"Bardzo proszę pamiętać, że ja byłem przeciw": studia o Antonim Słonimskim

Abstract

The book is devoted to the person of Antoni Słonimski, a member of Skamander group, author of famous pre-war Kroniki tygodniowe, poet, playwright, prose writer and, last but not least, the authority in the literary circles. It is actually this authority that constitutes the area of interest in the work in focus. Słonimski first of all caught attention because of his public activity, interesting initiatives (even political ones), which got a lot publicity among the intelligentsia. The first chapter analyses the reasons and circumstances of his return from emigration to Poland in 1951. His public activity, arguments in the emigration circle and poetical works during his stay in London shed a light here. Consequences of his return to Poland are presented in Chapter II where the main subject-matter oscillates around the two texts — Do czytelnika and Odprawa, addressed to Czesław Miłosz who was getting ready for emigration at that time. The next two chapters are connected with the attitude of rebel and opposition which, according to many researchers, was the basis of actions of Słonimski. What was described constituted his gradual movement to the opposition to the authority, among other things, from being a president of Związek Literatów Polskich, writing a 34 Letter, to a famous poem called Sąd nad Don Kichotem. The influence of actions taken by Słonimski on the attitudes of intelligentsia is proved in the fourth chapter in the form of the analyses of the statements made by famous post-war diary writers, Stefan Kisielewski, Andrzej Kijowski, or Mieczysław Jastrun. What is important here is also a profile of Słonimski as a headstrong, contrary and mean-minded person, but at the same time earning respect and authority not only among friends gathering at the poet’s coffee table, but also among his enemies.