in ekphrasis 2 So far, however, I however,far, So Oneself]), works of art, and critics have already identified already have critics and art, of works model example. Other attempts appear quite appear attempts Other example. model 3 and in “Dwie małpy Breugla” [Brueghel’s Breugla” małpy “Dwie in and have come across no attempt to attempt no across come have misguided idea. The idea. misguided Pytania zadawane 1 Pałacu apply cannot be met. be cannot aroused great interest recently among literary theorists, because of its relevance its of because theorists, literary among recently interest great aroused thought inthepoem“Clochard,”whichI willdiscusssoon. I hand, other the On however. a in involved difficulty least at or sibility Neuger is right to at the same time assumed that it is understood by the poet to [Travela podróżna” noticed “Elegia Elegy], can find them in almost every volume. Only Leonard Neuger, when interpreting Two(WołanieMonkeys] Yetido to Out [Calling 1957) 5 4 of whatremainsinmemory(“nothing…to hold”): wealth of experience in the present (“everything”), which is opposed to the thought contained in the stanza as the key idea of the poem. It is an idea of ance with its particular semantic character, and the repetition bid the reader to appear- initial the Both text. the in later repeated also stanza, first the in is this of ficulty of elegiac mood in the poem (in fact quite humorously treated) is not so much the dif- the behind motivation the opinion my In underestimates. memory,Neuger which supported bya quotefromdifferentpoemSzymborska. isit however, as is, here, ineffability convincing in completely belief not poet’s theof evidence The again. over and over task this undertaking of necessity the of the experience and the resulting impossibility of

atr f motne n oe oty f osdrto, o i “rvl Elegy,” “Travel in not consideration, of worthy one and importance of matter EkphrasesinthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Czermińska Ekphrasis is one of those devices adapted by literature from rhetoric which has My reading of “Travel Elegy” emphasizes the problem of the unreliability of unreliability the of problem the emphasizes “Travel Elegy” of reading My Twice: Selected Poems. Kraków: Wydawn. Literackie, 1997. 29, 31. Szymborska, Wisława, trans. StanisławBarańczak,andClare Cavanagh. Nothing podróżnej” Wisławy Szymborskiej),” in:Radośćczytania... Neuger, L.„BiednaUppsala z odrobiną wielkiej(Próba katedry lektury“Elegii without themotto) Winter Palace Painting…” (reprintof“The inWiersze wybrane,Warszawa 1964; “HallofFame”to the paintinginso-called orTheWar Galleryof1812 inthe read aboutit.Thetwoauthorssuggest thattheanectodemighthavebeenreferring ekphrasis, as the fleeting character of impressions of the journey. Evidence as it'strulyseen.(Szymborska29,31) I won'tretain onebladeofgrass … that havemisplacedtheirheads. Memories cometo mindlikeexcavatedstatues The themeofmercilessoblivionreturnstwomoretimesinthepoem: though mineaslongI look. nothing forthememoryto hold, Everything's minebutjustonloan, 4 The critic comes to comes critic The point out that the issue of necessity and at the same time impos- would agree that we can observe the echo of that of echo the observe can we that agree would the conclusion that despite the ineffabilitythe despite that conclusion the appears in Szymborska’s texts as texts Szymborska’s in appears ekphrasis 5 hidden reflection on reflection hidden ekphrasis, the poem speaks of Yeti,welater while 1957), be a challenge that , but ekphrasis, the scarcity treat treat ​​the

189 190 as a (Ziomek tury) it was one of the mandatory exercises in the teaching of rhetoric in schools. to part in tradition literary late antiquity in the Byzantine Empire, and it owes its permanent presence in the 9 8 this of goal the to text not is It image. and word between relationship the of and ity, to 7 6 However I incorporated into a to hear the sound of words. Over time, the meaning of the term the impression that they can actually see the described object, rather than simply to according listener, the that clarity such with visualizes tio) as a any representation: a that allows it to a Powrót do Europy [Return to volume the from Iwaszkiewicz by Speyer] in Museum the in Bust Roman the [On w rzymski biust “Na theme, its in also but style, in only not a “Odeon Keats’ of example standard the in as such realizations, poetic in survived have conventions genre of traces but rum, concept of concept of words and their superiority over images. Michał Paweł Markowski notes that the artist, a

single work of art, but a reference to the description of a the consideration of the linguistic capabilities of presenting extraverbal real- extraverbal presenting of capabilities linguistic the of consideration the or description).(Markowski13) to everything does it hand other the On the one hand, it seeks to Contemporary poets are not concerned about the requirements of Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry ed. J.Axer, Warszawa 1996. w późnoantycznych opisachdziełsztuki” in:Retorykaantycznai jejdziedzictwo, no. 2011,PraceLiterackieXXXVI,Wrocław Popowski 1998; R. „Retoryka kościoła MądrościBożejw poezjibarokowej” Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis Krzywy, „Konwencja R. i autopsjawopisiedziełsztukinaprzykładzie ekfraz Gdańsk 1999. 13. Markowski, M.P. Pragnienieobecności. Filozofie reprezentacji od PlatonadoKartezjusza, interpretacji, eds.J.Sławiński, J.Święch.Wrocław 1979. 94-95. (problemy interpretacji poezjistaropolskiej)”in:Zagadnienialiteraturoznawczej Ziomek, J.Retorykaopisowa,Wrocław 1990.91;T. Michałowska, „Poetyka i poezja Kartezjusza, Gdańsk1999(especiallythechapter Prolog. Ikonyi idole). Pamiętnik Literacki1999vol.2;andPragnienieobecności.Filozofie reprezentacjiodPlatonado Markowski, M.P. „Ekphrasis.Uwagibibliograficznez dołączeniemkrótkiegokomentarza,” realization of the genre. elaborate on the subject discussed in many book and even more articles. more even and book many in discussed subject the on elaborate school, a figure of thought, also called

91, Michałowska94-5) will reiterate, on the basis of various sources, that contains a contains ekphrasis the described work of art – its author, title or a be identified. Sometimes the subject of the description may not be genre or an era. larger whole (e.g. narrative), or is a work of art (painting, sculpture or buildings), which is either whole class of them, e.g. representing the work of a Europe]. The title or the text of a visualize the object (by showing the object of description), on 7 the fact that for centuries (until the eighteenth cen- eighteenth the (until centuries for that fact the

Ekphrasis acquired its genological distinctiveness in paradox, which is at the same time the paradox of paradox the time same the at is which paradox, 9 8 Ekphrasis involves the belief in the visual potential emphasize the method of its presentation (narration presentation its of method the emphasize hypotyposis ( Grecian Urn” or explicitly classicist, explicitly Urn”or Grecian evidentia) is a separate text then treated poems should include Quintilian, will have will Quintilian, characteristic feature ekphrasis was limited ekphrasis (or muzeum w muzeum description which Ratio Studio

Spirze” famous famous descrip-

- 6

Cathedral inthebeliefthat” to not decided she which in “Clochard,” And pictures. Z Olędzka-FrybesowaAleksandra by book the discussing while Reading], [Optional a of one In art. of works of description of possibilities the understanding of way her about openly out spoke be located within the above definition of scientific terminologyofarthistory. interpretation than would be possible through literal language and with the use of a produce can which associations and ings mean- metaphorical of proliferation the for allow operations These picture. the in to chooses or mini-anecdotes, of form the in narration to addition In to meaning of words. The poet translates visual signs in literary ones not only thanks actual the than vividly less no art of work the characterize which techniques, ing always makes use of stylized language, specially chosen vocabulary and word build- The effect of this paradox is well illustrated by Szymborska's poems, since the poet 10 “Rubens’Women” “Aor Two“Brueghel’s as Monkeys,” such poems written already had she this, said poet the when that remember should we but first, at surprising seem may architecture with comparison in painting describing of ease relative the about statement The of directaccessto originalworksart: possibility the and culture visual ubiquitous the of age the in live we though even

Paryża w Paryża such stylistic treatments, but also through appropriate structures of discourse. of structures appropriate through also but treatments, stylistic such architecture. (Szymborska43) horribly is it And to difficult versa. vice and details, the lose we spaciousness, capturing When to surrenders reluctantly architecture described, easily quite be can painting if to ability the is It prose. honest and quiet this of advantage EkphrasesinthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Czermińska said that I that said to return and book the get let's Alhambra, the exploring of joy the spoiled have shoes tight that crowds, endless the Vermeerfor see to minutes ten have we that out turns suddenly to never eyes our before flashes screen the on image the opportunity arises, let’s sightsee as much as possible. But if we sometimes feel sorry that to is whatever observe let’s contemplation...So ently. There is room for reflection, far-reaching associations and all the other delights of devalued. First of all, in the description the time passes much slower, if not quite differ- Even today there exist in literary description certain aspects that have by no means been The author of “Rubens’of Women”author a The about wrote only not Szymborska, W. nadobowiązkowe. Częśćdruga.Kraków 1981.43. Lektury (1973), she gives praise to praise gives she (1973), przeszłość could now move on to on move now could express its mobile immobility. I'm talking, of course, of the treasures of old of treasures the of course, of immobility.talking, mobile I'm its express description, which is typical of typical is which description, Byzantine Mosaic,” all dedicated to dedicated all Mosaic,” Byzantine series of short sketches called sketches short of series 10 another topic, but I but topic, another ekphrasis as a much richer, subtler and more concise more and richer,subtler much be observed, let’s journey whenever the whenever journey let’s observed, be the staid literary description... Having description... literary staid the see Van Eyck’s altar, or that we cannot we Vanthat altar,see or Eyck’s , she introduces dialogue, introduces she ekphrasis, the value of literary description, literary of value the would like to like would genre of expression, but also return, if, while travelling, it travelling, while if, return, describe the Notre-Dame the describe dramatize what is shown is what dramatize Lektury nadobowiązkowe Lektury describe architecture. For architecture. describe dozen poems that can that poems dozen the interpretation of interpretation the bring up one more one up bring words.

191 192 it from literary 14 13 12 11 profession.” (n.b. this type of to However, when writing further on Vermeer, the poet grants art historians the right a upon played “rather but built, was it that fact the in not is Notre-Dame of to a is here Emerging of Vermeer’s works(1970),thepoetwrote: in borska's texts as it is in the discussion of Olędzka-Frybesowa’s book. A reminiscent ofmedievalsculpturesfoundupontombs. about the tramp sleeping in the garden outside the walls of the Cathedral in a to decided architecture, Gothic describing remember,of we instead as And, of description granted to the secondonebecauseofitspolemicalvigor: I which of ekphrases, miniature two with essay her ends She poet. the with anauthorwritingaboutVermeer, onewhoseinterpretationsdid notconvince

place music at the highest position, because, after all, even the indescribable beauty , when mentioning the release of an album with reproductions with album an of release the mentioning when Reading, Optional attempt an effort to effort an attempt at us,includingthecritics,forthree hundredyears.(Szymborska34) a and thoughtfulness is there smile it. She turns her head towards us with a puts her hands on the spinet, as if she wanted to glare. Where is that coldness and alienation? What would those even refer to? The woman a wall; whitewashed the and upholstery chair’s the robes, of silk the skin, human the matter: of I (Szymborska 33) a for music be would expression To Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Belief in the visualizing power of the word is not always as unwavering in Szym- in a Paris which—(Szymborska25) in a Paris like— Here the poet truly abandoned Even the supplicatory sigh: “save me, sacred folly of description!” did not help in this task. played upona lute) (not built,no,rather Szymborska, W. nadobowiązkowe.Kraków 1981.34. Lektury Czerniawski i AdamZagajewski)” Teksty Drugie2000no.4. discussed byA.Dziadek intheessay“Problem ekphrasis–dwaWidoki Delft(Adam The differencebetween literaryandcriticalekphrases, introducedbyM.Rifaterreis Szymborska, W. nadobowiązkowe. Kraków1981.33. Lektury Twice: SelectedPoems. Kraków:Wydawn. Literackie,1997.25. Szymborska, Wisława, trans.StanisławBarańczak,andClareCavanagh. Nothing look and it all seems wrong. I ecie eme’ pitns ih od i a is words with paintings Vermeer’s describe miracle that Vermeer repeats constantly, but ever in new versions and with fresh with and versions new in ever constantly,but Vermeerrepeats that miracle ekphrasis 12 sort of private hierarchy of arts, in which Szymborska seems Szymborska which in arts, of hierarchy private of sort create a create 13 ). Szymborska herself immediately makes use of the right art historians, but mainly in order to ekphrasis is called critical by scholars, to can see the miraculous light of day touching different kinds ekphrasis as impossible, unable to verbal description, “as such is their vocation and vocation their is such “as description, verbal string quartet, with two violins, a violins, two with quartet, string pinch of maternal indulgence. And so she has looked has she so And indulgence. maternal of pinch 11 pretty half-smile on a play a uie ak A task. futile passage, perhaps for fun or to not very comely face. In that even finish the sentence: uh etr en of means better much enter into a bassoon and a and bassoon 14 differentiate little earlier will quote will dispute speak lute.” recall harp. pose the additionofelementsnotpresentthere.(Kwiatkowski356, Ligęza the British Museum’s collection, entitled “Ohashi Bridge in the Rain.” Czerniawski, which reproduces on its cover the Japanese artist’s color woodcut from a painted by the Limbourg brothers for the Duke de Berry, except that the poem depicts [A work as a a identify surely as longer no can we ekphrases other Szymborska’s In poems, Szymborska’s of tion collec- English the in found can work specific the of identity the and text, the in painter,the of name the time, same the at detailed and concise appears Hiroshige, [Monkey], “Tarsjusz” [Tarsier], and“Tortury” [Tortures]. a as painting the of message the decodes poet The examination. matriculation the monkeys. Its interpretative framework is a together with a of and “The People on the Bridge” are texts that could illustrate a starting with the most striking and undeniable examples. “Brueghel’s Two Monkeys” genre, this in included be can that poems the review briefly now us Let ekphrases. counterpointed by a always Writing],although of Joy [The pisania” “Radość poem the in culminating poetry,and in sketches, and above word the the in in directly trust expressed This 16 15 is found in the final sentences of “The JoyofWriting”:is foundinthefinalsentencesof“The a the precise description of the image is not an end in itself, but a

