Późne tropy Młodej Polski (1914-1939)

Abstract

The book is the result of a conviction that the already-existent historio- literary syntheses of the Interwar Period do not pay enough attention to the contribution of Young Poland writers to the process of shaping the image of the literature between 1914 and 1939. Thus, it discusses the war vicissitudes of the older generation writers, their political choices and engagements, different forms of the position defense by Young Poles among the literary elite, and the relations between the young generation and the older one. The latter had their own connections, readers, and, more than once, fame and thus were a competition and challenge for the former ones. Also, they were masters the representatives of the youngest generation wanted to acquaint with. In other words, I want to look at the Interwar literature from the perspective of the achievements of Young Poland writers, and a reader who admired Żeromski, Sieroszewski or Boy-Żeleński though did not know Witkacy, Schulz or Gombrowicz. My intention to describe the Interwar literature in a different manner is polemic too. First, the advocates of the modern literature appropriate great writers of the 19th and 20th centuries, displacing others (Żeromski, Reymont, Kasprowicz, Tetmajer, Wyspiański) into the depths of the old-fashioned 19th century literature. This is an act of a re-composition of the historio-literary process. Interesting ad cognitively-frutile though the very treatment is, the exclusiveness of such a behaviour in the Polish literary studies has been accused of following the fashion in recent years. Secondly, the Young Poland works function in the historio-literary syntheses of the Interwar Period in a peculiar way; as unwanted, ignored and condemned, as accidentally appearing in the space filled in by modern forms of culture. Here, the most important arguments were carried on with respect to Przedwiośnie, the most popular book was Słówka by Boy-Żeleński, the best drama was Niespodzianka by Rostworowski, and, even, in poetry, it was “Young Poland that trumphed” in the form of works by Leśmian. The work is completed with two texts representing the mutual relations between Żeromski and Brzozowski, a sensitive writer and critic. A confrontation of two such strong characters had to evoke a storm. I attempt to describe the history of this literary dialogue full of tension, but also mutual respect. The second text included in the Appendix is devoted to critical analyses Karol Irzykowski made with respect to the works by Żeromski. It turns out that the critical drafts would create an impressive (and outstanding) book commenting on the literary output of the author of Popioły. The last chapter describes the way Karol Irzykowski, one of the most outstanding Polish literary critics, understood and interpreted works by Żeromski.