Lektury poety. Adam Mickiewicz o Walterze Scotcie i George'u Gordonie Byronie

Abstract

The article is an excerpt from a study presenting the history of poetic narrative in Poland and a part of a larger whole discussing the early-romantic reception of Scott and Byron. The problem of influence of both poets on creation of epyllion in Poland has been presented in the context of views expressed by. Adam Mickiewicz, concerning the quest ion of mutual correspondence of literatures of different nations and in particular the literary production of Scott and Byron; in case of the latter also his private life and political activity. The position of Mickiewicz as a co-author of the romantic turn has been appreciated. His role in the process of establishing of a new style in the Polish romantic literature, as the author of Konrad Wallenrod and translator of The Giaour, has been considered. Mickiewicz was also a significant person as a lecturer on Slavonic literatures, an author of studies on poetry and poets, a keen observer, critic and historian of literature. The investigated materials allow to state that in the raind of Mickiewicz the names of Scott and Byron refer to different trends of art. From the beginning Mickiewicz puts the two poets into opposition to each other, but giving priority to Byron. According to Mickiewicz the revival of versified epic was an exclusive contribution of Byron, who modifying the pattern deprived of problems, helped to continue and develop epics. The classicistic epoa was for Byron and the Polish romantics a negative reference system. Eventually the alternative poetic narrative exploiting historic themes became th- phase of collecting experience, leading Mickiewicz and Słowacki to creation of romantic epos. Mickiewicz's contacts with the English poets ore expressly illustrated by the direction of development of his romantic epics, during the years when he was writing his narrative about the Teutonic Knights and his epic about the year 1812. It also proved that not only in Mickiewicz’s opinion but in his own production Scott and Byron remained symbols of different ideas and literary values.