„Był to jakby dzień widziany przez kir żałobny”. Opowiadania Brunona Schulza a motywy charakterystyczne dla czarnego romantyzmu

Author(s): Anna Szumiec / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

The article entitled „It seemed to be a day seen through a burial shroud. The stories by Bruno Schulz and the themes characteristic of Dark Romanticism” discusses a few characteristics typical of the trend called Dark Romanticism in the context of the stories by one of the most outstanding Polish writers — Bruno Schulz. The associations between the prose by this author from Drohobycz and selected Romantic attitudes have been considered, however, what is the core of the essay is the interpretation of Dark Romantic themes, such as a characteristic of labyrinth, wanderer, doppelgänger, and the motif of madness and broadly understood darkness, on the background of selected stories from the volumes of „Sklepy cynamonowe” („The Cinnamon Shops”) and „Sanatorium pod Klepsydrą” („Sanatorium under the Sign of the Hourglass”). The aim of the article is to present Bruno Schulz not as a twentieth-century continuator of Dark Romantic writing, but as an author who drew inspiration from the works of the leading representatives of the trend called Dark Romanticism (Edgar Allan Poe, Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman), thus creating his own vision of literature with the use of the well-known nineteenth-century motives.

„Chcę rozmawiać”. Autopsychoterapeutyczne funkcje narracji Justyny Bargielskiej i Anny Starobiniec o utracie perinatalnej

Author(s): Irina Adelgejm / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2017

The article discusses a unique experience of death such as a perinatal loss described in „Obsoletki” by Justyna Bargielska and „Spójrz na niego” by Anna Starobiniec. The author of the article analyses the ways in which narration aims at assimilating the traumatic experience (in Bargielska’s writing: ‘cataloguing’ the pain of other mothers, ‘a split screen’, adapting external observer’s point of view, dividing the trauma into separate elements, lack of logic; in Starobiniec’s writing: externalization of the loss by the experience of mourning, ‘recreating’ lost relations; in both authors’ creativity: connecting life and death, placing loss in the story of life, conventional endings).

„Chrystus jest Aqua” – metafory chrystologiczne w poezji Symeona z Połocka

Author(s): Barbara Kozak / Language(s): Polish Issue: XV/2013

Metaphor is universally manifest in every language past and present and conspicuouslyembedded in the system of human cognition. We can assert that it plays the central role in theprocess of exploration and familiarization of the world. As such, metaphor is also one of themost interesting and complex means of poetic expression.Metaphor confronts concepts and objects belonging to different orders to bring a complexreality to the human dimensions, filtering and conditioning the world to his or her mindsetand mental capacities. As a tool of exploration and habituation of the world metaphor isdeeply rooted in human imagination and reflects the values of a community. It transformsincomprehensible ideas – including scientific or metaphysical abstracts but also such conceptsas time or love – into familiar shapes and formulas.This paper presents and reviews the process of metaphorization of Christ in the poetry ofSymeon of Polotsk. That Polish-Russian poet took profusely from the riches of the Baroqueto create such masterpieces as poems Chrystus Aqua, Kamień, Chleb, Kwiat, Dweri, Król,Żywot, Męka, Śmierć – to name only those discussed in this paper. The poems selected by theauthor form a particularly interesting continuum of visions entirely built around metaphorswhich constitute and organize poetic expressions.

„Ciekawość tych stanów”, czyli literaturoznawstwo w afekcie

Author(s): Marta Tomczok / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2019

Review: Agnieszka Dauksza, Klub Auschwitz i inne kluby: Rwane opowieści przeżywców [The Auschwitz Club and Other Clubs: Survivors’ Fragmentary Stories] (słowo/obraz terytoria, Gdańsk 2016) and Agnieszka Dauksza, Afektywny modernizm: Nowoczesna literatura polska w interpretacji relacyjnej [Affective Modernism: Modern Polish Literature in Relational Interpretation] (Wydawnictwo IBL PAN, Warsaw 2017).

