„Kiedy Mars stępił swe groty...”: Twórczość Jędrzeja Świderskiego
Keywords:
Jędrzej Świderski, tradition, poem, narrator, virtue, fight, happinessSynopsis
‘WHEN MARS BLUNTED HIS SPEARHEADS…’ THE WORKS OF JĘDRZEJ ŚWIDERSKI
The subject of this monograph is the entire literary output of Jędrzej Świderski, a legionary officer, one of the prominent figures of the late Enlightenment period, who first published two volumes of poetry entitled Zabawki wierszem i prozą [Plays in Poetry and Prose] in 1804, while his last work was the poem Syn marnotrawny [The Prodigal Son], published in 1824. In the book, after an introduction containing mainly biographical information, his individual publications are discussed in separate chapters and in chronological order. In addition to these mentioned above, the subjects of attention here are thus: the drama Olind i Sofroni [Olind and Sofroni] (1805, a paraphrase of a work by Louis Sébestien Mercier), and the poems: Muza polska [The Polish Muse] (1807), Galicja oswobodzona [Galicia Delivered] (1810), Pustelnik narodowy [The National Hermit] and Poświęcenie łoża małżeńskiego [The Consecration of the Marriage Bed] (1816), Józefada [Josephade] (1818). Each time, the relationship of the work in question to the historical context to which it relates is indicated. An important observation is the category of the speaker itself, assuming various roles or characters. The rhetoric dominating the stylistic shape of the works is highlighted. Considerable attention was also paid to the genological aspect of Świderski’s works, with particular emphasis on the eclecticism present almost everywhere; the presence of features characteristic of important aesthetic categories such as classicism (above all), rococo, sentimentalism or Youngism was noted. The recurrence in successive works of certain themes and motifs, such as the prophetic or instructive dream, the idyllic image of love, the importance of hope in human life, the defence of peasants, the charms of life in a country cottage, and the depiction of battle, alluding to the epic tradition, was repeatedly pointed out. The monograph consistently emphasises Świderski’s considerable skill in showing military actions (also at sea), which he knew very well from his own experience. The monograph stresses the constancy of his fundamental worldview beliefs, his faith in the order of the world as arranged by God, guiding historical processes, his patriotism, and his affirmation of a modest and virtuous life. Finally, Świderski’s attitude to his own work also comes under scrutiny, accepting its lack of originality but accentuating the fact that it is the result of diligence (which the poet-soldier values highly).
Chapters
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Wstęp. „Mars nie zwykł bawić z muzami” .......... 7
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Rozdział I. „Przyjemnej wioski zacisze / Pióro mi w rękę rzuciło”. Zabawki wierszem i prozą .......... 15
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Rozdział II. „Niewinność bierze górę”. Olind i Sofroni .......... 45
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Rozdział III. „Jeszcze się nam rozpaczać nie godzi”. Muza polska pod tytułem: Pieśni osimdziesiątletniego starca .......... 59
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Rozdział IV. „Odtąd na lubej ziemi zakwitły nam bluszcze”. Galicja oswobodzona .......... 79
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Rozdział V. „Wróćmy do naszej spokojnej zagrody”. Pustelnik narodowy .......... 99
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Rozdział VI. „Zmieniając w pole Marsa sypialne pokoje”. Poświęcenie łoża małżeńskiego .......... 119
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Rozdział VII. „Ten, co miłość ojczyzny wyssał na jej łonie”. Józefada w pięciu pieniach .......... 125
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Rozdział VIII. „Życie drogie – działajmy ostrożnie, rozumnie”. Poema w XXII pieśniach pod tytułem: Syn marnotrawny .......... 135
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Zakończenie. „Lecz dzieł nowych… traf zbyt rzadki” .......... 153