bitterly ironic accusation of cruelty, known from her other poems, such as “Małpa” useful reflection on the artist’s victory over time, a scene more or less corresponding to . The first includes the exact title of the painting and the artist’s name artist’s the and painting the of title exact the includes first The ekphrasis. Medieval Miniature] critics cite as the probable source of inspiration “Matins” inspiration of source probable the as cite critics Miniature] Medieval EkphrasesinthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Czermińska In “The People on the Bridge” the description of what is in the painting is again A. Czerniawski,London–Boston 1996.xvi. the poem.(Cf.W. Szymborska People ona bridge.Poems, introducedand translated by identifying whichofthecolorwoodcuts byHiroshigeUtagawawastheinspirationfor notethanksRichardEdgcumbe forhishelpin Czerniawski Ina translator’s Twice: Selected Poems. Kraków: Wydawn. Literackie, 1997. 63. Szymborska, Wisława, trans. StanisławBarańczak,andClare Cavanagh. Nothing prototype for the description. In the case of “Miniatura średniowieczna” cannot survivebeneaththismost azure ofskies. burgherish orpeasantish, Even theleastpressingofquestions, is mostmanifestlyleftoutofthescene. cross-eyed andoutatelbows, Whereas whosoeverisdowncastandweary, Revenge ofa mortalhand.(Szymborska63) The powerofpreserving. The joyofwriting. brief, but extremely precise description of the background and the two slight shadow of irony, is present in all of Szymborska's poetic Peoplea on the two miniatures “July” and “August” with , translated and published by Adam by published and translated Bridge, nightmare in which one needs to 16 reflection similar to dictionary definition means to

179) 15 that which Here, too, particular formulate retake

193 194 (Szymborska 96). a is It painting. such no is there course Of Women.” 18 17 reference to aspecific,individualwork.Inaninterview, thepoetsaid: In several other poems can be found a I Gombrowicz, theauthorofTrans-Atlantyk: ments withformsofsuperlatives,whichprobablywouldhavebeenappreciatedby experi- word-building the and archaisation treated humorously the language: of stylization the is painting of style the characterizing of means important most the brothers’ miniatures, namely Pieter Brueghel the Elder. In “A a creates style whose hers, of found by the poet in a not exist, but is still most “probable” in terms of subject and style, can serve not serve can style, and subject of terms in “probable” most still is but exist, not a as style of a of attention the direct fied with certainty, or at least very high degree of probability, Szymborska's poems antine Mosaic].Yet even in those ekphrases where the depicted work can be identi-

think that these absent elements, drawn from a It seems that a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry “I Twice: SelectedPoems. Kraków:Wydawn. Literackie, 1997.199,201. Szymborska, Wisława, trans.StanisławBarańczak,andClareCavanagh. Nothing sztuki..., p.96. Rozmowy z pisarzamii uczonymi, Warszawa 1975,p.306;qtd. in J.GrądzielŚwiat Powrót doźródeł.Rozmowa z Wisławą Szymborską,in:K.NastulankaSamio sobie. a akd . wih f ues pitns nprd e to me inspired paintings Rubens’ of which ... asked was atop themostwaysideofdaisies.(Szymborska199) and alltwelvehoovesdanceglancingly the thirdwillpranceupona bayer, and ifheprancesona baysteed the nextonestrivesto bemoredauntingstill, so ifthefirstisfearsomeofcountenance, all chivalryandrivalry, … wearing thesilkiestofcloaks. in thismostequestrianofpageants, Up theverdantestofhills, it hasgiventhemtheirHellinthenextframe.(Szymborska199,201) This same,however, hasseento thescene'sbalance: through thisfeudalestofrealisms. Thus theyproceedmostpleasantly nothing caststheslightestshadowofa doubt. could spyeventhetiniestofgallows— And noteventheeaglestofeyes whole. In “Rubens’In whole. Women,” a of description the 18 similar situation can be found in “Mozaika bizantyjska” [A much later cycle called “Seasons” by another favorite painter reader through specific elements toward the impression the toward elements specific through reader clear counterweight to counterweight clear synthetic characterization of style, rather than “second picture,” could have been the sweetness of Limbourg of sweetness the ecito o te style” the of description Medieval Miniature” painting which does which painting rt “Rubens’ write 17 Byz-

slender figureofmoviestars: tion the poet finds a finds poet the tion spirituality of slim, fleeting, bird-like women of the Middle Ages, in whose presenta- ascetic an physiology,other on the relying shapes, baroque full, of sensuality lush rather two different ways of presenting the female body in art. One is precisely the hieratic stiffness of appearance and behavior suggested in the poem reflects the type dignity” make the mosaics of San Vitale one of the possible sources of inspiration. The “godly their and – Theodendron and –Theotropia names pathetic humorously the with their accompanying retinue in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna. However, of the mosaic depicting the Empress Theodora and the Emperor Justinian together plump baby reinforces the impression that we are not dealing with an exact poem aboutRubens. case of the thirteenth-century painting contrasted with Baroque presentation in the of physical beauty is clearly ascetic; it assumes shyness and fear of nudity, as in the spouses allows us to a is there since and attractiveness, their for admiration mutual of other each assure they conversation the of beginning the at since duties, marital their neglect not do couple imperial from example for gained be can as Byzantines the of life the about knowledge such of subtext the and Songs” of “Song in exchanges lovers’ the recalls which stylization and epithets. Wojciech Ligęza convincingly showed the presence of slightly humorous title, but also thanks to the in attribution the through only not depicted perfectly are culture Byzantine of of mosaic-style representations from the time of the late Empire and some elements the rules of “A trasted with the nudity of a carnality,medieval a early under hidden modestly “Ain emerges opposition same The only to 19 belongs among“Rubens' Women”:

Byzantine Mosaic” is comprised wholly of dialogue. It might seem a EkphrasesinthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Czermińska The subject of the imperial couple’s conversation: the birth of unexpectedly of birth the conversation: couple’s imperial the of subject The Twice: Selected Poems. Kraków: Wydawn. Literackie, 1997. 35. Szymborska, Wisława, trans. StanisławBarańczak,andClare Cavanagh. Nothing by Procopiusby (Ligęza History Caesarea Secret of characterize the painter, but also to all chubbywristsandringletscamehe(85,87) plump andmerry, verily, Pink andshamelessasa piglet, The seventeenth,alas,holdsnothingfortheunvoluptuous.(Szymborska35) The twentieth,silverscreens. The thirteenthcenturywouldhavegiventhemgoldenhaloes. ekphrasis

which relies completely on description; however, some features also draw conclusions about the mentality of the era. The model fruit of their relationship: a relationship: their of fruit surprising foreshadowing of the contemporary worship of the of worship contemporary the of foreshadowing surprising the archaic stylization of language, appropriate vocabulary baby whose beauty is that of baroque putto and clearly Byzantine Mosaic” where the ascetic ideal of ideal ascetic the where Mosaic” Byzantine juxtapose the two types of femininity, or newborn son. The dialogue of the of dialogue The son. newborn loose and rigid garment is con- is garment rigid and loose

184-6). We184-6). the that guess can violation of ekphrasis 19

195 196 as iftheywereseparatedbycenturies. can suddenly come between people who are close to ary between life and art, past and present, as well as on the sense of strangeness that about it to and identifies with the painted figure, at the same time retaining the ability to can only be realized in literary work: that the viewer of the painting “enters” into it a of distance intellectual the with peasant the speakerinsamesentencecombinesmentalityof a seventeenth-century when speech, dependent of trick the view,in of as points two includes monologue man who remained in the present time and is standing in front of the painting. Her her addresses she time same the At picture. the in painted figure the in embodied to out 21 20 a minor detailinLigęza’sotherwisethoroughinvestigationmightbecorrected:“ of silhouettes presented in Byzantine mosaics that Ravenna is famous for. Therefore cal and impersonal dimension as we have seen in the in seen have we as dimension impersonal and cal a in exclusively presented and shape in abundant also is femininity primal instead calling her the Great Mother, a Mother, Great the her calling instead famous Venus of Willendorf, the poet decides not to Although details presented in the poem correspond exactly to ska's only poem describing a (Gennaille 98). a conveying expression, of level great perfectly balanced and symmetrical composition, in which the artist “has achieved in London “The Road to subject of come from the brush of one of the Dutch masters. Ligęza’s findings indicate that the woman and a corresponds to style orthepresentationofmedievalminiatures. to analogous art, of works several the indeed source of inspiration for the poet, we are are dealing with a these If Nuovo. Apolinar San namely Ravenna, in church another of ian, but they are a are they but ian, the retinueofEmpressTheodora”(184). presenting century), (sixth Ravenna in Vitale San of church the in mosaics mous

“Fetysz płodności z Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The association of women's palms with palm leaves probably refers to refers probably leaves palm with palms women's of association The The landscape with trees, a No palm leaves can be found in the mosaic of Theodora, nor in that of Justin- of that in nor Theodora, of mosaic the in found be can leaves palm No Grądziel, J.Światsztuki.99. literatury i sztukplastycznych , trans.W. Jekiel,Warszawa 1981.224. H. Secomska,Warszawa 1975. 98.Cf.alsoM.Praz Mnemozyne.Rzecz powinowactwie o Słownikmalarstwa holenderskiegoi flamandzkiego , trans.E.Maliszewska, Gennaille, R. be the beginning of a of beginning the be ekphrasis here is Meindert Hobbema’s painting from the National Gallery another viewer standing in front of it serves as a house, which is shown in the poem “Pejzaż” [Landscape], could have 20 a The first lines of the poems pretend to number of details in the painting which is known as an example of characteristic and frequently repeated element in the mosaics the in element repeated frequently and characteristic paleolitu” [A

Middelharnis” (1689). The description in the poem indeed sculpture, relates to monologue delivered by a by delivered monologue

path which “undoubtedly reaches its goal,” a the case of synthetic characterization of Rubens’of characterization synthetic of case the Palaeolithic Fertility Fetish], so far Szymbor- desire for escape and the poetry of infinity” infinity” of poetry the and escape for desire name from ancient fertility cults. fertility ancient from name contemporary woman. The idea which idea The woman. contemporary yet another concept of femininity. each other, and invasive feeling use this name for the character,

be descriptive, but soon turn of Rubens, yet its yet Rubens, of ekphrasis modern woman, suddenly woman, modern reflection on the bound- cross-contamination of the appearance of the

peasant 21 the fa- the physi- This talk also to scape,” there is a h ms cmo apcs f vrdy ie I fc, zmosa a apid the applied has venerable form Szymborska of fact, In life. everyday of aspects common most the to foreign areas in even themes poetic see creatively can who poet, the of imagination the for characteristic is decision Such modern, technicised culture, and having a of high art. The poet has expanded its use to world and“a chiseledpicture-frame.” real the touching both is awakening the since painting, with relationship strong a table, the at sitting parents the with scene imagined memory,of into depiction reaching the its in inscribed is monologue, lyrical whole The interiors. in portraits Rembrandt’ of techniques ing a a not is which Finally], [Memory “Pamięćnareszcie” poem the in found be can art the painting. the Bridge,” where the sense of the poem was identical with the meaning read from art in the same way as in the case of “Brueghel’s Two PeopleMonkeys” or “The on to impossible it makes it but poem, the in subject the of consciousness past is indeed clear and in this sense acceptable from the perspective of the primary view.of point twentieth-century the of vocabulary and style the of convention The a maintains time same the at but vocabulary, of choice the customizes and and the seventeenth century, the poet uses different means of language archaization refer to identification; an ironic duality, noticeable at the level of style. In ekphrases which between the image and the speaker as something palpable, and thus complicates full decoration, ornament. to resorting without life, everyday a on focuses who someone of characteristic and language spoken of typical phrases simple speech, everyday of elemental life-giving force. In the description of the figurine we encounter the style meaning does not refer to 22 describing the picture of Isadora Duncan standing in the atelier in an awkward, stiff carefully Motion], [Frozen “Znieruchomienie” poem the is here example clearest

dream of dead parents, whose vision in a properly We find Rembrandt’s towards attitude ironic, than rather identifying, this Similarly, “Ain as poem, this In EkphrasesinthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Czermińska carried out byW. Ligęza(O poezji … 260-269). value. A muchmorenuanced interpretationofthepoemsabout photographswas paintings anddecided thatthepoetseesphotographs ashavingexclusivelynegative (“Semiotyczne. .., p.137),butheincorrectlycontrasted themwithdescriptionsof The descriptionsofphotographshave alreadybeenpointedoutbyJ.Faryno atelier portraits, press photography and private amateur photography. works from the Paleolithic period, the Byzantine Empire, the Middle Ages bt ss lmns f t peis Te hm o te om is poem the of theme The poetics. its of elements uses but ekphrasis, ekphrasis in Szymborska’s work not only in relation to playfully ironic distanced attitude to ekphrasis to sexual desire, but to Medieval Miniature,” “AMiniature,” Medieval photography, and not just the purely artistic kind, but few basic categories outlined by a by outlined categories basic few dreamed up image, which, however, has a however,has which, image, up dreamed thinking about something as useless as beauty,as useless as something about thinking utilitarian, rather than artistic character. dream echoes the style, theme and color- literature, such as scientific inquiry or inquiry scientific as such literature, the phenomenon now appearing in the the nature’s power of motherhood, its Byzantine Mosaic” and “Land - and Mosaic” Byzantine the convention that appears narrow horizon of horizon narrow traditional forms approach strangely 22 clear The

197 198 photograph itself,givesriseto memoriesofhisbirth: information aboutthephotostudio:“J.F. Klinger, Braunau,Stadtgraben.” 24 23 the of lines three last the in Only accessories. baby of names the and diminutives, a in about the baby and to appearance in the poem. The poem is a his of description no is There (269). album” family other every in tots the “like is Perhaps this style hides the belief in the banality of evil? The boy in the photograph petty-bourgeois kitsch: of style the in are “signs” these since circumstances, extraordinary by companied a of birth the of narrative the of pattern mythical the parodies poem The of local newspaper on May 5 pages society the in published son, Hitler’s Alois of birth the of news the taining con- section newspaper the with together reproduced usually is photograph The a of life the about a movement. lightness ofa dancer’s everyday life (a pose. The theme of the poem is the contrast between the mundane details of a Hitler. a as allow us to of poetics the of

much starker contrast between the tone of a Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The poem “Pierwsza fotografia Hitlera” [Hitler’s First Photograph] presents Photograph] First [Hitler’s Hitlera” fotografia “Pierwsza poem The Adolf Hitler. Wzloti upadektyrana , trans.J.Kalinowski, Gdańsk1994. Reproduced e.g. In K.GrünbergHitlerprywatnie,Toruń. Troja Brooken orinR.Ch. Twice: Selected Poems. Kraków: Wydawn. Literackie, 1997. 269. Szymborska, Wisława, trans. StanisławBarańczak,andClareCavanagh. Nothing work of art). The subject of the description is the first known photograph of photograph known first the is description the of subject The art). of work provincial town. The ironic style parodies the chattering enthusiasm, full of full enthusiasm, chattering the parodies style ironic The town. provincial 23 The future Führer is one year old. At the bottom of the picture there is there picture the of bottom the At old. year one is Führer future The A dove seeninadreammeansjoyfulnews—(269) Then justbeforethelaborhismother'sfatefuldream. a lucky fortunewrappedinrosypaper. the organ-grinder'smusicinyard, spring sun,geraniumsinwindows, there wasnodearthofsignsontheearthandinsky:(269) While hewasbeingborn,a yearago, Precious littleangel,mommy'ssunshine,honeybun. And Braunauisa small,butworthytown—(Szymborska269) The KlingerAtelier, Grabenstrasse,Braunau. The camerawillclickfromunderthatblackhood. Sh-h-h, let'snotstartcrying,sugar. relate it to corset) and what was the legendary about her art – the freedom and exactly, as the poem contains a contains poem exactly,the ekphrasis as famous person. The wording of the title meets the requirements the meets title the of wording The person. famous the baby just before having a a specific, named object (though not one that can be defined th , 1889, so two weeks after birth. This, rather than the kind of sentimental and adulatory monologue photographic image and what we know picture taken by a number of details which details of number 24 photographer hero ac- hero star’s star’s of photograph serving asanintermediary. sculpture painting, any by occupied not is readers her and poet the between space the where poems in than differently it However,say depict. they they art of works mately, these ekphrases say more about the imagination of the poet than about the Ulti- femininity. understanding of ways different and history throughout cruelty human artist, an of power creative the time, mainly are problems These painting. poet also in her other works, thematically unrelated to which allows us to The descriptive element in ekphrases is always dependent on the interpretative idea a a of presentation their that fact the explosion ofa bombin“Terrorysta, [TheTerrorist, onpatrzy” He’sWatching]. to similar horror, is there Instead triumphant note known from Joy “The of Writing” or People“The on the Bridge.” frozen in an image. This time, however, it is not accompanied by the confident, even pening. The reflection in this to (“a expressions idiomatic the level of language the reversal At is present in living. the modifications to the and dead the of world the between exists that contrast the shows ity opposition of light and dark areas which on the negative is the reverse image of real- a a describes former The 11]. logue, addressed to addressed logue, “Negatyw” [Negative] and “Fotografia z ment] includes two texts which already in the title indicate the subject of description: dominates the two descriptions of photographs from the latest volume. Chwila [Mo also ekphrases, previous Szymborska’s know already we which theme, This time. of boundaries of crossing the about talk photographs about poems discussed two The deeds andthereforecannotethatatthetimeofpicture: tive, breaks through. This narrator is already acquainted with the little boy’s future a of voice the poem not a not York.New is in this attack speaking, terrorist Stylistically the of images countless the of one tower, burning the from jumping people of silhouettes small showing “Koniec i “Słuchawka” [Receiver] or “Pożegnanie widoku” [Parting with a man sitting at a at sitting man means to means any answer,” “life/ the storm before the quiet”). The personal tone of the mono the of tone personal The quiet”). the before storm the answer,”“life/ any EkphrasesinthePoetry ofWisława Szymborska Czermińska The characteristic feature of all of Szymborska’s ekphrases is in my opinion my in is ekphrases Szymborska’s of all of feature characteristic The “A description of an object, but a but object, an of description photograph from September 11” describes a describes 11” September from photograph początek” [The End and the Beginning], which makes us read it as an elegy. and yawnsoverhomework. (271) A history teacherloosenshiscollar No onehearshowlingdogs,orfate'sfootsteps. another end, which is some reflection stimulated by the original work. original the by stimulated reflection some is which end, another table in the garden and is built on the principle of antithesis. The The antithesis. of principle the on built is and garden the in table say something interesting about the problems which interest the a hidden narrator, speaking from a narrator,from hidden speaking close person now dead, bears similarity to similarity bears dead, now person close ghost/ trying to trying ghost/ negative image of an anonymous, private photograph of of photograph private anonymous, an of image negative ekphrasis once again returns to the presentation of the last moment before the before moment last the of presentation the selected work of art is not an end in itself, but itself, in end an not is art of work selected dynamic unfolding narration of what is hap- is what of narration unfolding dynamic 11 września” [A summon the living,” “offer him questions questions him “offer living,” the summon well-known press photograph, press well-known the aesthetic qualities of any different historical perspec- historical different photograph from September the topic of time being View] from the volume that of the adjacent adjacent the of that fixed phrases and - -

199 200 Photograph ofWisława SzymborskatakenbyJoannaHelander]. [To Helander” Joannę przez wykonanej WisławySzymborskiej, fotografii “Do example of the genre. I to reference direct the as the time indicated on the watch on the wrist resting next to mentions (it description the of accuracy the and detail of level The person. trayed a to dedicated is case me the fact that another author wrote a for is power inspirational their of evidence The works. Szymborska’s in ekphrases 25

description, but has been formulated as a Finally, there is one more, this time half-facetious, argument for the vital role of Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry photograph canbefound In:Radośćczytania Szymborskiej…, 5-6. Polish translationbyLeonNeuger alongwiththereproduction ofJoannaHelander’s a photograph. And as in Szymborska’s poems it is not simply not is it poems Szymborska’s in as And photograph. am of course referring to the title and author of described image make it a it make image described of author and title the poem, an living monologue addressed to the poem by Agneta Pleijel entitled ekphrasis, which as in Szymborska’s Translation: Paweł Pyrka a cup of coffee!), as well 25 the por- model the modern varieties,reads: their for also important Sublime, the of aesthetics and poetry elegiac of concept 1 2

tory commemoration of the deceased, could have existed in the world. (Wordsworth 605-7) these several desires originate, neither monuments nor epitaphs, in affectionate or lauda- the departed; it follows, as a fellows, nor on their side could they have felt a neither could the individual dying have had a could never have had awakened in him the desire to And, verily, without the consciousness of a Wordsworth’s “Essay upon Epitaphs,” one of the founding texts of the Romantic On Różewicz’s Epitaphs “Our monumentsareambiguous…”:. Hanna Marciniak Rupert Hart-Davis, London: 1955.605-607. Wordsworth, W. “EssayuponEpitaphs.” Poetry &Prose,selectedbyW.M. Merchant, number]. number], Płaskorzeźba . Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie: Wrocław, 1991. [Pł,page t. 3[P3,pagenumber];Poezja, Vol. 4[P4,pagenumber];Matkaodchodzi [M,page number]; Poezja Vol. 1[P1,pagenumber];Poezja, t.2[P2,pagenumber]; Poezja, Vol. 1-12.Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie,Wrocław 2003-2006;Proza Vol. 3[Pr3, page passages basedonthefollowingPolish editionsofRóżewicz’swork:Utworyzebrane , translations wereunavailable,I proposemyownworkingversion of thequoted translation in:Różewicz,T. NewPoems. ArchipelagoBooks,2007.Where English Tadeusz Różewicz.W.W. Norton&Company, 2011.QuotationsfromBillJohnston’s Joanna Trzeciak’s translationin:Różewicz,T. SobbingSuperpower:SelectedPoems of Selected Poems. Wydawnictwo Literackie:Kraków, 1994.Allquotationsfrom Based onthetranslationbyAdamCzerniawskiin:Różewicz,T. Poezje Wybrane. final inference, that without the belief in immortality, wherein 1 principle of immortality in the human soul, Man desire to wish to live in the remembrance of his fellows… preserve for future times vestiges of survive in the remembrance of his 2

201 202 poetry and the inevitability of loss is almost exemplary in its ambiguity. permanence and impermanence, presence and absence, (auto)redemptive power of immortality, and mortality on reflection His disintegration. of omnipresence the and trace, of indestructibility the forgetting, of inevitability the and remembering of immortality in the human soul” is replaced by a and the belief in the indestructibility of cultural memory. In Różewicz, the “principle the concept of classical funeral topoi, including the monument of poetry, the notion of eternal fame, several re-evaluates finality.also with He confronted imagination poetic of power elegiac mood of sorrow and nostalgia, poetics of prosopopeia, as well as faith in the Sublime, of category the as such latter, the of characteristics several reinterprets 3 a of idea The following paper is an attempt to in a in revisionary, always aware of the painful areas of discontinuity, referencing tradition vidual experience and cultural memory, the latter, in Różewicz’s case, skeptical and and non-representativenessofdeathareimportance,too. tion on emptiness and form, and the ethical and moral dilemma of inexpressibility and a stable,hierarchicalrelationbetween thesignandsignified. proto-model and a the word, sanctioned metaphysically by its relation to because is This substitute. its least at or immortality ensure can art that certainty elevation and glorification. Meta-poetical reflections on the power of poetry express poetry takes the form of homage paid to elegiac in above, defined as literature for important fame,” “eternal of theme The finiteness of biological life, the inevitability of passing and physical disintegration. biography and existence stored in the common memory and independent from the as a tion, is one of the clearest realizations of the “strong” concept of literature understood ofelegiacliterature. of “genrememory” area the in observed be can strategy analogous An writing. Różewicz’s of ponents com- integral of one becomes also tradition field, reference negative fundamental however, a and myths usually to

Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Speaking of the role of memory in Różewicz’s work, I Elegiac poetry, especially its variety that stems directly from the classical tradi- signifying activity of an individual establishing for itself a inevitably to akindofcognitive deadlock, a trapofirresolvable choice.” (Ibid.198.) a fashion alwaysresults inanantinomyofblanketinterpretative hypotheses,leading rzeczywistości. Universitas,Kraków: 2001.197)“Utteranceconstructed insuch poetry („Tadeusza Różewicza ‘tajemnicaokaleczonejpoezji.” Literaturajakotrop proposed byRyszard NyczinhisdiscussionofthesemanticsRóżewicz’s in itsstrict,strongsense,fundamentally differentfrom‘semanticindeterminacy’ to be“a‘conjunctionofmutuallyexclusive alternatives’ I understand “ambiguity” manner akin to akin manner poetry of mourning and the model postulated by Wordsworth.by Różewicz postulated model the and mourning of poetry necessary and familiar cultural ground for his work. By constituting its non omnis moriar , consolation motifs and laudations of the departed, constant center – is characterized by permanence, a Vattimo’s stress their semantic devaluation or ambiguity. They remain, Różewicz reaches for European topoi European for reaches Verwindung.Różewicz highlight the differences between Różewicz’s the deceased, a reflection on the importance of Logos – the eternal and holy praise of their virtue, their am referring to permanent cultural clear meaning 3 His medita- both indi- the Latin the of senses two in – form artistic of finiteness and perfection on “rely them of Both eternalizing. and permanent, making expressing, of power the has that poetry this “I Różewicz recalls Horace’s recalls Różewicz “existence” to 6 5 4 7 tive valueofmonuments. Horace’s “Donarem pateras,” “Non usitata”) and the person sung about – guaranteed by the continuity of memory. monumentum” “Exegi Horace’s in (as poet the both – subject the of manence “wholly die”? comfort? Whatdoesitmeanto “wholly bring life, of destruction ultimate annihilation, as death of thought the does Why continues to which “that or – time through surviving and enduring – remains” which “that as myths – not rather seem a vor of the truth of experience juxtaposed against literary, cultural, and eschatological had left”? Does existence “outside of poetry” – voluntarily giving up on poetry in fa-

know that I “Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak n Dr o it i Mitr u Dushad I Mmr o Pu Celan),” Paul of Memory (In Deutschland aus Meister ein ist Tod “Der In topoi: TwoHoratian to exist.” [PP] “trwać” (“exist”inthequotedpassage)alsomeans“to remain” or“to continue która dajemisiłę/trwaniapozapoezją.)Itisimportantto notethatthePolish verb to exist outsideofpoetry.” („Wiem żeumręcały/i stądpłynie/tasłabapociecha// wholly die/andfromthisflows/thesmallcomfort//whichgivesme strength/ For futurereferenceI amquotingthediscussedpassageinfull:“I know thatIshall of reality. ironic –itisanimageofa “crippledpoet,”cutofffromthetranscendentaldimension [Whoever tiedmyhands]theimpossibilityofpoeticflightisneither grotesque,nor the distractednessandtritethoughtsofpoet.In“***(Ktomizwiązał ręce)” Kochanowski’s “Hymn24”[Pieśń eveningisjuxtaposedagainst XXIV]atanauthor’s and poeticmonument.Inoneoftheshortstories,“Róża,”anexalted recitationof myth ofthemonumentalizedpoet-laureate,parodyingtopoi wingsofpoetry Różewicz parodiesornegatesHoratianthemes.InOnAllFours, hedissectsthe Zawadzki. Universitas,Kraków:2006.xviii. G. Koniec nowoczesności.Trans. IntroductionbyA. byM.Surma-Gawłowska. Zawadzki, A.„Koniec nowoczesności:nihilizm,hermeneutyka,sztuka.”In:Vattimo, Lisiecka. KR, Warszawa:Lisiecka. KR, 2004. essence ofpoetry.” ElucidationsofHolderlin’s Poety. Translated to Polish byS. essay. See:Vattimo. GEndofmodernityHeidegger, and M.“Holderlinand the to these two,although dueto obviousconstraints doingsoisimpossibleinthis permanence. Itwouldbeinteresting to situateRóżewicz’sreadinginrelation enduring, astiedto theconceptofmonumentandtrace, whileHeideggerstresses is establishedbythepoets.]Inhis interpretation,G.Vattimo emphasizes „ „Was bleibetaber, quoted byRóżewiczinhispoemtitled stiftendieDichter” There aretwopossiblereadings of Hölderlin’s line[from“Remembrance”] To [Thatwhichremains jednak cotrwaustanowionejest przez poetów” ” (Zawadzki xviii). (Zawadzki perfectum” exist” – eternal permanence despite time, a shall wholly die/ and from this flows/ the small comfort.” be understood as homeless vegetation in a and momentum exegi 5 lacking condition? How is “existence” to non omnis moriar omnis non places the of poetic laudation above the commemora- 4 They are an expression of faith in the per- the in faith of expression an are They but arrives at its paradoxical opposite: paradoxical its at arrives but are constitutive for constitutive are moriar omnis non feature of indestructibility. deserted “world / the gods be understood: 6

(SS 170) Is and 7

203 204 of stone,sculpture,andcathedral). sentation and expressibility implied by the monument (as well as the related themes repre- of question the with memory) homage, remembrance, (including Różewicz 10 9 8 10 memory.” of “shape the about question the answering at attempt an as repetitiveness obsessive and versions multiple its identifies astutely and imagination poetic Różewicz’s to monument the believes Majchrowski Zbigniew its symbolic value of a of value symbolic its sacre of the Boys” and “*** (Einst hab ich die Muse gefragt…)” where the tree loses to us sends smoke” liked “shaped Monument windows]. the battered [wind okien)” do się dobijał (wicher “*** poems later his of one in also returns soul the of life eternal towards existence earthly of carnality the from passage the signifies a corporeality.of of vision dimension oneiric sacral An the of impossibility of resurrection and ultimate decomposition of the human body stripped a the form of monument, we relieve ourselves, to variations of a of variations of memory.of problem of visual representation of liminal experience and the monumentalization a

His “ambiguous” monuments neither elevate (also in the “spatial” meaning of meaning “spatial” the in (also elevate neither monuments “ambiguous” His characteristic of Różewicz’s early poetry and stemming from the conviction of the “dead tree/ with no star in its crown.” (Różewicz 1994 21) These appear to A Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry lasting onlyinthe livinghumanmemory. negates anddestroysitself,disappearing withtime,leavinganemptyspaceand Counter-monument isa formofmonumenttothememoryShoahvictimsthat Wrocław 27-30March 2006. Post-conference volume[inprint]. in Różewicz’slifeandwork]”Presentation at„Przekraczanie Granic”conference, Majchrowski, Z.„Pomniki w życiuitwórczościTadeusza Różewicza.[Monuments UK–Cambridge, Mass:1994. Remembrance. The ShapesofMemory.G.Hartman(ed.) Blackwell,Oxford, FirstSee: Leoni,G.“‘The Projects Blow’: fromtheCampatFossoli.” Holocaust monument “shaped like a they gostraightto heaven are shapedlikesmoke our monuments under theearth built ourmonuments moles like a tear are shaped our monuments they areshapedlikea pit are ambiguous Our monuments 9 Różewicz seems to seems Różewicz 8 I “counter-monument” which through its (non)existence touches the touches (non)existence its through which “counter-monument” would supplement the discussion of the commemorative issue in issue commemorative the of discussion the supplement would cultural topos, transformed into “a into transformed topos, cultural (Różewicz 199473) be aware of the fact that once memory is assigned is memory once that fact the of aware be pit” is tied to the drastic image of death as falling, an extent, of the duty to be the most important motif in motif important most the be tree of black smoke,” black of tree grave that no longer no that grave remember. be two “Mas- verses in earliest the from poet the accompanies ambivalence This deceased. the of denial a into Eventually,transforms Self. it the of integrality appears as a through remembranceandcommemorationseemsofimportanceinthiscontext. special role of the poet as the agent “establishing” reality and ensuring its endurance ken] (in “To to reference His trauma. inerasable to seems poet repair,the of illusion a volumes: Twocommemorative person. in unknown artists important as well as critics and writers poets, mostly friends, to devoted poems new of addition through ously ries] and all of his books of poetry contain an elegiac cycle which expands continu- 11 to universal destructibility. a shapelessness and condition feeble their decomposition, organic of process the in themselves annihilated easily are they as eternalize, nor word), the 13 12 this isa matterfortheliving”(Różewicz200772-73). long on the pastures/ of your cemeteries Depart now/ you dead leave me/ in peace// “I wholeness” rather than completeness of any kind (Kunz 225). culture, and even when it community is the “acute” man, kind of memory, of one identity testifying to the establishes it as obligation, moral and to theconceptsof“theotherside,”memorypoetryinscribedinthem. commemorations, and meditations epitaphs, obituaries, particular,their in works

special status among his writing. I poet – shepherd of life/ have become shepherd of the dead/ I dead/ the of shepherd become have life/ of shepherd – poet On the other hand, the imperative to “Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak Różewicz’s “Preparations for a Memory in Różewicz is an ambiguous force. On the one hand, it is a is it hand, one the On force. ambiguous an is Różewicz in Memory and angry, I beginto move my handwitha penacross paper.” (Pr3, 386) may noteverything belostinthiscountry.’ AndI sitdownto my ‘craft,’rebellious cemetery. ButthenI recallJastrun’s words: ‘Ifyoustillremember, writeitdown… “I often tellmyself: stopthat!Stopwritingepitaphs. Run awayfromthisgrowing In hisessaytitled“Wounded Poet.” (To the memoryofM.Jastrun)Różewicz writes: lektury, Universitas:Kraków. 2005. 225. Kunz, T. Strategienegatywnew poezji Tadeusza Różewicza. Odpoetykitekstudo (pamięci Cz.M.)”[Elegy. To the memoryofCz.M.] kopczyk”), andthe“poetasa mole”returnalsoincommemorative “Elegia also significantthatthemotifsof monument asa “blackmound”ofsoil(„czarny and maturationintosilence(„To jednak cotrwa…“[Thatwhichremains…].Itis with a reflectiononoldageanddeath(in“Teraz”) orre-evaluationofhiswork low, anddirty. Themoleasa meta-poetic themeappearsinRóżewiczpaired lightness, exaltation,andpurity–the“molepoet”isorientedat earthly, heavy, discussed phenomenon.Itevokesthevalue-givingspatialassociations withsolarity, The themeof“poetasa mole,”anantithesisbird”complementsthe Anxiety

force oppressive to jednak co trwa” [That which remains]), where Hölderlin points to and Red Glove (see: “Mask” and “To 11

the body, threatening the psychological and physical Poetry Reading,” both volumes of Hölderlin’s hymnal “Remembrance” [Anden- “Remembrance” Hölderlin’shymnal with brand that experiences negative valorize would like to Our Elder Brother Elder Our remember becomes a the memory of close and distant and close of memory the devote my attention to the Dead”) to sense of guilt, betrayal and betrayal guilt, of sense and loss and “unattainable 12 curse to In fact, rejecting the Mother Departs Mother have labored too labored have his “late” work: Dzienniki the living and testimony these two kind of kind [Dia- have the 13

205 206 more and more often, even though I though even often, more and more “I hand: other the On 95-97) Pr3 (Zamknięcie” image.” corporeal A memory? our in does image their as long as only live they Do Dead with the word. To of language, in a level the on already observes, astutely Janion Maria as itself, reveals work elegiac self-contradictory vision of “the other side” emerging from his commemorative and [An Empty Room Will Be pokój” What’s pusty Left Of mnie Me], po to “Zostanie essays, the of one in says he (Pr,12) him.” offer At this point we have arrived, I arrived, have we point this At leave towards future?” („Tożsamość (wspomnienie o poetical reflection: “When I “When reflection: poetical to bury themandbidfarewellinpoetry.” („Tożsamość” Pr3, 78). to attempt an It’s me. for death and time against a “writing hand, one the On ing. Różewicz’s complicated vision of “the beyond” and his ambiguous concept of mourn- sory connection to 14 I to faith andconcludesasa declarationoflackfaith”(Janion151). memory…Am I memory…Am traces: “The dead inhabit my life. They start to ness, necessity to mourning situates itself somewhere in-between “I conclusion and impose a definite interpretation ontoallthose contradictions. One