„Ciężkie książki” vs. „lekka i tania informacja”. Warunki produkcji książki w Polsce po 1989 roku

Author(s): Piotr Marecki,Ewelina Sasin / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2015

This report is part of a larger research project entitled Polish literature after 1989 in light of Pierre Bourdieu’s theory led by a team of sociologists, experts in culture studies and literary scholars. The authors use Bourdieu’s theoretical tools to describe a segment of the Polish literary field, focusing on different aspects of the production, distribution and sales of books. Based on collected materials (353 interviews with individuals from the analyzed field – publishers, distributors, booksellers, government workers – published by Biblioteka Analiz in the series Rozmowy o rynku książki [pl. Conversations about the Book Market] in the years 2001–2012), the authors aim to describe the process of the emergence of a professional publishing industry from the ephemeral and chaotic publishing movement of the 1990s. The authors analyze a number of aspects of the transition from publishing movement to book market – from book design and the editorial level through print run planning, marketing the book, displaying and selling it, to issues such as printing the price on the cover and the introduction of VAT on books. Using the definition of the term “book market” proposed by Marek Tobera and Bogdan Klukowski, the authors argue that in the first years after the political transformation in Poland a professional book market did not exist, due to the lack of a professionalized system of information exchange between the sectors of production, distribution and sales. It was only with the advent of computerization that the evolution of a professional book market gained momentum.

„Clio a hetes buszon”. Kép és szöveg viszonya Bruno Bourel és Parti Nagy Lajos Fényrajzok című könyvében

Author(s): Anna Nagy / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 09/2019

Bruno Bourel – Parti Nagy Lajos: Fényrajzok. Magvetõ Kiadó, Bp., 2001.

„Cne Lachy wszędy sława wiekopomna głosi”. Wartości rycerskie w świetle literatury okolicznościowej, poświęconej bitwie chocimskiej 1621 roku

Author(s): Marcin Piątek / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

Referring to Maria Ossowska’s considerations in Ethos rycerski i jego odmiany (Chivalric Ethos and Its Varieties), the author reconstructs the picture of chivalric values emerging from the occasional literature which was produced in the aftermath of the Battle of Khotyn in 1621. The study concerns both the permanent elements of the chivalric ethos functioning since antiquity and those which were of particular importance in the 17th century. They include: noble birth, valor, obedience, prowess, war experience, pride, love of the homeland, bravery and devotion. Great significance was attached to the religious aspect of the battle against the „infidel”, due to which the Khotyn war acquired the status of a holy war where the fallen soldiers deserved to be immortalized in songs.

„Cnota mój kompas...”. Odwołania do cnót platońskich w staropolskich wzorach osobowych

Author(s): Iwona Nowakowska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2016

The article presents chosen 16th and 17th-century Old Polish parenetic texts about personal examples to follow for people from the courtly circle and for the women. The parenetic content of these texts are analysed in the article considering the occurrence of ideas similar to Plato’s concept of virtues (aretai) – wisdom, bravery, temperance and justice, known later in Christian tradition as cardinal virtues. Their universality makes them a good basis to describe characteristics of the majority of personal examples. In the first part of the article the author outlines the historic and literary background of creating parenetic texts in the European culture since the ancient times to the 17th century. In the second part four Old Polish texts written by: Łukasz Górnicki, Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, Jan Kocha­nowski and Erazm Otwinowski, describing personal examples of a courtier and a woman are analysed. In each of the texts the author is looking for ideas similar to Plato’s virtue concept and presents the characteristics of ideal courtier and woman.

„Cnotliwa” Żydówka Zuzanna. O empatii w opowiadaniu Antoniego Czechowa Grzęzawisko

Author(s): Witold Kowalczyk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 27/2017

This article examines Anton Chekhov’s short story (Quag)mire (Тина, 1886), which gave rise to a great deal of controversy among contemporaneous critics and authors. Some of their commentaries were pejorative, in spite of the fact that Chekhov himself regarded the story as successful. Since the critics frequently referred to the reader’s thoughts and feelings, the article proposes to analyse the story by virtue of cognitively-inspired literary methodology, with emphasis laid on (cognitive) empathy. Particularly useful is also the Deictic Shift Theory, which involves the reader’s engagement in the tracing of “relocated” deictic centres, as well as the Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Accordingly, Kowalczyk argues, debauchery is a mire can be considered the story’s central conceptual metaphor, while the story’s title, Тина (Tina), literally a (quag)mire, provides a key to its interpretation. In the story, told by the third-person narrator, the reader empathically identifies her/himself with Alexandr Sokolsky, a Russian officer, as if “entering” the deictic field created “around” him. Together with the protagonist, the reader — via a sequence of consecutive deictic shifts — is empathetically familiarized with Susanna, a Russified Jewish woman. Through several actions and utterances, Susanna attempts to question the negative stereotype of a Jew, commonplace in Russia, but fails. Arguably, the reader’s evoking the biblical story of the genuinely virtuous Susanna, implied in Chekhov’s text, entails her/his negative perception of Chekhov’s fictional female. This cultural undercurrent may be deemed responsible for the story’s unfavourable reception by Jewish readers, who interpreted Тина (Tina) in terms of a literary attack on their society. In light of the cognitive-literary approach delineated above, Chekhov’s story in question indeed proves to be anti-semitic.

