Oświeceniowa muza w darze dzieciom i młodym solenizantom

Abstract

In the study, some occasional poems from the second half of the 18th century, devoted to infants and handed to teenagers and small children celebrating certain occasions, have been subjected to analysis. The author attempted to characterise poems representing three genological patterns — genethliacons, as well as birthday and nameday poems. In these considerations she focused on occasional poetry from private circles, written by poets well-known and appreciated at that time who, in most cases, were on friendly terms with the families of the children celebrating, or remained under the patronage of a powerful dynasty. In the course of the analysis, the following elements have been distinguished as characteristic of the dicussed texts: thematic threads, main motifs of the plot, the choice of eulogical elements conditioned by the age of the poem characters and of the celebrating children, the stylistic layer and the poetic imagery, as well as the primary message and functions of the poetic expression, referring not only to the reality and the world of the children and youths, but also to the dramatic political events connected with the First Partition of Poland. In the presented study, the author indicates the relation between the discussed lyric poems and the original, Old Polish tradition of particular genological forms, mainly genethliacons, and she observes the inception of the characteristics of the poetry of “good taste”, which was developing in the second half of the 18th century, into the examined poems, especially to birthday and nameday bouquets.