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Świteź
14 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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About the author
Adam Mickiewicz
498 books277 followersTo a Pole, the name Adam Mickiewicz is emblematic of Polishness and greatness. What Homer is to the Greeks, or Shakespeare to the English, Mickiewicz is to the Poles. He is a cultural icon, a name inextricably connected with Polish literature and history, and one mentioned with pride. Mickiewicz stands out in the consciousness of Poles both as a man of letters and a political leader.
Despite his unquestionable status and fame, however, much of Mickiewicz's biography is shrouded in mystery. Even the generally accepted date of his birth, December 24. 1798, is uncertain, since it hasn't been determined whether it refers to the Gregorian or the Julian calendar. Nor has it been established conclusively whether Mickiewicz was born in Nowogrodek or at Zaosie, a mile or so apart. Many biographical facts, particularly those pertaining to his relationships with women, were deliberately obscured to preserve a flawless public image of the poet. Likewise, his interest in mysticism and involvement in mystical cults tended to be minimized, especially during the years of Communist rule in Poland when the official line was to shun spirituality of any kind, not to expose the poet to ridicule.
Mickiewicz's son. Władysław, can be held partially responsible for this state of affairs, but he is not the only one. Having gained control of his father's papers after the poet's death, Władysław Mickiewicz destroyed various documents which might have potentially tarnished his father's public image. Likewise, many critics and scholars tended to overlook significant facts in the poet's biography, as well as significant themes and issues in his writing, to sustain the idealized view of Mickiewicz as a Polish national bard. This tendency to carefully "whitewash" Mickiewicz is hardly surprising. Born three years after the final partition of Poland, Mickiewicz became a spiritual leader of the Polish nation. An ardent patriot, he animated the Polish national spirit through his poetic, dramatic and political writings, providing hope and spiritual sustenance to Poles under the Russian, Prussian and Austrian rule, as well as to the many exiles, particularly the emigré circles in Paris, where he settled in 1832. Given the history of Poland and the long streak of political oppression and subjugation, the need for heroes and the idealization of Mickiewicz as a leader are perfectly understandable.
Yet already in the 1930s, there were critical voices against the bowdlerization of Mickiewicz's work (since some editions of his works eliminated the more racy passages) and objections were raised against the cover-up in renditions of his biography. The prominent critic, Tadeusz Boy-Źieleński, for instance, in his work "Brązownicy" objected to the distortions of facts and the "sins of omission" in critical writings on Mickiewicz. In recent years, a much more vast and thorough re-examination of Mickiewicz' life and oeuvre has occurred. This is partially due to the overall re-examination of Polish history and Polish literary tradition after the collapse of Communism and, generally. a much greater openness in discussions of various issues previously relegated to the sphere of national taboos. Thus, much has been written lately about the white spots in Mickiewicz's biography. particularly about his mystical leanings and the Jewish origin of his mother. The evidence of Mickiewicz's fascination with mysticism is overwhelming, and there is some basis for the allegation of his mother's Jewishness.
(quoted from Regina Grol's piece posted on InfoPolan, University of Buffalo's website; for continuation see link below)
Despite his unquestionable status and fame, however, much of Mickiewicz's biography is shrouded in mystery. Even the generally accepted date of his birth, December 24. 1798, is uncertain, since it hasn't been determined whether it refers to the Gregorian or the Julian calendar. Nor has it been established conclusively whether Mickiewicz was born in Nowogrodek or at Zaosie, a mile or so apart. Many biographical facts, particularly those pertaining to his relationships with women, were deliberately obscured to preserve a flawless public image of the poet. Likewise, his interest in mysticism and involvement in mystical cults tended to be minimized, especially during the years of Communist rule in Poland when the official line was to shun spirituality of any kind, not to expose the poet to ridicule.
Mickiewicz's son. Władysław, can be held partially responsible for this state of affairs, but he is not the only one. Having gained control of his father's papers after the poet's death, Władysław Mickiewicz destroyed various documents which might have potentially tarnished his father's public image. Likewise, many critics and scholars tended to overlook significant facts in the poet's biography, as well as significant themes and issues in his writing, to sustain the idealized view of Mickiewicz as a Polish national bard. This tendency to carefully "whitewash" Mickiewicz is hardly surprising. Born three years after the final partition of Poland, Mickiewicz became a spiritual leader of the Polish nation. An ardent patriot, he animated the Polish national spirit through his poetic, dramatic and political writings, providing hope and spiritual sustenance to Poles under the Russian, Prussian and Austrian rule, as well as to the many exiles, particularly the emigré circles in Paris, where he settled in 1832. Given the history of Poland and the long streak of political oppression and subjugation, the need for heroes and the idealization of Mickiewicz as a leader are perfectly understandable.