would like to like would understand.” I understand.” Różewicz is aware of the inconclusive character of his eschatological and meta- For the dead, being “locked inside memory” entails an almost physical, compul- Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Janion, M. „To co trwa.” Twórczość 2000Vol. 5.151. into theotherworld your crossingthethreshold so I amtryingtounderstand I do notbelieveintheafterlife while I continueinthisone has beenintheotherworld Kornel Filipowicz my Friend For a fewmonthsnow She looksatmefrom“theotherworld”theotherssidewhichI don’t believe in eyes,peacefulandwatchfulrestuponme. Now asI writethesewordsMother’s let this paradox resound fully,resound paradox this let of poetry Różewicz’s that emphasize to specific construction of phrase that a “foreshadows remain in the liminal, ontologically unstable emptiness filled with do not think it necessary to necessary it think not do life; it entails impossibility to write the book of the dead? Is it not better to better not it Is dead? the of book the write turn him back, tear him away from the land of the Dead… write, I write, “Conversation witha Friend” (Różewicz2011171) believe, at a at believe, memory about the Dead is almost always a always almost is Dead the about memory pile up contradictions. And this is all I all is this And contradictions. up pile am reluctant to reluctant am fundamental contradiction governing contradiction fundamental try and arrive at all costs at a at costs all at arrive and try live rich lives in the landscape of my the memory of Leopold Staff. The depart and dissolve into nothing- summon the Dead… ToDead… the summon do not believe” and “I Karolu Kuryluku),” Pr3 78-79). write about them. I them. about write (Teraz [Now],M,10). bury [them] and [them] bury 14 perceptible and perceptible recall the dead the recall declaration of am trying raise the raise wanted single fight can poetry is doomed to doomed is poetry one deathto another…theexperienceofdoubledeath?” “adding of failure painful more even an entail inevitably it does word”), the with about the death of God; he seems to poetry. He “writes continuously about the death of poetry, which corresponds to Absolute” [“Wygasanie Absolutu”] that brings about the fatal erosion of language and nuances of this ungraspable and notoriously ambiguous thanatological conception. should rather accept both poles of Różewicz’s antitheses and attempt to 17 16 15 space markedbythoseshadows”(Rewers311;Żukowski69). hensibility, “chasing shadows that run away into nothingness or guarding the empty as a serving be would mourning of poetry of function only the so, If shelter? seeks and word is only a and helpless against disintegration, eternalize and ensure immortality? Perhaps the permanent? How can the word, devoid of its metaphysical foundation, impermanent that “is dead…that is mortal” (Pr3, 163) save anything in any way or make anything the soulandmemory, wordandart,to thedisappearanceofsacrum. literal, biological death, dying off and decomposition of matter, through the death of the from death”: of “dimensions different between fluidly moves It semiotics. and to impossible seems His elegiac reflection oscillates between the word and the body; by incorporating what passages of which were included in reality, liesatthecruxofRóżewicz’sfuneralpoetry. tions that figure and aestheticize the originally amorphous and conven- asemantic in inhuman entanglement of image, and word of use the with line unspeakable an annihilation by representation. The question of appropriateness, of the right to to have would It experience. of organization cultural the of order formal the in assimilated easily be cannot that event an inexpressible, and unimaginable is that event an as itself “theme.” It would have to a becoming its by fetishization and aesthetization from death a not ensure

“Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak How does one invent a invent one does How How to Różewicz’s contradictions seem derive from his reflection on the “expiring of the A Among the most moving moments of “Dziennik gliwicki,” [Gliwice diaries] some hardly consolable “vigil of death,” a Kraków: 2002.150. Skrendo, A.Tadeusz Różewiczi graniceliteratury. Poetyka i etykatransgresji , Universitas, omnis moriar?”ResPublicaNowa . 2000Vol. 5.69. Rewers, E.„Pustka i forma”Teksty Drugie”2002Vol. 2/3.311.Żukowski,T. „Non Warszawa: 2001.195. Ibid. „Nadmiarbólu.”Żyjąctracimyżycie.Niepokojącetematy egzystencji.W.A.B., fundamental question Różewicz seems to seems Różewicz question fundamental write in a form of immortality to immortality of form trace reminding of loss, a be language as something more than a than more something as language be dying language about the dying of man? If the writing of elegiac coexist, it places equation marks between biology,psychology,between marks equation places it coexist, failure (in the sense of the impossibility of “raising the Dead the “raising of impossibility the of sense the (in failure

be poetry that, paradoxically, ensures immortality to language and manner of representation which would which representation of manner and language find an analogy between poetry and God” (195). Mother Departs, there is a man inasmuch as they would save the fact of fact the save would they as inasmuch man space where that which is absent resounds defense of its irreducibility and incompre- be asking is as follows: can poetry can follows: as is asking be continuation of the deadly the of continuation

(Skrendo 150). scene where the poet- 16 literary “topos” or “topos” literary articulate the 17 writing writing

death death cross cross 15

207 208 vertical dimension of the world (Kunz 225; Skrendo 118). Skrendo 225; (Kunz world the of dimension vertical a are values, emptiness as emptiness, rejecting easy consolation and hasty restitution of degraded 174)). z (Notatka to w twarz (Ukryłem “*** poem another in returns scene The volume. the of topics recurrent most important, most the of one to continues imperturbably who poet” the door/ opens/ and beyond it in a in it a beyond landscape/ and opens/ illuminated door/ the “in which: in “Doors” poem the in as ness, quickly andforgettingaboutthelosswouldbeessence of ethicalnihilism. his “Nothing” is always a a and active” („Nic, czyli wszystko” [Nothing, in other words, everything] (Pr3, 183)), after dayiscomingto me.”(Pr3, 350) day that Nothing great The souls. of transmigration nor heaven, nor hell neither great calm will come. Nothing. Neither salvation, nor damnation or Last Judgment, a from torn “the other side” is presented as the deepest, stony silence, as the great Nothing. Similarly, great in the “Aas silence, stony deepest, the as presented is side” other “the Me], Of WillLeft Room What’s Empty Be [An pokój” pusty mnie po “Zostanie of Różewicz’s work. In his poetic sketch, “Znałem boga poezji” [I in problem fundamental another is dead the of world the and living hundred andten” (P3 205). I and died/ he me/ to art of incompatibility it, something that the poet himself is well aware of. The thought of the inacceptable in cruel, even inappropriate, fundamentally something is There 108). (M, distant” so anyway, strange so sounded poems The weakened. is she asleep; falls she but 19 18 son reads poetry to

false substitute of dying reality that fills the ontological void. On the other hand, the memory of Helmut Kajzar: “I Kajzar: Helmut of memory the And “Nothing” after death reveals itself as an empty space of silence and still- and silence of space empty an as itself reveals death after “Nothing” And Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry óeizs Ntig i smtms cntutv ad affirmative…dynamic and “constructive sometimes is “Nothing” Różewicz’s The aporetic vision of “the other side” and the border between the world of the a food thatwillfinally feedthehungerofcontemporary man?”(Pr3, 317) empty. Butthisemptiness hasa form–itappears ashunger, thirst, waiting.Isthere torn fromGliwicediary]:“External world,nature;allofitsurroundsinteriorthatis poem “BoccadellaVerita” andin“Kartki wydarte z ‘dziennikagliwickiego’”[Pages on theliminalstatusofemptiness (betweenbeingandnon-being)returnsinthe of representationforinexpressible andirrepresentableexperiences.A meditation moral crisisofmodernityandparallel inventivenessinthesearchforadequateforms It isanessayofspecialimportance forRóżewicz’sreflectionontheculturaland Kwartalnik Artystyczny2006Vol. 2.118. Kunz, T. Strategienegatywne….225.Skrendo,A. „NiewczesnapoezjaRóżewicza.” 18 Trauma, a lutego 1962 roku)” [Castle built on ice. A ice. on built [Castle roku)” 1962 lutego journal]: “More and more of them pass to pass them of more and “More journal]: response to response Conversation With A sense of “hollowness” and “acute memory” the dying woman. “I have lived for 22310 days already/ twenty two thousand/ three thousand/ two twenty already/ days 22310 for lived have suffering and a and suffering the acute “lack of reality,”to of “lack acute the lack. It is always a mist/ towards the back/ a back/ the towards mist/ Friend” or “Kartki wydarte z brought him a him brought wanted to sense of guilt caused by the “dry eyes of eyes “dry the by caused guilt of sense dłoniach)” [I dłoniach)” polish the form of his “lamentations” is “lamentations” his of form the polish “space left behind” („Zamek na lodzie. read a knew the god of poetry], a poem/ I poem/ the absence of ground and ground of absence the note from Feb. 1962] (Pr3 1962] Feb. from note the ‘other side,’ And then, And side,’ ‘other the hid my face in my hands] my in face my hid few poems to 19 little to little A

of the poet defending read and voice failed voice and read wound healing too healing wound dziennika” [Pages the left/ or in or left/ the the Mother, third part exist (Skrendo138). a of account an it, of count dimension, to dimension, to access entail it does nor it, experiencing person the of status a of figures are usually negated, however, devoid of symbolic meaning as a memory of (to Henryk Death Bereska)” are of also Gates inscribed in “The this moving symbolic the of in transition. These as gates, or “brama”) poem (the gate a less, painfulsqueezingthroughtheinvisibledoor, asdeathisitsimmanentpart: defined and reliably localized ontological border. It turns out that life itself is a unusual use of a of use unusual through new delimitation of text, the emphasis of capitalization combined with the the last two stanzas (so far a far (so stanzas two last the 20 I centr/ the 22 21 198-9). (Skrendo a given and again rewritten was endings, alternate and versions four has which poem, the that important particularly seems it vision, eschatological its

“spiritual passage.” “spiritual “Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak Eponymous doors is one of Różewicz’s figures of passage. The themes of bridge, Skrendo, A.Tadeusz Różewicz….138. “Widzę /Nic,”the syntacticallyunusualconstructiondiscussedabove.PP] in Faces. Paradoxically “I see/ nothing”whentranslatedliterallyPolish to results in particular case“I don’t see/ anything”appearstobeclosertranslationoftheversion some ofthesyntacticalodditymentioned bytheauthorfurtherinessay. Inthis (Różewicz 1994145)“a littletotheleft/orincentre//I see/ nothing”erases differences betweenEnglishandPolish, translationproposedbyCzerniawski semantically mostdivergentfromtheversioninMotherdeparts.[Dueto syntactical w lewo /albośrodku//nicniewidzę”(P2324)[emphasismine,PP], Ibid. 198-199.Theversionprintedin[P2]istheoneweknowfrom Face: „trochę 2006, especially chapter: “Przejście fizyczne” [TheTerritorial Passage]. Passage] Translated byB.Biały, introductionJ.Tokarska-Bakir, PIW, Warszawa: See: A.vanGennep Obrzędyprzejścia. Systematycznestudiumceremonii.[TheRitesof connection to connection or screaminginfear for yearsonendsquealing in bloodylabor in thesweatofone'sbrow that theymustbesqueezedthrough they aresonarrow wide opento all an atthesametimetheyare is thatthegatesarenotthere The secretoftheirconstruction The gatesofdeath see / Nothing” (M 63). Considering the context of context the Considering 63). (M Nothing” / see something radically different. A different. radically something 20 single negative in a in negative single A the ritual. Transition no longer entails a entails Transitionlonger ritual. no the 21 clearer separation and substantiation of “Nothing” achieved “Nothing” of substantiation and separation clearer

22 The Gates of Death in the title do not designate a designate not do title the in Death of Gates The (Różewicz 2011253) remarkable vision” of something that is not / does not does / not is that something vision”of remarkable testimony to testimony syntactically affirmative sentence, transform sentence, affirmative syntactically a “thwarted act of seeing”) into “an ac- “an into seeing”) of act “thwarted “spatial passage” does not become not does passage” “spatial change of ontological of change and Departs Mother the transcendental the different one different result of loss clearly cease- the

209 210 lexicon leads to status as actual the lines, and even begin to sotie hti,i antb ae ydahisl ” (Lubaszewska 579). is outside, that is, it cannot be taken by death itself verbal or visual substitute surrounds the inner void, because “the thought of death the and else,” “something by represented always therefore is Death all. of obstacle thanatic symbols, which “anthropomorphize that which is non-human” (Mikołejko significant, Różewicz rarely refers to 25 24 26 23 577). 586, 588, (Lubaszewska strategy latter the in interested larly I text,” the of “death the for or text” the of death the “against written those Lubaszewska, Antonina by distinguished texts funeral of poetics two the Of to sions. In order to metaphor,of nullification work), eva- the and dynamizing silences fragmentation, of (means verb the of elimination the hence silence,” visual “absolute of pursuit to a as here text” the of “death the Puzyna. Konstantyof memory In *** poem the in as image, an of death the becomes death solution, “crumbling,”erosion. to seems poems funeral Różewicz’s in text” the of death “The 257). 1994 (Różewicz all” that's yes life/ of all that's so more/ nothing more/ nothing and all/ that's sonny/ yes mummy// all/ which separates us from its subject is impossible to impossible is subject its from us separates which representations. It turns out, however, to concretized and substantiated of form the in only captured be can it image,” an of is pure negativity and indeterminacy, a representable, though inscribed in the text, silence, absence, or lack. Although death a rather but work, the

lethal “process of disappearance.” The purpose of writing is, paradoxically,is, the writing of purpose The disappearance.” of “process lethal white space, a space, white Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry “Death in the text” on the other hand is not so much a much so not is hand other the on text” the in “Death 579 Lubaszewska, A. Śmierćw tekście–przeciwśmierci tekstu,„Ruch Literacki”1996 Vol. 5. 2002. 82. (transl. T. Swoboda).Wymiary śmierci,ed.S.Rosiek.słowo/obraz terytoria:Gdańsk. Lefebve, M.-J.L’image fascinanteetlesurréel. qtd.inM.Guiomar.Zasady estetykiśmierci proliferation ofthewhiteness blankpage.Cf.Pł.18-19. printed workwecanobserveconsistent reductionofformsexpressionand In thiscasethedisappearanceisliteral: whenwecomparethemanuscriptto 5. 588,586,577.) (A. Lubaszewska,Śmierćw tekście–przeciwśmiercitekstu , „Ruch Literacki”1996Vol. “interpretation ofone'swayexistence,theexistencethroughone’s work” an expressionofmourning,butalsoattemptto keepalivethememoryand works. Itsgoalisto “complementtheworkofdeceased,”asitbecomesnotonly dialogization ofthetextbyusequotations,allusionsandparaphrases oftheir texts dedicatedto latewritersandpoets,isrealizedasdynamizationinternal Poetics, inwhich“deaththetextisagainst thedeathoftexts,”incase 24 pcs ewe te ie hr aqie n hs ae h sm semantic same the case this in acquire here lines the between Spaces a “narrate death through the great Nothing of the text,” it is reduced blank sheet of paper (Lubaszewska 581, 580, 579). An image of image An 579). 580, 581, (Lubaszewska paper of sheet blank tautology, a kind of internalized, though inexpressible and directly un- directly and inexpressible though internalized, of kind correspond to correspond complete decay of language and meaning: “so that's/ process in which the text becomes an equivalent an becomes text the which in process its personifying figures, the most traditional of a be “the most empty image, since the obstacle “death of experience and the impossibility specific way of experiencing death as dis- as death experiencing of way specific dominate; the gradual reduction of the overcome,” “subject” or “theme” of “theme” or “subject” 25 the most definite most the 23 I am particu- am understand 26 What is ments creates forms which are rather inverted, hollow, double-negated (Kunz 117). 27 51). 29 28 an object O coherence of the text by means of disjunction of the relation between “subject P and of the semiotic-narrative structures,” involving the collapse of syntactic and logical way,this a In as ....” death distance transitions, disappearance, departure, farewell, separation, tearing...extraction, breaking, of image the by constituted imagination, of structures anthropological the of “one death,” of archetype “narrative of use the into translates experience This 78). Pr3 Kuryluk),” Karol of (memory (“Identity smaller” ever becomes cracks, surface to seems it Sometimes masse. en almost a slowly,at reluctantly,away one going first At only by the passing of the years of my life, but also by the faces of those who leave. I where space “The inside: the from existence up breaking a is “Nothing” posthumous reality.The of weakening ontic the seed” andthe“innerpoem.” One such “negative strategy” of representation seems to Similarly in “‘That Rustle…”:Similarly in“‘That Dziennik gliwicki [Gliwice diary], written during the illness and death of his mother. stantly crumbling. Something is crumbling, collapsing.” (M 99) notes Różewicz in “I erosion: and degradation loss, are themes the become imaging

“Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak Dying of loved ones is thus experienced by the poet as a 27 “Teksty Drugie” 2004.Vol. 5. i.e. entryandexit,anopening”See alsoZakazanareprezentacja,(trans.A.Dziadek), As a resultonecannotcomeintothestory oflifeforwhichitwouldprovideaccess, in itsunityandintegrityorindispensability, initsbeing-in-the-world,was ‘stolen’... inappropriable propertyofexistence, whichiscalledfiniteinthesenseoffullness, total andself-absorbed“presence made​​ representation ofdeathfromtheperspective oflife,oneunderstoodashypotyposis, Holocaust istheeventinhistoryofWest anditsculture,afterwhicha figural the impossibilityofdirectrepresentation).Accordingto Jean-LucNancy, the fromCelan’sfrom Germany” Todesfuge (whichisa dualmediatizationemphasizing unrepresentable taboooftheShoahisonlysuggestedbyallegory ofthe“master the otherhand,meansdehumanizedmassexterminationindeath camps.The metonymic phrase:“openwomb/ofriverdeath’soblivion” (P3271).DerTod, on encounter ofitsmystery. Thepoetrefers to thephantasmofGreatMotherin of deathwhichdoesnotdepriveonetheirfaceandname,norstrips theintimate mort,Celan'ssuicidaldeathinthewatersofSeineisa personification figure. La ) anda “male”(“einMeister” (“beautifulStranger”) in a doublefashion:as“female” significance hereisthepoem“DerTod isteinMeister...,”inwhichdeathispersonified w perspektywie słowa.słowo/obrazterytoria:Gdańsk.2001.51.Ofparticular Mikołejko, Z.„Kilkasłówu umarłej”inŚmierćitekst.Sytuacjaostateczna 579, 577-578. Lubaszewska, A. Śmierćw tekście–przeciwśmierci tekstu,„Ruch Literacki”1996 Vol. 5. Kunz, T. Strategienegatywne…117. Driven by the “imperative to “imperative the by Driven that is life” (Lubaszewska 577-8). express pure negativity,” the author of author negativity,”the pure express present,” isnolongerpossible.“Death, as me that I’m floating on an ice floe. Its floe. ice an on floating I’m that me 29 Its equivalent on the level of poetic theme begins to begins theme time, then faster, more numerous, faster,more then time, be the theme of the “silent depletion of existence, live is diminished not diminished is live penetrating force, penetrating appear to appear feel tired. Con- tired. feel be “one be Monu- 28

211 212 all forms” (Plato 82, 84). a “providing ground ated to a indeterminate, ontologically to refer thistraditionofthoughtwhenhewrites: a as and 33 32 31 30 to refers death when escape,” no permits and hole no leaves which nothingness, without “being of possibility the considers Levinas a longer no is “Nothing” the ontic substance of life” (Jankélévitch 344-5). (Jankélévitch life” of substance ontic the vacuum, which dilutes the density of becoming, a a longer no is “death two, the reality.within present a ever is force, There structive posthumous void–asa trace. the mind to mind the used here. I of form understood as such” (Rewers 309). a in experience an hend

Plato, who defined this space as “admitting not of destruction,” an undifferenti- y after this imaginary destruction of everything is not something, but the fact that there is to returning [il persons, and beings things, all imagine us Let Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry At this point, I point, this At is, astheirremissibilityofpureexisting. forces” of existing…Existing returns no matter with of what negation “field one impersonal dismisses the it. There beings, and things of destruction this after is, There silence. of dropped out of everything, an atmospheric density, a Introductory Essay . Newburyport,MA: Focus Pub./R. Pullins, 2001.82,84/ Plato, andPeter Kalkavage. Plato's Timaeus: Translation, Glossary, Appendices and Rewers, E.Pustkai forma….309. (trans. M.Jastrzębiec-Mosakowski). Wymiary 344-345. śmierci. Jankélévitch, V. “Quoddité” jestniezniszczalna.Nieodwołalnośćnieodwracalności.” Duquesne UP, 1987.46-47. Lévinas, Emmanuel. Time andtheOtherAdditional Essays.Pittsburgh, PA: a].” The absence of everything returns as a as returns everything of absence The a].” consequence, unimaginable and inexpressible. Emmanuel Levinas seems Levinas Emmanuel inexpressible. and unimaginable consequence, into thenext this worldpushesthrough in reality like a hole it's throughme into death from a worldfullofobjects life pouring That rustle define form, following Ewa Rewers’ understanding, as “contribution of the object of study.of object the to Thanks should clarify the categories of form and emptiness which are which emptiness and form of categories the clarify should 32 unique and specific way. Experience is thus the opposite the thus is way.Experience specific and unique Thus understood, emptiness is amorphous and invisible, radical antithesis of “something,” it seems rather a rather seems it “something,” of antithesis radical seat for all that has birth,” which “should be outside of outside be “should which birth,” has that all for seat limit which crowns a crowns which limit liminal space between being and not being. I being. not and being between space liminal (SP 237) 31 form, a form, presence, as the place where the bottom has bottom the where place the as presence, As emptiness I 30 meontic component diminishing plenitude of the void, or the murmur mind can perceive and compre- and perceive can mind Life is thus still present in the in present still thus is Life loss of corporeality and subjec- and corporeality of loss busy life; death is an internal an is death life; busy continuous osmosis between osmosis continuous nothingness.” What remains What nothingness.” understand something (Lévinas 46-7) refer de- 33 (Skrendo 151). (Skrendo like a border,the being itself even perhaps or – border is experience…it its for name the waking world, it is “’something’” in many ways unstable, something located on the the poem “***” (I “***” poem the in appears that “Shadow” The disappearance. irreversible their determine cannot status is impossible to impossible is status language of the living, but as silence, in memory – as silent faces. Their ontological disturbed the order in an irreparable way. He has passed absolutely” (Lévinas 104). to mean not did traces his out wiping in traces left who “He homogeneity. ontological and temporal its disrupts which to According 107). (Nycz ible no longer perceptible in ordinary experience, but remains surprisingly indestruct- is and past is which exist,” not does which that of being of persistence the proving wound, continuously focuses attention and leaves long-term effects – paradoxically a something,” annihilation ofbeing(Lévinas50). a be cannot it but existence, undifferentiated pure, tivity,in dissolution 36 35 34 “something”: Blind and unreadable trace is neither a neither is trace unreadable and Blind ible, but hardly identifiable remnant (ichnos), in which absence gains an advantage a

clear material impression material (typos) of the source entity. It is rather and indel- “Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak “Nothing” does not mean nothingness then, but rather the empty “space left after Alphonso Lingis. Dordrecht, Netherlands:M. Nijhoff,1986. 104. Lévinas, Emmanuel. Collected Philosophical Papers ;Translated ofEmmanuelLevinas by Skrendo, A.Tadeusz Różewicz….151. WiS, Poznań: 1993.107. E.Kalemba-Kasprzak,Różewicza.” In:Zobaczyćpoetę,ed.E.Guderian-Czaplińska, „TajemnicaNycz, R. okaleczonejpoezji.Trzy glosydotwórczościTadeusza trace of being impressed on non-being, a by time being smoother being filled left byyourhead on thepillowhollow I listen tothesilence I am write but I aminit empty? an emptyroom Lévinas a Lévinas loss, “an acute trace of absence” which, “like a “like which, absence” of trace acute “an loss, 35 34 “Nothing” as “space left after something” retains the remnant of remnant the retains something” after left “space as “Nothing” The dead are paradoxically present as an absence, persist in the in persist absence, an as present paradoxically are dead The waded through the dream…), exists neither in a in neither exists dream…), the through waded (Różewicz 2011187) define, they cannot be said to said be cannot they define, trace is something outside the order of reality,something of order the outside something is trace say or do anything by the traces he left. He left. he traces the by anything do or say ), a (sēmion), sign circle on the surface of nothingness” exist, but simultaneously one simultaneously but exist, cipher left to left cipher stigma, or a or stigma, dream nor the nor dream decode, nor decode, complete chronic 36

213 214 the dead/ it is where they found/ the last refuge” (P2 209) . Death is an integral part like a 37 38 to to able are They from “Gliwicediary,” Pr3, 317). somehow stronger than with the living. Death. Locked in my memory” (Pages torn a of presence and vitality: “The dead are still with me. I persist as static, reified images, but actually “live.” They are granted the attributes much so not dead the living,where space, posthumous into space mental their transform the of consciousness and memory the in embedded when traces, These existence andwhatdeathcannotcompletelyerase(Jankélévitch352). A presence. over visions of “afterlife”: “my mother was walking towards me/ Don’t It is a to “silent seed”: “Oh how it sprouts and grows in me/ the silent seed/ of dead fruit/ rises of theme the by illustrated also are existence of components present indelibly and the Roses…Pr3, p52-53). smile, youthful, even. “roguish” I to happened has what them “I tion with them is always an illusory communication, a subject...a no onecantouchyou/humiliateyouhurtyou”(M,69,emphasis mine–H.M.). me in are you...you touch you, hurt you, harm can one no ground/ the in are you life and death (Thomas 43). consciousness of man, disintegrating them by placing them on the border between

