The Place Within: The Poetry of Pope John Paul II

by Pope John Paul II

A collection of the poetry Pope John Paul II wrote throughout his life, from his studies as a seminarian during the German occupation of Poland, to his historic election to the papacy, from which he transformed the Catholic Church and the world.

It was only after Karol Wojtyla was elected pope that his poetry came to worldwide attention. For years the verse that he had been composing since 1939 had been published under pseudonyms in his native Poland. After his election as Pope John Paul II in 1978, Wojtyla was identified as the poet and editions of his work were published around the world.
 
This collection represents all of the poems written by the pope between 1939 and 1978, in a translation by Jerzy Peterkiewicz that is the only English one authorized by the Vatican. Wojtyla wrote throughout his adult life, while he was a worker, a student, a priest, and a bishop, and his verse reflects the concerns of a man with a spiritual mission in a country that came under Communist control after the war.

Lyrical and often allegorical, The Place Within demonstrates Wojtyla’s development both as a man of God and as an artist. On their original publication in 1982, the Catholic Herald said, “These poems are astonishing for their luminious imagery, their rhythmic range, and, above all, for their penetrating imagination.” The Place Within stands as a perfect introduction to the thought and inspirations that have formed and guided one of the most beloved popes of modern times.

Genres: Poetry, Catholic, Religion, Christian, Theology, Spirituality, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Saint Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus II), born Karol Józef Wojtyła was elected Pope at the Conclave of 16 October 1978, and he took the name of John Paul II. On 22 October, the Lord's Day, he solemnly inaugurated his Petrine ministry as the 263rd successor to the Apostle. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years.

Driven by his pastoral solicitude for all Churches and by a sense of openness and charity to the entire human race, John Paul II exercised the Petrine ministry with a tireless missionary spirit, dedicating it all his energy. He made 104 pastoral visits outside Italy and 146 within Italy. As bishop of Rome he visited 317 of the city's 333 parishes.

He had more meetings than any of his predecessors with the People of God and the leaders of Nations. More than 17,600,000 pilgrims participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays (more than 1160), not counting other special audiences and religious ceremonies [more than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone], and the millions of faithful he met during pastoral visits in Italy and throughout the world. We must also remember the numerous government personalities he encountered during 38 official visits, 738 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State, and 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers.

His love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. The 19 WYDs celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over the world. At the same time his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994. John Paul II successfully encouraged dialogue with the Jews and with the representatives of other religions, whom he several times invited to prayer meetings for peace, especially in Assisi.

Under his guidance the Church prepared herself for the third millennium and celebrated the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 in accordance with the instructions given in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio adveniente. The Church then faced the new epoch, receiving his instructions in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte, in which he indicated to the faithful their future path.

With the Year of the Redemption, the Marian Year and the Year of the Eucharist, he promoted the spiritual renewal of the Church. He gave an extraordinary impetus to Canonizations and Beatifications, focusing on countless examples of holiness as an incentive for the people of our time. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies during which he proclaimed 1,338 Blesseds; and 51 canonizations for a total of 482 saints. He made Thérèse of the Child Jesus a Doctor of the Church.

He considerably expanded the College of Cardinals, creating 231 Cardinals (plus one in pectore) in 9 consistories. He also called six full meetings of the College of Cardinals. His most important Documents include 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, 45 Apostolic Letters. He promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the light of Tradition as authoritatively interpreted by the Second Vatican Council. He also reformed the Eastern and Western Codes of Canon Law, created new Institutions and reorganized the Roman Curia.

In the light of Christ risen from the dead, on 2 April 2005 at 9.37 p.m., while Saturday was drawing to a close and the Lord's Day was already beginning, the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church's beloved Pastor, John Paul II, departed this world for the Father. On April 1, 2011, he was raised to the glory of the altars and on April 27, 2014 canonized.

