Adam Wazyk
Encyclopedia
Adam Ważyk born Ajzyk Wagman (November 17, 1905 – August 13, 1982) was a Polish poet, essayist and writer born to a Jewish family in Warsaw
. In his early career, he was associated with the Kraków
avant-garde led by Tadeusz Peiper
who published Zwrotnica monthly. Ważyk wrote several collections of poetry in the interwar years. His work during this period focused largely on the losses of World War I
.
As a member of the Communist Party of Poland
, Ważyk belonged to a group of left-wing writers active in Warsaw in the 1930’s. At the onset of World War II he escaped to the Soviet Union where he published propaganda for the Red Banner (Czerwony Sztandar). Later, he joined the Soviet military as the commonly feared political officer
. Upon his return to Poland with the People's Army – as a dedicated Stalinist official – he threatened his fellow writers including Stefan Kisielewski
and, among others, Antoni Słonimski, one of Poland’s leading poets at the time, for their presumed criticisms of the Soviet takover
. Ważyk was a loyal follower of Joseph Stalin
and maintained that Polish socialist realism
was the only acceptable guide for art.
, ending his military service with the victorious Lublin contingent. While still in the Polish Army, he founded Kuźnica, a Marxist literary weekly, which eventually merged with Nowa Kultura. Ważyk served as the editor of Kuźnica from 1946 to 1950, and from 1950 to 1954, he was editor of the literary journal Twórczość
. Although Ważyk was initially a strong supporter of Stalinism
, he eventually rejected it, and criticised the results of Stalinism in Poland
, at the time of its impending disintegration.
revolution. The poem was published in the August 21st edition of Nowa Kultura, a Polish literary weekly based in Warsaw – an official publication of the Association of Polish Writers controlled by the Communists. The fifteen-part poem paints a picture of grim reality of life in the stalinist Poland and the falsehood of dogmatic propaganda.
In part four, Ważyk speaks with open and deliberate contempt about the construction workers: a motley crew of outcasts crowding in shacks, barracks and hotels ("zbieraną hałastrą tłoczą się w szopach, barakach, hotelach") driven by their mongrel ambitions ("wielka migracja, skudlona ambicja") and dehumanizing the new Poland ("masa wędrowna, Polska nieczłowiecza"). The poem includes a memorable line in reference to French utopian
socialist Fourier
(part 12): They drink sea-water crying: lemonade! Return home secretly to vomit. It ends with a repeat call (part 15) for a just and congenial society built by the Communist Party ("Upominamy się na ziemi o ludzi spracowanych [...] upominamy się codziennie, upominamy się Partią").
The poem was an immediate success due to its strong critique of the stalinist Poland. After publication, it was recognized as the strongest political criticism run by the communist controlled press thus far. As a result, the government fired the head of Nowa Kultura, Paweł Hoffmann, and made other changes to its staff. Ważyk was temporarily forced to remain silent. Newspapers and other official party organs were also instructed to denounce Ważyk and the poem. The association of Polish writers called a special session in order to condemn and expel Ważyk, however many writers supported Ważyk and he was not expelled.
Despite government efforts to censor the poem after its publication, it was widely read throughout Poland. The issue quickly sold out, and it began selling for high prices on the black market. Hand written copies of the poem were also widely circulated. The poem’s publication gave Ważyk a tremendous amount of notoriety as a voice of dissent. He was praised not only for his eloquent critiques of the stalinist regime, but also for his courage to make his views public. Ultimately disillusioned with Gomułka and Polish communism, Ważyk (along with many others) left the communist party in 1957. He worked as translator in the following years.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. In his early career, he was associated with the Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
avant-garde led by Tadeusz Peiper
Tadeusz Peiper
Tadeusz Peiper was a Polish poet, art critic, theoretician of literature and one of the precursors of the avant-garde movement in Polish poetry. Born to a Jewish family, Peiper converted to Catholicism as a young man and spent several years in Spain...
who published Zwrotnica monthly. Ważyk wrote several collections of poetry in the interwar years. His work during this period focused largely on the losses of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
As a member of the Communist Party of Poland
Communist Party of Poland
The Communist Party of Poland is a historical communist party in Poland. It was a result of the fusion of Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and the Polish Socialist Party-Left in the Communist Workers Party of Poland .-1918-1921:The KPRP was founded on 16 December 1918 as...
, Ważyk belonged to a group of left-wing writers active in Warsaw in the 1930’s. At the onset of World War II he escaped to the Soviet Union where he published propaganda for the Red Banner (Czerwony Sztandar). Later, he joined the Soviet military as the commonly feared political officer
Political commissar
The political commissar is the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and organisation, and loyalty to the government of the military...
