The Notion of Modernism in the Literary Criticism of Young Poland Cover Image

Pojęcie modernizmu w młodopolskiej krytyce literackiej
The Notion of Modernism in the Literary Criticism of Young Poland

Author(s): Grażyna Legutko
Subject(s): Recent History (1900 till today), Polish Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Art
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: Modernism; literary criticism; Young Poland;

Summary/Abstract: The notion of modernism in Polish literary criticism at the turn of the 20th century was characterized, as the author of the article proves, by ambiguity. The notion was understood and explained differently and was used in various contexts which quite often contradict each other. This imprecise term referred to many phenomena: from itnietzscheanism and the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer, by the meaning of “naked soul” and “art for art’s sake” to the decadent movement, mysticism and symbolism. Even though Young Polish critics (propagators of “new art” as well as its critics) defined modernism in a multi-faceted way (from the point of view of their ideological standpoints and preferred esthetics values) it has been linked by aversion to the name, the awareness of crisis of European culture and middle-class morality and necessity of upgrading art.

  • Issue Year: 33/2016
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 7-27
  • Page Count: 21
  • Language: Polish