Reviews

[Holly Walling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I would love a book of poetry by JPII. I love JPII, and I love poetry. Further, I think his prose might as well be poetry because of its depth, so naturally when I discovered this book I knew I had to read it. I took the first half incredibly slow as he unpacked our relationship with God through verse in “Song of the Hidden God.” I feel like every other line in that poem lent to tenderness and beauty that was blowing me away. The rest of the poems were not consistent in theme, ranging from JPII’s meditations on the human person as a quarry worker in “The Quarry” to love poems for holy land and his native Poland in “Journey to the Holy Places” and “Thinking of my Country.” Overall, this book is incredibly valuable because it reveals to us in a subtle and beautiful way the tenderness of this man who reached the depths of so many hearts philosophically. Kind of like a heartsong of his loves in his life, “The Place Within” is worth the read for anyone who loves JPII and wants to enter more deeply into the heart of the man who knew the human heart so well. (🙋🏼‍♀️)

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of poetry worth owning, worth setting next to your Bible or in your prayer corner. The poetry reads more like reflections, wisps of impression. Many of the selections are short and can be tied to specific Scripture stories/people such as: Jacob; The Samaritan Woman; The Samaritan Woman Meditates; Simon of Cyrene; Her Amazement at Her Only Child; John Beseeches Her; First Moment of the Glorified Body; Magdalene, etc. Others are tied to places in the Holy Land or experiences of conversion. There are two longer "Songs of the Hidden God" which I read, but don't begin to claim I 'understood' in terms I could explain in a review. They are very personal and speak to the heart. I found myself lost in them at times, looking for the "You" with the capital "Y" because I knew that was God--which I rather expect was at least part of the objective of the poem if poetry can be said to have 'objective's. I think I may need to slow down a bit more the next time I try to read these particular selections. In fact the entire book invites the soul to step out of time and space and enter The Place Within where He dwells that He may speak and we may hear.

Here is a selection from the title poem, The Place Within. It is located in the grouping, "Journey to Holy Places" so we may presume the Holy Father is probably writing about a visit to the place of Our Lord's execution and burial but he combines that with the even more meaningful and beautiful journey within the human body/heart/soul through Communion, prayer and our fiat.

'My place is in You, your place is in me. Yet it is the place of all men. And I am not diminished by them in this place. I am more alone--more than if there were no one else--I am alone with myself. At the same time I am multiplied by them in the Cross which stood on this place. This multiplying with no diminishing remains a mystery: the Cross goes against the current. In it numbers retreat before Man.
In You--how did the Cross come to be?
Now let us walk down the narrow steps as if down a tunnel through a wall. Those who once walked down the slope stopped at the place where now there is a slab. They anointed your body and then laid it in a tomb. Through your body you had a place on earth, the outward place of the body you exchanged for a place within, saying, "Take, all of you, and eat of this."
The radiation of that place within relates to all the outward places on Earth to which I pilgrimage. You chose this place centuries ago--the place in which You give yourself and accept me.' 1965






Found this on a back bookshelf when I was searching for 'homes' for books and trying to straighten up for company coming for Christmas. A younger booklady must have bought this and then foolishly tucked it away for later? This is my Christmas present to myself!

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful!

maybe just read the book instead of all my quotes, but if you need inspiration…

“And crowds, crowds of hearts, / Each captured by One Heart, / By that one heart simplest / And gentlest of all”

“Too late. Every pain today / Returning from You, / Changes to love on its way”

“My face is scorched by the desert, / Deep in your souls”

“I knew: the light that lingered in ordinary things, / like a spark sheltered under the skin of our days— / the light was you;/ it did not come from me.

And I had more of you in that luminous silence / than I had of you as the fruit of my body, my blood.”

“You try in vain calming it like a child/ woken from sleep: Don’t move away, dear thought,/ from this bright focus of things, remain in wonder!”

“And a thought grows in me day after day: / the greatness of work is inside man.”

“And in man grows the equilibrium/ which love learns through anger”

“But the man has taken with him the world’s inner structure, / where the greater the anger, the higher the explosion of love”

“Or look at it this way: a goblet of light tilted / over a plant reveals unknown inwardness. / Will you be able to keep from spoiling what has begun in you?”

“The world is charged with hidden energies / and boldly I call them by name. /
No flat words; though ready to leap / they don’t hurtle like mountain water on stones/ or flash past like trees from sight”

“Through the shallows of history I always reach you / walking toward each heart, walking toward each thought / (history— the overcrowding of thoughts, death of hearts)./ I seek your body for all history, / I seek your depth.”

“Hence our love of this earth. Love does not flow from death, / it runs beyond”

“Earth, you give us birth, but not enough light, / only a slice, thin and frail, sufficient/ for plants and animals. / How different the light a child needs”

“The world escapes not through thought / into the land of meaning alone./ Animals do not escape, or men, or flowers in vases, / or flowers growing in the meadows / of human loneliness, / or drops of blood on the forehead / of a tortured man—

the land of meaning stretches across / unfathomed love / and leads to it: a step and / an introduction”

“Raise your hands, Veronica, / to the land of deepest meaning— / raise your hands then, and touch the face of man”

[Reed Fagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it hard to believe I am one of about two Goodreaders who has read this book, the English translations of several of Pope John Paul II's (Karol Wojtyla's) poems. If that's true I feel especially burdened to fairly review it. Here goes.

I have a huge bias towards all things Polish, not having any close Polish lineage but having lived in Wroclaw, Poland for two years. I am a "wannabe" Pole. So, for me, I would actually rate this book 4 out of 5 stars as far as its interest to me and its quality, but I want to try to be more objective and realize that for a lot of English-language readers too much of this book is distant and not quite relatable. Karol Wojtyla, born in southern Poland and educated at one of Poland's premier universities until during World War II when he received seminary training in hiding, was certainly brought out of Poland by his service to the Catholic Church but never had Poland brought out of him. Many of the poems in this book deal with what Polish identity means, especially in light of Poland's birth and adolescence interwoven with the adolescence of European Catholicism, the wiping of Poland from the map from the late 18th century until the early 20th century, and the struggle for freedom from de facto Soviet Communist rule in the mid and later 20th century. Without a decent grasp on these topics many of Wojtyla's poetry does not connect with its potential readers. However, for those with a little of that understanding it explores some fascinating themes and connections between these periods of Polish history. It's worth noting that *not all* of the poems in this collection deal deeply with Polish identity and many are quite widely accessible, dealing with life, death, faith, beauty, the earth, meaning, and the plight of the poor.

Regarding the quality of the poetry itself, I think I would give it between 3 and 4 stars out of 5. The most impactful lines, stanzas and poems to me were those dealing with the mystery of Christ's connection to and transcendence above this world. There's a poem cycle called "Song of the Hidden God" that hits on this topic somewhat. Some lines in particular that have moved me:

"Then when He gave us love
wrapped in its simple charms --
in poverty, poverty and hay,
the Mother took the baby
and rocked him in her arms,
and in a jerkin tenderly
she tucked his little feet.

Oh, miracle, wonder of wonders,
that I with my humanity
should shield God while his love shields me
with his martyrdom."

The vulnerability of an incarnate god, besides being an attractive concept in and of itself, bears special resonance for a people that has known vulnerability and oppression. It is this kind of writing that will make me return to this book in the future to re-read and be nourished by again. To reveal another bias of mine, I think much of what I read here (not all) would receive a resounding "Yes!" from my current hero Richard Rohr who writes in detail about the universality of Christ and the pattern of life, death and resurrection and its mystery. I think I could write more specifics about what I found so comforting and moving in Wojtyla's writing about Christ but for sake of time I won't at this moment.

The reason I cannot give a full 5 out of 5 stars to Wojtyla's poetry is that as beautiful as I find so much of it, I also find so much of it nearly too vague to hold any clear meaning or be particularly compelling one way or another. It is as if Wojtyla gets so enraptured writing about the beauty of God or the truth of God or the hardship of life that his words are barely more than a montage of disconnected images. The example following may not be the best as it is from a poem cycle called "Thought - Strange Space" and thus should be expected to be abstract, but still I feel the various imagery invoked conflicts so much so that the point is lost. This particular poem is "Space necessary for the drops of spring rain".

"Rest your eyes for a moment
on the drops of fresh rain:
the greenness of spring leaves in this bright focus,
weighing the drops down, not enough space for leaves --
and though your eyes are full of wonder
you can't, you cannot open your thoughts any farther.

You try in vain calming it like a child
woken from sleep: Don't move away, dear thought,
from this bright focus of things,
remain in wonder!

Useless words, you feel. It is thought
that places you deep in the luminosity of things,
and you have to seek for them the ever-deepening space
in yourself."