Yet already in the 1930s, there were critical voices against the bowdlerization of Mickiewicz's work (since some editions of his works eliminated the more racy passages) and objections were raised against the cover-up in renditions of his biography. The prominent critic, Tadeusz Boy-Źieleński, for instance, in his work "Brązownicy" objected to the distortions of facts and the "sins of omission" in critical writings on Mickiewicz. In recent years, a much more vast and thorough re-examination of Mickiewicz' life and oeuvre has occurred. This is partially due to the overall re-examination of Polish history and Polish literary tradition after the collapse of Communism and, generally. a much greater openness in discussions of various issues previously relegated to the sphere of national taboos. Thus, much has been written lately about the white spots in Mickiewicz's biography. particularly about his mystical leanings and the Jewish origin of his mother. The evidence of Mickiewicz's fascination with mysticism is overwhelming, and there is some basis for the allegation of his mother's Jewishness.
(quoted from Regina Grol's piece posted on InfoPolan, University of Buffalo's website; for continuation see link below)
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 23, 2022
nie rozumiem, ale buja
(czytanie na chemi nie jest najlepszym pomyslem, bo nie idzie sie skupic)
(czytanie na chemi nie jest najlepszym pomyslem, bo nie idzie sie skupic)
January 17, 2022
Ahhh rozumiem tyle co przed przeczytaniem
October 28, 2024
niezmiennie jeden z moich ulubionych utworów mickiewicza
March 29, 2021
"Świteź" to ballada opowiadająca o ciekawości ludzkiej, zawierająca w sobie magię oraz tajemnicę.
Mamy Pana na Płużynach, którego zaciekawiły plotki o dziwnych zjawiskach przy jeziorze Świteź. Okazało się, że z jeziora wyłowiono piękną kobietę i zaczyna ona opowiadać pewną historię co kiedyś tu było zamiast tego jeziora i jakie losy spotkały osoby, które w tym miejscu zamieszkiwały, bo w sumie nie jest to tajemnicą, że zamiast jeziora, stało tu miasteczko.
Pięknie napisana, krótka, rzeczowa, zawiera w sobie elementy nadprzyrodzone - wszystko co ballada zwykle posiada. Cały urok Mickiewicza.
Mamy Pana na Płużynach, którego zaciekawiły plotki o dziwnych zjawiskach przy jeziorze Świteź. Okazało się, że z jeziora wyłowiono piękną kobietę i zaczyna ona opowiadać pewną historię co kiedyś tu było zamiast tego jeziora i jakie losy spotkały osoby, które w tym miejscu zamieszkiwały, bo w sumie nie jest to tajemnicą, że zamiast jeziora, stało tu miasteczko.
Pięknie napisana, krótka, rzeczowa, zawiera w sobie elementy nadprzyrodzone - wszystko co ballada zwykle posiada. Cały urok Mickiewicza.
November 8, 2025
[6/10] – (2025) – dziękujemy ci, boziu, że nas zamieniłeś w zielsko xd
September 20, 2024
ale yapping session
March 27, 2022
polski zmierzch
September 24, 2023
co sie stalo nie wiem ale buja
October 28, 2023
Ciekawa ballada. Ogółem wątek Boga ciekawy ale tutaj w całej balladzie krąży powiedzenie "Jak trwoga to do Boga!".
November 25, 2023
świteź i świtezianka 🔛🔝
February 2, 2022
kocham lektury szkolne <3
November 18, 2022
SZCZERZE KOCHAM
Czytałam na polskim imo jeden z lepszych dzieł Mickiewicza
Książka opowiada o zdarzeniach przy jeziorze Świteź.
Czytałam na polskim imo jeden z lepszych dzieł Mickiewicza
Książka opowiada o zdarzeniach przy jeziorze Świteź.
November 23, 2022
Doceniłem dopiero po liceum, jedna z najlepszych historii tamtego okresu!!
January 7, 2024
dlaczego zawsze musza pojawic sie żołnierze, Litwa, Rosja i wojna?
February 15, 2024
boring ahh school read
September 23, 2024
ale gowno
November 26, 2024
3.5
to ci sie udalo adas
to ci sie udalo adas
March 17, 2025
małżonki i córki switezi zielem jak gołębie na krakowskim rynku z legendy
June 17, 2025
Nic specjalnego, ale ładnie i interesująco napisane
August 11, 2025
what the hell
October 22, 2024
przyjemne
May 20, 2013
Piekny poemat o legendzie, oraz zwlaszcza o wplywie piekna na nasza wyobrazn.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews