Archiwum

The topic of the article is the reconstruction of the picture of the addressee in the first annual sets of "Monitor". It shows strategies of argument of the authors of the magazine which were used to build community with the recipient on one site and making him think and evaluate his own views from a distance. The basic concept of the authors of "Monitor" is sharing with the addressee common perspective which is related to basic values. Only after this common perspective is established the discussion with the addressee and critical look at his views and attitudes which breach are possible.

The article presents four erotic poems ascribed to Naruszewicz: Hilary, Czyściec (Purgatory), Pielgrzym (Pilgrim), Słowik (Nightingale) and their foreign literary sources as follows: Orlando Furioso canto 28 by Ariosto (through the old-Polish translation by Piotr Kochanowski) and the novells in Decameron by Boccaccio (story number 37, story number 38, story number 54). The Polish poems are presented as the works perfectly adapted to the native conditions and realities. They are the adaptations of a great literary value as well as the texts humorously and freely dealing with the sphere of eroticism and sex. They contain approval of sexual vitality of men and women and also numerous ironic and humorous anticlerical sallies. In these libertine poems many metaphors appear, which come in equal measure from: old-Polish noble poetry, popular love songs, and the author’s conceptual erotic imagination. The poems discussed in the article are characterized by ludus qualities, and were written to delight of the male circle of Thursday Dinners attendees – Stanislaw August’s guests.

The article is the first attempt to systematize the term "plebeian comedy" of 16th and 17th century in Poland. It also methodizes other comedy genres. The article gives the readers a great insight into considerations about the plebeian comedy and its historical background. Moreover, the final remarks are to confirm the established thesis of the research work.

The present paper is an attempt at having a look at the Juliusz Słowacki`s poem (Poema Piasta Dantyszka). It shows a great sense of irony of Słowacki. After meditations on Dante’s Divine Comedy he built an enormous structure (Hell as a town placed in "big mountain") full of historical celebrities. All of them – partly Poles and Russians – are suffering enormous torments. Nevertheless, chronology of pain appears mockery of History. There is no order and justice equally: on Earth and on "the Other Side". Innocent souls suffer as well as the ugly one. Russian emperors and chars suffer even less than Polish patriots or betrayers. Poema Piasta Dantyszka appears to be an "dangerous" poem. That is why Słowacki published it as anonymous work.

The article presents and tries to characterize attitude of Eliza Orzeszkowa in years 1905–1907. Changeable attitude of the author of Marta to revolution was stressed in the article. It was shown that early enthusiasm of the writer (caused by hopes of independence) was transformed very early into series of fears and concerns. She treated spurt of laborers as dictatorship of crowd, escalation of chaos, terror and crime. She condemned attack on religion, patriotism and family tradition. As a supporter of solidarity ideas she denied socialist theory of class fight. Revolution was for her contradiction of ideas of January Upbringing. Collection of short stories Gloria victis gives proof of that. Similar assessment of years 1905–1907 may be also noticed in other representatives of generation of positivists (excluding Maria Konopnicka).

The text relates to the questions of the reception of the Young Poland’s Movement artist and his contemporaries of which the testimony apart from the history of the literature studies are also those volatile works mostly of satiric character. The author focuses on both the all – forgotten and of little artistic value, versed and hilarous pseudo-critics which follow the Wyspiański’s classic Wesele drama and the cabaret "Zielony Balonik" texts.

The article is the part of a biographical study of the life of Witold Noskowski. A journalist, one of the founders of the Polish school of theatre and music criticism, co-organizer of the "Zielony Balonik" cabaret. Because of the source material: letters, memoirs and rich documentation, portraying the reception of Noskowski critical work the article is supplementary source of knowledge about his life and work.

This essay represents the reflections on Józef Czapski's soviet experiences entitled In the Search of truth, and concerns the analysis of extracts of reports registered in the book Na nieludzkiej ziemi (On Unhuman land). In my description of Czapski's uniqe experience I use the categories of truth and untruth and I refer to the ideas of, among others, Paul Ricoeur, Hans Gadamer and Rene Habachi. In my opinion, in Czapski's search of truth about "unhuman land" there appear: the "track-marks of truth" the fate of thousands of Polish officers that had been missing throughout Stalin's times; and the "failing of truth"- belief that is currently impossible to determine (the whitewashs?); finally its ontological-existential force, when it exists and lights, and enables to see what the fact is. The presentation of Czapski's search of truth is accompanied by universal goal - to undermine the truth about soviet human, about the human in the world beyond time.

The article deals with three crucial issues in the writing of the Polish writer of Jewish origin - Henryk Grynberg. The first is the question of the writer's role after Shoah. Among his others are to give evidence memory, necessity of telling about holocaust and protection of honour of the dead. It is accopmperied by a tragic thought that the duty of telling about everyone's tragedy cannot be fulfilled. Another issue is connected with memory and its two aspects; salutary and bringing about suffering. The last issue relates to the topic of forgiveness. Grynberg, unlike Christian tradition, but in accordance with Judaism takes the side of these who do not want to forgive. He states that it is impossible to forgive on behalf of the dead. Only they and God can do this. The greatest revenge of the saved is the fact of survival in defiance of the plans of the Nazi System.

The article constitutes both an attempt to explain and interpretation of Stanisław Grochowiak's poetic cycle Zabawy chłopięce. The author discusses issues concerning the classification of the genre of Grochowiak's verse, the subject matter of it, the construction of the world created, the language and its attitude towards the literary tradition. The conclusion provide a starting point for the reflection on the importance of the theme of childhood in writing of Kanon author. The reflection proves to be not only the subject of nostalgic return to the past but also the personification of something which is constant and permanent within the human nature (as an existential point of view). The poetic cycle, which also contains some autobiographical references, constitutes not only the materialization of spiritual initation, gradual attainment the adulthood but also the metaphorical recording of the poetic recognition.

The article presents how vampires has changed so far. In modern culture they are not realistic and original. Their typical scaring souls could disappear. People view vampires as murderers connected with horror literature. They also see that kind of heroes as demagogic persons, who demonstrate how strong they are. People can find threatened vampires for example in the films based on Stoker novels or in Brian Lumley's cycle. However, original vampire heroes has lost their position in modern culture. They only look interesting and not typical. Their appearance is different, but in fact that kind of heroes are only illusive. Vampires are important part of culture, not only literature. They are also popular in modern art. Maybe modern vampires from novels and films are not so dangerous for them. However, without their original look vampires are also not so scaring, but they are still alive.

The text concerns two constituents of the poetic language, the poem and the use of metaphors. It is an attempt to depict the methodological basis of the studies of, mainly contemporary, poetry. The concept of a two-level metaphor, developed from the comparison of the representative research positions, allows to frame a modified definition of a poem. In consequence, the coincidence of verses can be recognized as a significant factor in metaphor formation in a free verse.