The Touch of Sorrow Among the Charms of the Nature.
Pan Amongst the Reeds by Arnold Böcklin and Zofia Gordziałkowska Cover Image

Nuty smutku wśród uroków natury. Pan w trzcinie Arnolda Böcklina i Zofii Gordziałkowskiej
The Touch of Sorrow Among the Charms of the Nature. Pan Amongst the Reeds by Arnold Böcklin and Zofia Gordziałkowska

Author(s): Grzegorz Igliński
Subject(s): Studies of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warmińsko-Mazurskiego w Olsztynie
Keywords: symbolism; mythology; painting; poetry; music; nature

Summary/Abstract: Two works: the painting by Swiss painter Arnold Böcklin and the poem by the Young Poland poet Zofia Gordziałkowska inspired by that painting are the subject of considerations. Both works have the same title - Pan Amongst the Reeds. Comparative analysis allowed determining to what extent the poetic version of the subject is true to the painted original - do we deal with a description of the painting, a lyric comment to it and an attempt at reading it ormaybe it was just the reason for developing a king of reflection going far beyond the work by Böcklin. The poem, treating the subject presented in the painting (the mythological Pan) asa synonym of an artist complaining and hankering after something unspecified, leads to theconclusion that arts hinder enjoying life. On the other hand, treating the subject as a representative of the nature or personification of life reduces that life to using it, to the sensual intoxication. The originality of the poet is represented by deviation from convention in understanding the landscape functioning in symbolism. She processes the subject undertakenby Böcklin in the way aiming at highlighting not only the value of the art but, first, the value of life.

  • Issue Year: 2016
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 49-60
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Polish