„Co było nie wróci?” – czyli Bułata Okudżawy nostalgiczne powroty do Rosji dekabrystów

Author(s): Tadeusz Sucharski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2019

In the presented text I undertake the reflection on the forms of expressions of nostalgia in Bulat Okudzhava's historical prose. His novel takes place in the first half of the nineteenth century, the times associated with the movement of the Decembrists. The writer really appreciated the Decembrists, but showed their era objectively or even critically be- cause he saw the analogy between the past and his present.

„Co Francuz wymyśli, to Polak polubi”?

Author(s): Maria Jędrychowska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2017

„CO WYBUCHŁO?” – MAŁA METALOWA DZIEWCZYNKA NA TRÓJKOŁOWYM ROWERKU I INNE DZIECI HOLOKAUSTU

Author(s): Magdalena Rewerenda / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

PL: Esej analizuje wybrane utwory literackie (m.in. Zaklęcie na „w” Michała Rusinka, Między nami dobrze jest Doroty Masłowskiej, Chleb rzucony umarłym Bogdana Wojdowskiego) i teatralne (spektakl Grzegorza Jarzyny na podstawie dramatu Masłowskiej i Niech sczezną artyści Tadeusza Kantora), poruszających temat dzieciństwa przypadającego na czasy wojny i Zagłady lub obarczonego piętnem powojennej postpamięci. We wszystkich omawianych tekstach i spektaklach symbolem tęsknoty za bezpowrotnie utraconym okresem beztroski, wolności i zabawy jest rower. Refleksji poddana została jego dwoista i paradoksalna natura: kojarzony zazwyczaj z sielankowym pędem życia, w zaskakujący sposób odsłania swoje posępne konotacje, a objawiając się w swej materialności, odsyła do tego, czego nie ma i co nigdy nie powróci. EN: The essay analyzes selected literary works (including Michał Rusinek’s Spell on W, Dorota Masłowska’s All is Right Between Us, Bogdan Wojdowski’s Bread Thrown to the Dead) and plays (Grzegorz Jarzyna’s performance of Masłowska’s drama and Tadeusz Kantor’s Let the Artists Die) dealing with the subject of childhood during times of war and the Holocaust, or of childhoods burdened with the post-memory of past wars. In all these texts and performances, the bicycle is a symbol of the longing for an irrevocably lost period of carefree freedom and joy. The article reflects upon the bicycle’s dual and paradoxical nature: although usually associated with a bucolic pace of life, it suddenly exposes its gloomy connotations, referring – through what it reveals in its materiality – to what is absent and what will never return.

„Conservarea timpului concret” în arhiva memoriei culturale - Jurnalul portughez

Author(s): Mihaela Rusu / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 2/2014

Ayant la conscience de la valeur de sa propre personnalité, caractérisée par un égotisme exacerbé, Mircea Eliade tient un journal intime tout au long de sa vie. Le Journal Portugais est rédigé avec l'intention déclarée de conserver le temps concret dans l’archive de la mémoire culturelle, les pages de ce livre en enregistrant aussi le drame personnel de l’auteur - la mort de sa femme- , que le drame de son pays - la défaite militaire de la Roumanie à la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et son entrée dans la sphère d'influence soviétique. Les quatre années d'existence lusitaine ne sont pas pour Eliade prolifiques en termes de création littéraire, la seule oeuvre représentative de cette période étant Le Journal Portugais, dans les pages duquel le créateur, perdu dans le labyrinthe de sa propre vie, se cherche lui-même comme dans un miroir, transformant son existence en littérature, le résultat final étant une fiction identitaire qui a suscité de nombreux commentaires controversés, bien avant d'être publiée.

„Cudowne łaski, dobrodziejstwa i fawory” – językowy obraz uzdrowienia w Skarbie nieprzebranym dobrodziejstw boskich ks. Jana Kazimierza Steczewicza

Author(s): Wojciech Kuska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2016

The writing by Steczewicz was published in 1672. Its basic role was theconfirmation of glorious occurrences that happened due to the picture of Mother of Godwhich was placed in a Rokinto’s temple. In the third part of the analyzed text, readerscan find people’s accounts confirming supernatural activities of the picture, its influenceon the occurrences happening in Rokitno and nearby towns, and especially on the healthof people who have hope in Mother of God. Collected accounts, their diversity,spectrum of touched strands supplied the linguistic material that is a testimony for thefaith of the flock who trust Mary and accept their illness recovery as the gloriousactivity of the picture.

