Polish literature
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Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. The majority of Polish literature was written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland throughout the ages (including Latin, Yiddish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and German) also add up to the Polish literary traditions.
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History
Middle Ages
The earliest monuments of the Polish literature date back to Middle Ages. Inspired by the Christian traditions recently imported from other parts of Europe, local anonymous copists prepared copies of - mostly religious - books that were popular in Western Europe at that time. Around 11th century local scriptoria were founded and the first books on Polish lands were created. Among the most notable examples of early Polish books are the Latin Missal of bishop Ciołek and the Graduał Olbrachta.
In early 1470's first printing houses are opened in Krakw and Wrocław. Twenty years later the first cyrillic printing house was founded in Krakw by the Orthodox church hierarchs.
Among the most notable works of literature of the epoch are:
- Chronicle of Bavarian Geographer (11th century)
- Świętokrzyskie Annals (early 12th century)
- Chronicles of Gall Anonymous
- Chronicles of Wincenty Kadłubek (13th century)
- Chronicle of Janko of Czarnkw (14th century)
- Breviary of Czerwińsk
- Świętokrzyskie Sermons - the oldest known relic of the Polish language
- Bible of Queen Sophia (earliest Polish-language Bible)
- Psalter of Puławy
- Saint Florian's Breviary (late 14th century, partially in Polish)
- Bogurodzica - a Polish song praising Virgin Mary written down in 14th century, although most probably popular at least a century before; one of the first texts printed in Polish
- Gradual of king John I Olbracht of Poland
- Missal of Erazm Ciołek (ca. 1515)
- Statua synodalia Wratislaviensia (1475) - a collection of printed Polish and Latin prayers
- Hortulus Animae by Florian Ungler (1513) - the first book printed entirely in Polish
- Jan Długosz's Chronicle (15th century)
- Psałterz Dawidw (David's Psalter)
- Communae Poloniae Regni privilegium by Jan Łaski
- Catalogus archiepiscoporum Gnesnensium by Jan Długosz
There are also several short texts in Polish, mostly under heavy influence of contemporary Western literature. Among such texts is the Bogurodzica, a short song praising Virgin Mary which was used as a Polish anthem and Rozmowa mistrza Polikarpa ze śmiercią.
Renaissance
With the advent of renaissance, the Polish language was finally accepted as equal to Latin. Polish culture and art flourished under Jagiellonian rule and many foreign poets and writers settle in Poland, bringing new literary trends with them. Among such writers were Kallimach (Filip Buonaccorsi) and Konrad Celtis. Many other Polish writers study either abroad or in the Academy of Krakw, which became a melting pot of new ideas and trends. In 1488 the Nadwiślańskie Bractwo Literackie, the first club of writers in the world, was created in Krakw.
Among the last Polish writers to use Latin as the main means of expression was Klemens Janicki (Ianicius), who became one of the most notable Latin poets of his times and was laureled by the pope. Others like Mikołaj Rej and Jan Kochanowski laid foundations for creation of Polish literary language and modern Polish grammar.
Among the most notable Polish writers and poets active in 16th century were:
- Mikołaj Rej (1505-1569)
- Jan Kochanowski (1530-1584)
- Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski (1503-1572)
- Szymon Szymonowic (1558-1629)
- Łukasz Grnicki (1524-1603)
- Piotr Skarga (1536-1612)
- Andrzej Krzycki (1482-1537)
- Mikołaj Hussowski Hussowczyk (died ca. 1533)
- Jan Dantyszek Dantiscus (1485-1548)
- Klemens Janicki Ianicius (1516-1542)
List of names
Writers and novelists
Main article: List of Polish language authors
Writers in chronological order of birth:
- Ignacy Krasicki (1735–1801)
- Jan Potocki (1761–1815)
- Jzef Ignacy Kraszewski (1812–1887)
- Eliza Orzeszkowa (1841–1910)
- Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846–1916)
- Bolesław Prus (1847–1912)
- Stefan Żeromski (1864–1925)
- Władysław Reymont (1867–1925)
- Zofia Nałkowska (1885–1954)
- Maria Dąbrowska (1889–1965)
- Bruno Schulz (1892–1942)
- Jzef Mackiewicz (1902–1985)
- Witold Gombrowicz (1904–1969)
- Eugeniusz Żytomirski (1911–1975)
- Stanisław Lem (* 1921)
- Tadeusz Konwicki (* 1926)
- Janusz A. Zajdel (1938–1985)
- Andrzej Sapkowski (* 1948)
- Rafal A. Ziemkiewicz (* 1964)
- Dorota Masłowska (* 1983)
Poets
Main article: List of Polish language poets
- Biernat of Lublin (1465? – after 1529).
- Mikołaj Rej of Nagłowice (1505–1569)
- Jan Kochanowski (1530–1584)
- Klemens Janicki (Janicius) (1516–1543)
- Ignacy Krasicki (1735–1801)
- Adam Mickiewicz (1798–1855)
- Juliusz Słowacki (1809–1849)
- Zygmunt Krasiński (1812–1859)
- Cyprian Kamil Norwid (1821–1883)
- Bolesław Leśmian (approx. 1877–1937)
- Jan Brzechwa (1900–1966)
- Tadeusz Rżewicz (b. 1921)
- Miron Białoszewski (1922–1983)
- Julian Tuwim (1894–1953)
- Władysław Broniewski (1897–1962)
- Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński (1905–1953)
- Czesław Miłosz (June 30, 1911 – August 14, 2004), Nobel Prize in Literature in 1980
- Eugeniusz Żytomirski (1911–1975)
- Wisława Szymborska (b. 1923), Nobel Prize in Literature in 1996
- Andrzej Bursa (1932–1957)
- Halina Poświatowska (1935–1967)
- Ewa Lipska (b. 1945)
- Rafał Wojaczek (1945–1971)
- Cezary Geroń (1960–1998)
- Marcin Świetlicki (b. 1961)
Essayists
- Paweł Huelle (b. 1957)
- Ryszard Kapuściński (b. 1932)
- Jerzy Pilch (b. 1952)
- Ludwik Stomma
See also
de:Polnische Literatur eo:Pollingva Literaturo es:Literatura polaca fr:Littrature polonaise nl:Poolse schrijvers pl:Literatura polska