gesture, their faces...They are as present as the living. But my ties with them are them with ties my But living. the as present as are faces...They their gesture, express, but the “life” they lead in the space of memory is a the light/ punctures the blind clay/ of my body/ breaks wooden tongue” (P1 364). sit on the bench, and talk to talk and bench, the on sit escapes annihilation. death turns to a of whole the destroys Death Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry Despite being an inalienable part of the world of the living, the dead are silent. In Różewicz’s poetry the concepts of non-being and diminishing as internalized s n neirzd epy infe fntoig ihu phenomenal without functioning signifier “empty interiorized an As hs niil, nagbe sml ad metaphysical and simple intangible, invisible, this to ways different in being this exposes it is that to belongs that everything ruins; these in exists still life 1991. 43. Thomas, Louis-Vincent. Trup. Odbiologiidoantropologii.Wydawnictwo Łódzkie:Łódź. (trans. M.Jastrzębiec-Mosakowski). Wymiary śmierci.352. Jankélévitch, V. “Quoddité” jestniezniszczalna. Nieodwołalnośćnieodwracalności.” thorn: “I shocking image of a presence, which refers to am the pit full of memories/ one on top of another” (P1 280), “I ashes and dust the psychosomatic human architecture, but trace of being is “something indestructible,” which remains after remains which indestructible,” “something is being of trace perform movements and gestures, their faces are clear and able and clear are faces their gestures, and movements perform living human body becoming a 38 me since they left...Staff is smiling…I is left...Staff they since me They are the source of excruciating memory, painful living being, but it cannot destroy the fact that they lived; they that fact the destroy cannot it but being, living Staff and Przyboś. The dead are silent, and I and silent, are dead The Przyboś. and Staff remember that smile.” (Tale of Staff, Tuwim and the absence,” the dead exist in the body and the decay, dissolution, decomposition; only decomposition; decay,dissolution, ht e call we that je-ne-sais-quoi the nature of being is perishable, is being of nature the see them alive. They perform monologue or prosopopoeia: tomb; one of Różewicz’s silent life. Communica be afraid, I (Jankélévitch352) remember that remember quoddité of lived 37 quoddité, house house said, tell - a dedicated to thememoryofZdzisławHierowski: pendix to pendix word-traces of the dissolution of words. “Afterword to mark, the removing (simultaneously) and placing of gestures aporetic of records (“I den beneath the words of “external” poem “external” of words the beneath den about the “implosion of poetry,” finds its most compelling articulation in a to [Afterword poematu” “Posłowiedo from starting writing Różewicz’s beyond thehorizon” (Żukowski150;Różewicz 2011162). I the wound of silence” hiding the unspeakable: “When the light falls/ on my poem/ by marked and “broken speech the is lack internalized of equivalent textual The 244). (P3 bones” of full cave/ abandoned an like me/ inside screaming corridors/ dug me/ living the in “death fullness: the inside emptiness indispensable life, of 41 40 39 to and depths to commentary the In

see death in it/ a development of the poem originally sketched in the essay the in sketched originally poem the of development wanted to “Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak The “silent grain” is also a grain”also “silent is The 2. 10. O implozji poezji, A.Czerniawski’s conversationwithT. Różewicz,„Poezja” 1989.Vol. This differenceis crucialto thepoet.See“Afterword...” Zagłady, ed.A.Brodzka-Wald, D.Krawczyńska, J.Leociak,ŻiH:Warszawa 2000.150. Żukowski, T. „Zagładaa językpoetyckiTadeusza Różewicza.”In:Literaturapolskawobec the poem “Na powierzchni i powierzchni “Na poem the to death to the languageofsuffering to the core images offeelings strip shapesofcolors strip imageof you musttakeoffthewords Slow andcareful “Closure” (Pr3, 97) the grain the seed enfolding andhiding like peelandpulp secret andempty which enfoldtheothers tangible fullsensual there arepoems and outerpoems inner poems There are describe…”), “***” (“poetry doesn’t the surface” the silent, hidden “inner poem.” The act of uncovering of act The poem.” “inner hidden silent, the surface” the black grain/ of ergot/ in a the sketch Różewicz ponders how “to how ponders Różewicz sketch the “Afterword to thepoem”(P3108-109) silent “inner poem,” the proper core of poetry,of core proper hid- the poem,” “inner silent 41 such as: “***” (“I w series of paradoxical “unwritten” poems środku” [On the surface and inside], is inside], and surface the [On środku” 40 golden head of wheat/ which drifts off/ . This motif, obsessively recurring in recurring obsessively motif, This . tried to always…”), “now.” They are the the poem,” a 39 remember…”), “A [Closure], Zamknięcie bring out from the from out bring metapoetic ap- the poem] the Poem”

215 216 guage of life experience – the non-experience of an event “not meant” are reduced“to thelanguageofsuffering/todeath.” Words are used only to a language, the losing of process the discourse, “a a language, of deprivation and destruction the is It language. the (Lacoue-Labarthe 28). (Lacoue-Labarthe happened in the individual event, to hasn’twhat precisely poem…is the ‘begets’ which “that person (Cichowicz 8). Poetry ‘about’ death cannot present any experience, because turns out to out turns of imagination,andto expresswhatisnotinthelanguageis. it makes it impossible to to barrier impassable an “(Pr3,is him death find instance, not this not In 98). behind the veil. I veil. the behind 45 44 43 42 yet, the omnipotent mortality, while leading to And words. of lack the is such, as and, death “designates” it because also but type, death? The poetic word is a Can something that has death as its constitutive meontic “core” be a hiding behind these words. I is Zdzisław how and memories my behind hide dead the how is “This living: the of the text is compared to and comes out into the light with blood and water” (Pr3, 98). The inexpressible “core” is “secret and empty” and absolutely negative, “rips off the coating of realized poem is an experience of crippling tear, almost physical disintegration, when that which u uraal, opee ad t h sm tm rpeetn asne belongs to absence, representing time same the at and complete, unreadable, but

non-verbal events” (Czpliński 9), (Czpliński events” non-verbal and dissolutionofwords,leadingto thefinalsilence.(M107). a is away going those of babble the – life of words the into shaped be will gibberish baby’s signs...The and looks with communicates She hurts.” water,burns, “air, are: words repeated frequently Most up. waking after especially mumbles mutters, she Sometimes them. losing were she if as words, fewer says less, and less speaks Mother becomes dying mother’s his as watches helplessly poet the diary” “Gliwice In Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry The core of poetry, the “actual tragedy unfolding inside the poem” (Pr3, 152) (Pr3, poem” the inside unfolding tragedy “actual poetry,the of core The 243. Ariès. P. „Śmierć odwrócona.” trans.J.M.Godzimirski, In:Antropologiaśmierci…. 9. literaturze polskiej , „Poznańskie StudiaPolonistyczne. Seria Literaturoznawcza”:2001. Czapliński. P. Szczelinyśmierci.Mikrologiześmiercią.Motywytanatyczne wewspółczesnej Press: Stanford Cal.2004.23. Lacoue-Labarthe. P. Poetry asExperience , trans.A.Tarnowski. StanfordUniversity francuska, trans.S.Cichowicz,J.M.Godzimirski. PIW: Warszawa 1993.8. Cichowicz. S.Śmierć:gwałtnaideilubreakcjażycia. Wstęp Antropologia śmierci.Myśl be the tragic inability to inability tragic the be monosyllable, unpronounceable, which can’t can not reveal it, because I because it, reveal not can 43 communicate (?) physical pain, while thought and language Death, “ostentatious, yet incomprehensible, transparent, incomprehensible, yet “ostentatious, Death, journey to the elusive (non)presence of the dead in the memories of mortal word, not only due to cannot reveal him. He is there, behind a the world of the dead, whether through memory 44 which the poem refers, without describing it” gradual deprivation of the semiotic universe. semiotic the of deprivation gradual and thus cannot adequately made present in present made adequately cannot thus and express – in terms of presence and the lan- the and presence of terms in – express know that he is not there, that I that there, not is he that know the erosion of language and paralysis taken place, occurred, nor occurred, place, taken the lack of a be named or confessed.” diminishing, decay diminishing, vulnerability in vulnerability salvation from thick curtain, sacred arche- 42 for a living life; will 45 (Pr3, 386). many enemies… Memories as grave stones rest on my mind, my emotions,” he says “I inscriptions.” “…Zraniony poeta” [...Wounded poet], memories of the dead are called “tombstone to next grow They dead. the for stones tomb- poetic growing, is poems of graveyard “The writes: he “Closure” In ments. to poetry ments is typical of Różewicz’s funeral texts, as he often compared writing of funeral 200). (Nycz meaning” – dissolution of matter, reality, annihilation of “real” destruction and scattering of precisely,more and death, of experience a Conversely, the liminal experience is in Różewicz’s poetic anthropology usually an ence of death becomes the archetype of the poet's various experiences of liminality. of experience, but its very category has disappeared, nied by anything more than an empty denial of life” (Barański 45), and made meaningless because it “is only the negation life and cannot be accompa- 49 48 47 46 thanks to – continues grows, poetry Różewicz’s that said be can it Paradoxically,therefore, of imagination, at the same time “stimulates the evolution of consciousness of the subject. 51 50 authentic experienceofreality. of form only the become may disappearance inevitable and mortality universal of 122). digmatic and fundamental experience of “the prior, and only (Stankowska reality”

“Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak The unusual frequency of imagery associated with stone, sculptures and monu- experi- multi-dimensional the metaphorically, and literally both Understood WTN, Wrocław: 2003.45. śmierci,” In:Tanatos. Problemywspółczesnej tanatologii.Vol. 7.ed.J.Kolbuszewski. Barański, J.„Anestetyzacjatanatyczna, czylio strategiiponowoczesnejkulturywobec J. Kornecka et al.Universitas,Kraków:2006.100.) tabooed (.M.diNolaTriumf śmierci.Antropologiażałoby , ed.M.Woźniak, trans. “indecent” dramaofnaturaldeath” isnotculturallyprocessed,butrepressedand death isde-ritualized,notexperienced bythecommunity, prohibited.“The possibility ofidentifyingwiththeexperienceancestorsandothers. Contemporary ”lossofexperience,”lossa sensecontinuityandthe ritual isoneofthecauses '(„Przemiany,” in:A. vanGennepObrzędyprzejścia13),andthemodernsuspicionof According to theauthorritualsare“toolsensurecontinuityofexperience Universitas,Kraków:2006. Nycz,A.Zeidler-Janiszewska, jako doświadczenie,ed.R. Tokarska-Bakir, J „Zanikdoświadczenia:diagnozaantropologiczna.”In:Nowoczesność Stankowska, A.„Innestanyarcypoezji”KwartalnikArtystyczny.2006Vol. 2.122. „TadeuszaNycz, R. Różewicza….”200. ironicznej,” „Poznańskie StudiaPolonistyczne. SeriaLiteraturoznawcza”1999.129. Legeżyńska, A.„Gest pożegnania.Szkiceo poetyckiejświadomościelegijno- experience. ”abolishes,along with subjectivity, thecategoryof being. Deathof“oneself Writing abouttheexperienceofdeath, I mean onlythedeath ofanotherhuman 48 In a putting up tombstones, engraving epitaphs, or carving cemetery monu- cemetery carving or epitaphs, engraving tombstones, up putting obsession with dying. Death keeps this poetry alive” (Legeżyńska 129). degraded and aesthetically anesthetized world where not only the value have buried too many loved ones, friends and acquaintances, too acquaintances, and friends ones, loved many too buried have 47 At the same time, however,time, to same is the death At the 51 one another like fresh graves “(Pr3, 96). In “(Pr3,96). graves fresh like another one traumatic “experience of disintegration of “experience traumatic 49 and where death was rejected 50 the poet a poet the the experience para- 46

217 218 trauma ofdeathandtheterrorannihilationreification (Urbrain314). original the camouflages” conceals, “censors, carefully It reference.” of “fullness signifier,empty an Being (sepulcher). decay and a simulates it space established by the living (sculpture) and a death someone added a gravestone...So more verses attached to baroque the clear,beneath and buried light was nucleus, first its with poem, “The of overwhelming “gravestone” becomes a poem” and destroyed its original, concise (and most literal) version. The metaphor “inner imagery,the elaborate obscured that images” “hungry the about complains a 244), (P3 stone” black 55 54 53 52 of experience for the “negative strategies” of presentation and an emblem for the inexpressibility connected with the problem of “the shape of memory,” as well as a to monument the sider Różewicz’s epitaph is in my opinion a 66). (Różewicz gravestones” and graves Baroque and tombs “Renaissance of tradition to references find we “Chiaroscuro,” of tation antique oroldPolish epitaphs. stood monument topos, than references to multifaceted relationships of his funeral and commemorative poems with so under - I tombstones, poetic Różewicz’s about Writing a “grave” and “sculpture” of combination ambivalent this calls Urbain Jean-Didier and asemantictheaddedorderofsigns(Różewicz67). real horrifyingly is what Between representation. visual and verbal its and death,” and illness of image an as ergot, of grain “black is which poem, the of “core” the between “tomb,” added the and death” of “wall naked the between division clear