Of course I am bringing this out of its larger context which suggests the above experiences as being Jacob's as he flees Isaac and wrestles God (Gen 32), but I think it can be seen how confusing Wojtyla's collection of imagery sometimes can be: here in very few lines he describes looking at rain drops, green leaves, thinking, calming a just-awoken child, existence and one's interior space. This mishmash of imagery is quite common with Wojtyla.

All in all, I rest this at that 3 out of 5 stars, mainly for the particularity/inaccessibility of much of the poetry for the general audience and for the odd imagery clusters Wojtyla often employs. But also as said I *will* return to this book when I sense I need my vision expanded again on the mystery of existence and God's oft-hidden hand in it. And this will most likely occur towards the end of the year, on an afternoon when most of the leaves have fallen, surrendered to the sleep through which all things pass, and some slivers of golden autumnal light boldly shine before they, too, surrender unto sleep.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have done a bit of reading on John Paul II (what a gift to have been a child in a world under the influence of this great man), and came across this collection of his poetry some time ago. I haven't read poetry for its own sake in ages, but I couldn't pass up this opportunity to better understand one of the most well-known and thoughtful saints of our time.

The Place Within: The Poetry of Pope John Paul II features quite a few poems from JPII, some that stand on their own and others that reside in related, mini-collections (such as a group of reflections he wrote about visiting the Holy Land). Each is beautiful and haunting.

Having seen so many photographs of him with a happy face, particularly in his later years, we often forget that JPII endured great suffering in his lifetime. He lost virtually every member of his family to one cause of death or another at a young age; lived under Nazi rule and saw his home country of Poland -- a place and culture with profound meaning to him and his self-identity, as is revealed in many of these poems -- overrun by socialism; fought against many forces of evil and anti-Catholic thinking as layperson, priest, and pope; and endured many other more private struggles. And yet he produced some profoundly beautiful teachings for the Church (Theology of the Body, anyone?); forged faithful alliances with leaders from around the world; and was the type of humble that let him keep the nickname "Wujek" (Polish for "Uncle") even as one of the most famous and well-respected men on Earth.

Can you or I imagine what went on in this great man's mind during his lifetime? Surely not. But his poetry provides some clues.

No pope -- including JPII -- is perfect, of course. We are all fallen and broken creatures. Reading his poetry reveals the humanity and the struggles of the saint we now call John Paul the Great. They also give us invaluable insight into what was important to him, how he saw his faith and culture, and even how he prayed.

Is all of his poetic technique pristine? Probably not. (Though I'm no expert there.) But like all art, what moves you is less the words' structure and more their expressiveness. They are certainly not lacking in the latter.

I highly recommend this read to any Christian, Catholics in particular, and anyone interested in the historical prominence of Karol Józef Wojtyła. You are sure to learn a lot.

I also recommend taking this one slowly. Like many poetry collections, it needn't be swiftly read from cover to cover. Give each poem and mini-collection a chance to marinate before you move on to the next. Then, once you've finished it all, refer back to your favorites often. (I know I will.)

[ANNA fayard · Rating 5 out of 5]

joy-filled!!!!

holiness of the ordinary! "I often think of that day of vision: / it will be filled with amazement / at the Simplicity / that can hold / the world. / And the world dwells in it, untouched / until now, and beyond" ("Shores of Silence")

love is simple - this is simple and ordinary and we forget that, overcomplicate it even: "Today, confused by existence, / I keep forgetting my nothingness. / I wander among the distant rays / cut off from the rays that are simple... // and in one gaze so simple / I dwell in your Thought once more" ("Song of the Inexhaustible Sun")

The Sacred Heart - simple and gentle: "And crowds, crowds of hearts, / each captured by One Heart, / by that one heart simplest / and gentlest of all" ("Song of the Inexhaustible Sun")

so distinctly holiness of the ordinary(!!!): "I knew: the light that lingered in ordinary things, / like a spark sheltered under the skin of our days-- / the light was you; / it did not come from me" ("Her Amazement at Her Only Child")

[Josilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the poetry written by the man who would become St. Pope John Paul II. All these poems were written before he became Pope, and each is an amazingly stunning gem. Some warrant reading slowly and perhaps multiple reads, but I felt that this poetry gives an accessible look into the greatness of a truly exceptional mind.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of poetry that spans the lifetime of Pope St. John Paul II. I would have liked more footnotes or commentary included to provide more context, but I also read the poems quite quickly instead of reading them multiple times and reflecting on them.