„Czadowy” życiorys bohatera drogi, czyli komparatystyczne spojrzenie na Mo skwę -Pietuszk i Wieniedikta Jerofiejewa i J a k zostałem pisarzem Andrzeja Stasiuka

Author(s): Beata Waligórska-Olejniczak / Language(s): Polish Issue: XVI/2011

In the context of postmodern culture J. Lotman’s notion of the hero on the road seems to bethe most adequate and up-to-date representation of the contemporary human being. Moscow--Petushki of V. Yerofeyev and How I Became a Writer of A. Stasiuk constitute the examples ofnovels whose plot is built up around travel, adventures and protagonist’s movement between thepoints in the topography of a city or country. However, the hero’s peregrination in both text ismeant to be just background and inspiration for the core element of the works, which is metaphysicalreflection on life. The article tries to present the characters of the above mentioned works asthe complementary variations of the nomadic hero which results in treating them as the creativecommentary to understanding Polish and Russian mentality. The discussion focuses on suchanalogies in the texts as social and intellectual background of the protagonists, their attitute to thecommunist reality revealed in their showing disrespect to the system, independence manifestedthrough the body language or indifference towards the government. Both texts can amuse thereader with sophisticated recipies for alcoholic coctails which have to be consumed to surviveeveryday reality. The space in Yerofeyev’s text, apart from the mythical Petushki, seems to bemore neutral or sometimes even hostile, the landscape in Stasiuk’s novel is shaped by the memoriesof the hero, his experiences make it more local, easy to recognize and familiarize.

„Czarne lądy” Wandy Melcer wobec form egzotyzacji tradycyjnej społeczności żydowskiej

Author(s): Marzena Szugiero / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

Czarny Ląd. Warszawa [The Black Land. Warsaw] is a collection of reportages byWanda Melcer, institutionally and ideologically linked to Wiadomości Literackie weekly, and deeply involved in the social campaigns held under the auspices of Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński. Explicitly ideologised, these accounts of the journeys to the “black lands” – Warsaw’s district inhabited by the traditional Jewish people and nearby shtetls – aroused a number of controversies in the last years of interwar Poland. The aim of this article is to show the means of exoticising this community that are undertaken by the writer, taking into consideration the tradition and realised cultural scripts.

„Czarodziejskie” zioła Renaty z powieści Walerego Briusowa Ognisty Anioł

Author(s): Halina Chodurska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 15/2016

The article presents a selection of herbs that the protagonist of the novel Ognisty Anioł by Walery Briusow uses to ‘check’ possible paranormal predisposition of Ruprecht. A special attention has been paid to the rank of the plants used by Renata in the ‘secret knowledge’ (superstitions and magic) of selected European peoples.

„Czasami bywa tak, że noc jest jak czarny ptak”. Współczesna poezja polska w oswajaniu dziecięcych lęków związanych z nocą

Author(s): Renata Grigoriew / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

„Czasy ginącego piękna”. Pozytywistycznej historii literatury kłopoty z barokiem

Author(s): Katarzyna Szewczyk-Haake / Language(s): Polish Issue: 19/2012

The article deals with the ways in which Baroque works and their authors were presented in the positivist history of literature. The source material for the analysis was provided by the texts written by Piotr Chmielowski, Stanisław Tarnowski, Adam Bełcikowski, Henryk Sienkiewicz and Felicjan Faleński. The article discusses the sources for a rather distinct dislike of the literary output of Baroque authors in general, which was in line with the then well-established opinions deeply rooted in European research, but also derived from a valuation based on national and patriotic criteria. A certain differentiation in research methods is also indicated, mostly of those stemming from the spirit of Taine, but, occasionally, approaching Baroque works with the help of a stylistic analysis and thus making it possible to show more appreciation to the literature created in the period that, as understood from the positivist perspective, was believed to be of inferior quality.

„Czerwcowy sen o śniegu, śladzie, twarzy”. Wiersz Czesława Miłosza – próba czytania

Author(s): Mateusz Antoniuk / Language(s): Polish Issue: 24/2014

The article is an attempt at a close reading of the poem 17 czerwca (“17 June”) by Czesław Miłosz. The author starts with a versological analysis, supposed to indicate in what way the poet achieved the tonal effects in the text. The interpretation that has been conducted makes visible a semantic unsolvability, which—according to the author—is born in the poem and, once discerned, cannot be easily neutralized.