“liminal object,” suspended between life and death, form and emptiness, a its prevailing silence, the impenetrability of its darkness...The Funeral Object is a What is negated by Subject is not the grave itself, but its alleged emptiness, its insignificance, Czesław MiłoszandthePolish SchoolofPoetry meaning: Objectaswelldeath. (Urbain321) between signifier and signified, the Object transcends; everything becomes endowed with to Thanks exist!). must about tell can we which that (because existence second the of beginning the death makes there is no gaping void; it gives meaning to However, in the sketch entitled “Mój wiersz” [My poem], the author's interpre- 53 Wymiary śmierci…314. Urbain, J.-D.„Rzeźba/Grób: przedmiotgraniczny.” trans.M.L.Kalinowski, In: Różewicz, T. „Mójwiersz.”Odra.1984.Vol. 3.66. („Wielogłos,” 2007 /1) I write aboutthisinmytext“Tadeusza Różewiczaarchitektonika doświadczenia” In: Wymiary śmierci … 321. Urbain, J.-D.„W stronę historiiPrzedmiotu Funeralnego.” trans.M.L. Kalinowski, In the poem itself the clear allusion would be the line “sea carved out/ of out/ carved “sea line the be would allusion clear the itself poem the In 52 , the epitaph is an almost exemplary implementation of the concept. baroque tomb” (Różewicz 66-7). Thus we can observe a be the fundamental commemorative formula for the poet, the for formula commemorative fundamental the be the imaginary relationship between the visible and the invisible, the and visible the between relationship imaginary the “baroque” periphrasis of death. Różewicz criticizes the criticizes Różewicz death. of periphrasis “baroque” variation of the monument topos. If we con- the first crude structure, as if to metapoetic description of the poem itself: formal aspects of traditionally understood the absurd, tells about the life after death, and 55 therefore have in mind rather the rather mind in have therefore Kochanowski’s “Laments,” to “Laments,” Kochanowski’s somatic space dominated by chaos performance of the of performance kind of prototype the wall of

signal semiotic semiotic 54 very that the 56 313-4). (Urbain born” is a where and realized, is imagination of world the where is that stops; Object the where ends dead” the of world “the of perception authentic The imagination. of world the and reality between itself locates it because it, doubling two, in world impenetrable, it prohibits, censors, separates and conceals something; it divides the that which paralyzes the possibility of conceptualization and representation. “Being and a a both is It 58 57 face ofhumanexperience. a doesn’t “doesn’t it that stressing and inabilities, and weaknesses limit ofappropriateness. the – one ethical also but border, epistemological and ontological crossing about only not is It transgression. this of ambiguity fundamental the of aware be must structing a undisturbed life of the dead and participate in it for a for it in participate and dead the of life undisturbed to “To contemplation: imaginative of act an through transgression of possibility the time secrecy,”a and impermeability fundamental (Urbain 314). the object an emblem of mysterious and prolonged life after death – to

complex metapoetic reflection on the sense and possibilities of literature in the in literature of possibilities and sense the on reflection metapoetic complex meld with it and become one, to one, become and it with meld “Our monumentsareambiguous… Marciniak Such “petrified” imagination “petrified” Such n tu, ne gi, óeizs oty wih eis y mhszn its emphasizing by begins which poetry, Różewicz’s again, once thus, And contemplate a metapoetic imaging. to physicality, anareaupon whichthepoetdrawsmostfrequently inhispoeticand and inexorable” (P1 68),whilethetopoiofsculpture andmonumentare,next determination of thesubjectas:“I…A greymanwithimagination /small,stonelike autothematic expressions.Inhistexts weencountersuchsuggestiveself- There isaninterestingsimilarity between thismetaphorandRóżewicz’s Wymiary śmierci…314. Urbain, J.-D.„Rzeźba/Grób:przedmiot graniczny.” trans.M.L.Kalinowski, In: myth isforRóżewicza negativereference,somethingimpossible andinaccessible. its endlessness”(„Kilkasłówu umarłej”33)However, itsseemthatthelanguageof which isbubblingwithbecomingandpassingaway, onlymythcangetto itsapeiron, everything hasitsbeginningandend...Onlymythcanreachthatrealm ofnon-being, experience,”inwhich “Speech ishelplessinthefaceofthat“pre-ontological especially theepitaphs,isa mythicallanguagethatgoeswherelogos refusesto go. Wymiary śmierci…313-314.Accordingto Mikołejko, thelanguageoffuneraltexts, Urbain, J.-D.„Rzeźba/Grób:przedmiotgraniczny.” trans.M.L.Kalinowski, In: psychological border, a fulfill hopes” (P2 421), turns out to out turns 421), (P2 hopes” fulfill “tomb” of its own forms, representations and signs, upon the emptiness, material object placed in the physical space and perceivable by senses by perceivable and space physical the in placed object material 57 Funeral Object is to 56 Being an opaque cognitive obstacle and a and obstacle cognitive opaque an Being division between the conceivable and representable and 58 moving beyond its condition – life – and con- and – life – condition its beyond moving penetrate inside it and to and it inside penetrate inhabit it, to be a be “liminal object” implies at the same the at implies object” “liminal fascinating “poetry of poetry” – poetry” of “poetry fascinating undergo a moment; it is to is it moment; Translation: Paweł Pyrka explain anything” or “ or anything” explain sort of petrification, discover there the there discover sign of “the of sign live with it” make this make myth

219 220 i published works include University. Interested in 19 Northwerstern at Literatures and Languages Slavic Professorof Cavanagh, Clare Miłosz fortheseriesofBibliotekaNarodowa. a on working currently is and (2007) Gombrowicz Recently edited oftheSłownikrealizmusocjalistycznego,2004). Co-editor „Tekstyof Witoldeditor and Gombrowicz, Miłosz Czesław Białoszewski, Drugie”. Academy of Sciences. Interested in 20 in Interested Sciences. of Academy Polish the of Research Literary of Institute the in Professor Łapiński, Zdzisław (PAN), works in the Slavonic Studies Department at the University of Amsterdam. Science of Academy Polish the of Member Foreign PhD, Nieukerken van Arent (Farrar, Straus,andGiroux). Poetry and is currently working on a of PrincetonTranslation.Encyclopedia The Literary of Editor Associate an is She Outstanding for Prize Club Month PEN/Book-of-the Translation,the in Lecture Frederick Nims Memorial Prize in Translation, the Katharine Washburne Memorial translator of contemporary Polish poetry, whose awards and honors include the John Traditionof Creation Modernist the and Mandelstam the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism. She also published West the and Poland, Russia, Politics: Modern and gender.and literature the of book, recent theory most translation, Her krytycy Authors’ BiographicalNotes (1984); numerous articles devoted to devoted articles numerous (1984); Bakakaj I Norwid inne opowiadania, th and 20 (1971, 1984); th book century Russian poetry, modern Polish poetry, th century literature and literary theory.literary and literature His century Czeslaw Milosz and His Age: A a volume of Collected Writings of Witold Ja, Ferdydurke the oeuvre of Julian Przyboś,Miron Julian of oeuvre the Yl Uiest Pes received Press) University (Yale (1995). She is also an acclaimed an also is She (1995). collection of poems by Czesław by poems of collection (1985, 1997); LyricPoetry Gombrowicz Gombrowicz Critical Life Osip Authors’ Biographical Notes

His published works include Perspektywiczność sacrum – szkice o Norwidowskim ro- mantyzmie (2007) and Ironiczny konceptyzm – nowoczesna polska poezja metafizyczna w kontekście anglosaskim (1998). Ha has also published extensively on Polish postwar poetry and is currently working mostly on Polish Romanticism. She is also an accla- imed translator of Russian and Polish poetry, among others Mikołaj Sęp-Szarzyński, Adam Mickiewicz, Mikhail Lomonosov and Konstantin Batyushkov.

Jan Błoński (1931-2009), literary historian and critic. Worked in the Institute of Lite- rary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (1959-1969) and at the Jagiellonian University (since 1970). Author of numerous studies devoted to the work of Mikołaj Sęp-Szarzyński, Stanisław Wyspiański, Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Marcel Proust, Samuel Beckett and others. Published books on contemporary literature, theatre, culture and mentality, among others Zmiana warty, Odmarsz, Romans z tekstem. Co-founder and chief editor of an academic journal Teksty (1972-74), collaborated with Teksty Drugie.

Ryszard Nycz professor in the Department of Polish Studies at the Jagiellonian University, and in the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Editor in chief of the academic journal Teksty Drugie, editor of the series “Horyzonty nowoczesności” (Universitas) and “Nowa Humanistyka” (Institute of Literary Research Press). Author of the following books Sylwy współczesne (1984, 1996), Tekstowy świat (1993, 2000), Język modernizmu (1997, 2002), Literatura jako trop rzeczywistości (2001), Poetyka doświadczenia. Teoria nowoczesność literatura (2012).

Jacek Łukasiewicz poet, literary critic and historian of literature, professor at the University of Wrocław. Author of nine volumes of poetry and numerous academic articles on history of literature and literary criticism, among others, Republika mieszańców (1974), Rytm czyli powinność. Szkice o książkach i ludziach po roku 1981 (1993), Ruchome cele (2003), Jeden dzień w socrealizmie (2006), TR (on Tadeusz Ró- żewicz’s poetry, 2012). His awards and honours include PEN Club Literary Award, Kazimierz Wyka Prize for the lifetime achievement in artistic and critical work, and Special Gdynia Literary Prize 2013.

Bogdana Carpenter professor Emerita of Slavic Languages & Literatures and Com- parative Literature at the University of Michigan. She is the author of The Poetic Avant-Garde in Poland 1918–1939 and Monumenta Polonica: The First Four Centuries of Polish Poetry. She translates the contemporary Polish poetry. She was also the editor and translator (with Madeline G. Levine) of Czesław Miłosz’s selected essays To Begin Where I Am.

Anna Nasiłowska, professor works at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, member of the research group Literature and Gender. Editor of the academic journal “Teksty Drugie”. Published numerous academic works as 221 Authors’ Biographical Notes

well as prose. Most recently she published a biography of Maria Pawlikowska-Jasno- rzewska (2010), a selection of writings of Stefania Zahorska (with her introduction) (2010) and an autobiographical novel entitled Konik, szabelka (2011).

Małgorzata Czermińska professor at the University of Gdańsk. Interested in theory of the novel and non-fiction, Polish literature of the 20th century, as well as relations between literature and visual arts. Her books published in the last decade include Autobiograficzny trójkąt: świadectwo, wyznanie i wyzwanie (2000), Pisarki polskie od średniowiecza do współczesności. Przewodnik (2000, together with Grażyna Borkowska and Ursula Phillips); Gotyk i pisarze. Topika opisu katedry (2005). She edited a volume of translations entitled Autobiografia (2009).

Tomasz Łysak, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Warsaw. His disser- tation thesis, entitled Inherited Trauma? Holocaust in the Texts by Second Generation Sur- vivors in the United States and Poland, and much of his recent work continues to focus on representations of the Holocaust in relation to trauma studies and psychoanalysis. Currently working on the translation of academic texts on trauma studies, as well as teaching courses on translation and film. His new research project is devoted to the Sonderkommando. He has been a Mellon Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and Fulbright Visiting Lecturer of Polish Studies at the University of Washington.

Jerzy Kandziora professor in the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Aca- demy of Sciences, works on history, documentation and editing of literature. His published works include Zmęczeni fabułą. Narracje osobiste w prozie po 1976 roku (1993), Ocalony w gmachu wiersza. O poezji Stanisława Barańczaka (2007). He has written extensively on Miron Białoszewski, Jerzy Ficowski, Czesław Miłosz, Stanisław Barańczak, Tadeusz Konwicki, Stanisław Lem in Polish academic journals such as Pamiętnik Literacki, Teksty Drugie, Poznańskie Studia Polonistyczne, Ruch Literacki.

Janusz Sławiński Professor emeritus in the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences where since 1967 he was the head of the Department of Literary Theory. Renown editor of Słownik terminów literackich (1972) and co- -author of numerous academic textbooks. His published works include Koncepcja języka poetyckiego awangardy krakowskiej (1965), Dzieło – język – tradycja (1974). Editor of an academic journal, “Teksty”, a predecessor of “Teksty Drugie.” He inititaed a monumental publishing series of the Ossolineum, entiled Vademecum Polonisty. Member of numerous academic committees and councils, among other Rada Fun- dacji na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej.

Hanna Marciniak PhD candidate in the Department of Comparative Literature at Charles University in Prague, translator. The author of the book, Inwencje i repetycje. Formy do wiadczenia poetyckiego w twórczości Juliana Przybosia (2009) as well as artic- les and translations in academic journals such as Teksty Drugie, Artium Quaestiones, 222 Authors’ Biographical Notes

Pamiętnik Literacki and Slovo a smysl. She is interested in Polish and Czech post- -avant-garde movements and the question of testimony, memory and postmemory in literature and visual art.

Marek Zaleski professor in the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, literary historian and critic, in 1987-2007 he co-edited the academic journal, Res Publica and Res Publica Nova, member of the jury of Nike Prize for Literature (2005-2007). He published numerous articles in journals in Poland and abroad, as well as the following books Przygoda drugiej awangardy (1984), Mądremu biada? (1990), Formy pamięci (1996); Zamiast. O twórczości Czesława Miłosza (2005), Echa idylli (2007). He was awarded Gdynia Literary Prize (2006) and the Kazimierza Wyka Prize (2009).

Cezary Zalewski, professor in the Department of Literary Theory at the Jagiello- nian University. Author of the following books Powracająca fala. Mityczne konteksty wybranych powieści Bolesława Prusa i Elizy Orzeszkowej (2005) and Pragnienie, poznanie, przemijanie. Fotograficzne reprezentacje w literaturze polskiej (2010). He published nu- merous articles in Pamiętnik Literackim, Ruch Literacki and Teksty Drugie. 223