Gałczyński – poeta śmiertelnie uśmiechnięty. O śmierci w kilku wierszach – bez grymasu

Abstract

The author of the sketch focuses on the thanatological motifs in the poetry of Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński (1905–1953), one of the most eminent lyricists in Polish literature of the 20th century. According to the researcher, Gałczyński was a poet of parallel universes; one of them had reeds and birds, lakes, and paraffin lamps, while the other one, close, evoked deep thoughts of death, love, and helplessness. This parallel structure, in fact, corresponded to the only world known to us, yet seen from different points of view. Therefore, the poet does not invent the parallel version of the landscape, another, metaphysical world; he finds it in distancing himself from reality. Looking from the distance, the poet allows himself the comfort of aesthetic masking of the eschatological issue and his fascination with death. He preferred to speak about hell lightly, clearly, using the language of a folksy, home-grown exegete. He prefers to hide behind the mask of a “joker” than to be accused of charlatanerie, playing the wise guy, and pretending to be a prophet. Yet he knew or felt what was hidden under the lining, he knew that “There would be so much more to write / no words will suffice here” (The Olsztyn Chronicles XIII). The poetic theology of Gałczyński is founded on an ironical distance, yet most certainly not on cynically distancing himself from the principal values. The poet does not ridicule ultimate issues, nor does he mock fundamental philosophical ideas. However, in both cases, and many others, he speaks about them with a smile. It might be that such attitude of the artist makes the world easier to handle and clearer.