. Upon his return to Poland with the People's Army – as a dedicated Stalinist official – he threatened his fellow writers including Stefan Kisielewski
Stefan Kisielewski
Stefan Kisielewski , nicknames Kisiel, Julia Hołyńska, Teodor Klon, Tomasz Staliński, was a Polish writer, publicist, composer and politician, and one of the members of Znak, one of the founders of the UPR, the polish libertarian and conservative political party.Kisielewski was born to a Polish...
and, among others, Antoni Słonimski, one of Poland’s leading poets at the time, for their presumed criticisms of the Soviet takover
History of Poland (1939–1945)
The history of Poland from 1939 to 1945 encompasses the German invasion of Poland as well as the Soviet invasion of Poland through to the end of World War II. On 1 September 1939, without a formal declaration of war, Germany invaded Poland...
. Ważyk was a loyal follower of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and maintained that Polish socialist realism
Socialist realism in Polish literature
Socialist realism was a political doctrine enforced in Poland by the Soviet-sponsored communists government soon after the end of World War II and the Soviet takeover of the country. It was a considerably short period in the history of Polish literature marked by public fear caused by the gross...
was the only acceptable guide for art.
Career
During the War, Ważyk fought alongside Soviet troops on the Eastern FrontEastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, ending his military service with the victorious Lublin contingent. While still in the Polish Army, he founded Kuźnica, a Marxist literary weekly, which eventually merged with Nowa Kultura. Ważyk served as the editor of Kuźnica from 1946 to 1950, and from 1950 to 1954, he was editor of the literary journal Twórczość
Twórczość
Twórczość is a Polish monthly literary journal, first published in 1945. Since 1 April 2000, Twórczość has been published by the state-funded Book Institute ....
. Although Ważyk was initially a strong supporter of Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, he eventually rejected it, and criticised the results of Stalinism in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, at the time of its impending disintegration.
A Poem for Adults
Ważyk is best remembered for A Poem for Adults ("Poemat dla dorosłych"), which he wrote in the summer of 1955, at the onset of Polish OctoberPolish October
Polish October, also known as October 1956, Polish thaw, or Gomułka's thaw, marked a change in the Polish internal political scene in the second half of 1956...
revolution. The poem was published in the August 21st edition of Nowa Kultura, a Polish literary weekly based in Warsaw – an official publication of the Association of Polish Writers controlled by the Communists. The fifteen-part poem paints a picture of grim reality of life in the stalinist Poland and the falsehood of dogmatic propaganda.
In part four, Ważyk speaks with open and deliberate contempt about the construction workers: a motley crew of outcasts crowding in shacks, barracks and hotels ("zbieraną hałastrą tłoczą się w szopach, barakach, hotelach") driven by their mongrel ambitions ("wielka migracja, skudlona ambicja") and dehumanizing the new Poland ("masa wędrowna, Polska nieczłowiecza"). The poem includes a memorable line in reference to French utopian
Utopian socialism
Utopian socialism is a term used to define the first currents of modern socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen which inspired Karl Marx and other early socialists and were looked on favorably...
socialist Fourier
Charles Fourier
François Marie Charles Fourier was a French philosopher. An influential thinker, some of Fourier's social and moral views, held to be radical in his lifetime, have become main currents in modern society...
(part 12): They drink sea-water crying: lemonade! Return home secretly to vomit. It ends with a repeat call (part 15) for a just and congenial society built by the Communist Party ("Upominamy się na ziemi o ludzi spracowanych [...] upominamy się codziennie, upominamy się Partią").
The poem was an immediate success due to its strong critique of the stalinist Poland. After publication, it was recognized as the strongest political criticism run by the communist controlled press thus far. As a result, the government fired the head of Nowa Kultura, Paweł Hoffmann, and made other changes to its staff. Ważyk was temporarily forced to remain silent. Newspapers and other official party organs were also instructed to denounce Ważyk and the poem. The association of Polish writers called a special session in order to condemn and expel Ważyk, however many writers supported Ważyk and he was not expelled.
Despite government efforts to censor the poem after its publication, it was widely read throughout Poland. The issue quickly sold out, and it began selling for high prices on the black market. Hand written copies of the poem were also widely circulated. The poem’s publication gave Ważyk a tremendous amount of notoriety as a voice of dissent. He was praised not only for his eloquent critiques of the stalinist regime, but also for his courage to make his views public. Ultimately disillusioned with Gomułka and Polish communism, Ważyk (along with many others) left the communist party in 1957. He worked as translator in the following years.