Adam Mickiewicz (Author of Pan Tadeusz)

Adam Mickiewicz鈥檚 Followers (256)

Adam Mickiewicz

Born

in Zaosie, Poland

December 24, 1798

Died

November 26, 1855

Website

Genre

Classics, Poetry, History

Influences

Walter Scott ...more

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To 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 To 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. W艂adys艂aw, 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, W艂adys艂aw 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 emigr茅 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-殴iele艅ski, for instance, in his work "Br膮zownicy" 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) ...more

Combine Editions
Adam Mickiewicz鈥檚 books

Average rating: 3.07 · 70,613 ratings · 8,342 reviews · 454 distinct works 鈥� Similar authors

	Pan Tadeusz 3.01 avg rating — 18,675 ratings — published 1834	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dziady 3.31 avg rating — 10,347 ratings — published 1821 — 64 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Konrad Wallenrod 2.61 avg rating — 9,140 ratings — published 1828 — 101 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dziady cz臋艣膰 II 3.21 avg rating — 7,350 ratings — published 1822 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dziady cz臋艣膰 III 2.62 avg rating — 7,118 ratings — published 1832 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ballady i romanse 3.73 avg rating — 2,639 ratings — published 1822 — 39 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dziady, cz臋艣膰 IV 2.86 avg rating — 3,277 ratings — published 1823 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sonety krymskie 3.46 avg rating — 2,150 ratings — published 1826 — 67 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	艢飞颈迟别锄颈补苍办补 3.72 avg rating — 1,814 ratings — published 1822	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Reduta Ordona 3.22 avg rating — 1,339 ratings — published 1832 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Adam Mickiewicz…

Series by Adam Mickiewicz

Dziady (4 books)
by

Adam Mickiewicz

3.06 avg rating — 28,617 ratings

Dzie艂a poetyckie (1 book)
by

Adam Mickiewicz

3.70 avg rating — 30 ratings

Quotes by Adam Mickiewicz (?)

“I and motherland are one. My name is Million, because for millions do I love and suffer agonies.”
― Adam Mickiewicz, Forefathers' Eve

tags: messianism, patriotism, poland, polish-literature, polska

22 likes

“Kto mi艂o艣ci nie zna, ten 偶yje szcz臋艣liwy,
I noc ma spokojn膮, i dzie艅 niet臋skliwy.”
― Adam Mickiewicz, Dziady

19 likes

“Ty mnie zabi艂e艣! - ty mnie nauczy艂e艣 czyta膰!
W pi臋knych ksi臋gach i pi臋knym przyrodzeniu czyta膰!
Ty dla mnie ziemi臋 piek艂em zrobi艂e艣
(z 偶alem i u艣miechem)
i rajem!
(mocniej i ze wzgard膮)
A to jest tylko ziemia!”
― Adam Mickiewicz, Dziady

19 likes

See all Adam Mickiewicz's quotes »

Polls

October 2024 Old School Classics Poll

Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, 1819, 496p

67 votes, 30.6%

The History of Mr. Polly by H.G. Wells, 1910, 227p

40 votes, 18.3%

The Princess of Cleves by Madame de La Fayette, 1678, 192p

39 votes, 17.8%

Phaedrus by Plato, -300, 144p

31 votes, 14.2%

On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev, 1860, 234p

15 votes, 6.8%

Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania by Adam Mickiewicz, 1834, 489p

14 votes, 6.4%

笔丑猫诲谤别 by Jean Racine, 1677, 192p

13 votes, 5.9%

219 total votes

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Adam Mickiewicz鈥檚 Followers (256)

Adam Mickiewicz

Combine EditionsAdam Mickiewicz鈥檚 books

Series by Adam Mickiewicz

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Adam Mickiewicz鈥檚 books