[Neecy Ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book ! Beautiful display of JPII’s poetry

[Hannah Cote · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite poetry collection to date.

[Lawrence Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even in translation Saint John Paul’s - and he is a hero to me- verse is obscure to me, which is of course a rebuke to my simple English mind. In places, isolated lines are like gems.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection didn’t bust my buttons the way the collection of Wojtyła's plays did. I discovered it by doing a search on Karol Wojtyła on Amazon and it was very cheap, so I went ahead and bought it. To be fair, I am not an avid fan of poetry, although the genre is growing on me. The key, I think, is rereading. I reread this volume immediately after finishing it the first time, and that was a good experience, though not amazing. The best part for me was an increased understanding of what Wojtyła was accomplishing in his cycle "Mother," which may be my favorite cycle in this collection. This cycle was about Mary, Jesus, and John the beloved disciple (woman, behold your son). Another favorite of mine was "Profiles of a Cyrenean," which the translator said was the most quotable cycle in the collection. I think he is probably right. I especially enjoyed "The armaments factory worker." Most of these cycles referenced biblical or religious figures, which makes sense.

Another key to reading this collection, mentioned by some reviewers, is not to read through this collection too quickly. I found this to be especially true with the first cycle in the collection, "Song of the Hidden God." On my first read-through, I found this cycle to be rather tedious. I resolved to be more patient on the second go round, and set the book aside frequently and read something else. This helped a lot in appreciating the poetry.

I am grateful to the translator for making me aware of Cyprian Norwid, said to be Poland’s greatest poet. Reading Wojtyła certainly got me started on a journey into Polish literature. I don’t know whether Wojtyła could ever compare for me to poets of the English language like Yeats or Frost. Perhaps his poetry works better in Polish. Another project I have planned in my exploration of Polish literature is to reread Michener's novel Poland, which I started years ago but didn’t finish. The Polish literature I have read thus far is for the most part intimately tied to Polish history, which is also explored in Michener's novel.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes reading poetry feels like snooping in a private journal. This loosely organized collection, penned by the complex and influential beatified Pope John Paul II, is not to be missed. Though it is deeply religious, it also has beautiful and sensuous landscape descriptions, glimpses into Karol Wojtyla's innermost thoughts and impressions, vivid portraits of war-torn Poland, and meditations on God, humanity, life and death. It is both abstract and pinpoint specific and vivid. This collection is, overall, deeply and beautifully illustrative of Karol Wojtyla's faith. I read this book in a random fashion, often before bed - resulting in pleasant dreams and a sense of connection to the divine no doubt due to tapping into someone else's connection, perhaps more deeply experienced than my own.

[David Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of the poetry from Pope John Paul II before his papacy. These poems are full of meaning and depth covering biblical, theological, and historical (especially Polish, religious) themes. This is the poetry of man whose life was dedicated to the service of God. Read them and be blessed.

[MaryEllen Elizabeth Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent spiritual poetry describing Father Karol Wojtyla's personal inspirations from, and love for, nature, family, faith, Roman Catholicism love of Eucharist, and life.

An excellent book for a retreat weekend reading.

Recommend this book as a great read for all Roman Catholics, in particular in support of their spiritual journey.

[Andrea]

Religion aside, I've always been drawn to Pope John Paul II. His poetry is creative and very expressive. I bought this book for my dad cuz he really liked this Pope, but I ended up reading it as well.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the Totus Tuus team members we took out to dinner last weekend showed me this and asked if I had read it. Yes, I have! I love the poetry of John Paul II and I am tagging it here so I can go through it again this week and share with her my favorite two or three from this collection.

[Adi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely poems. I studied poetry and got my MFA in Creative Writing and this is legitimate poetry. Some might find it a little off putting because it may not "make sense" but it is deep and all poetry should be read several times over...

[Talia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not big into poetry, and this may even be really horrible as far as poetry goes, but I like picking this up every once in awhile and reading a poem or two!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

PPE 5/28/08

[Skylar Burris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uneven collection; some quite good; some that really struck me, others that left little impact. Makes good devotional reading.

[Edie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beautiful!

[GGiorgio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellissime poesie, alcune stupende preghiere, in un linguaggio non sempre semplice e immediato, ma molto incisivo.