Jan Lechon
Encyclopedia
Leszek Józef Serafinowicz (pen name: Jan Lechoń; Warsaw
, Congress Poland
, Russian Empire
, March 13, 1899 – June 8, 1956, New York City
) was a Polish poet
, literary and theater critic, diplomat, and co-founder of the Skamander
literary movement and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America
.
(1919–21) he worked in the press office of Chief of State Józef Piłsudski.
Lechoń was a member of the Pikador (Picador
) literary cabaret, a member of the Polish Writers' Union, and secretary-general of the PEN Club. In 1926-29 he edited the satirical magazine Cyrulik Warszawski (The Barber of Warsaw—the title was an homage to The Barber of Seville
). In 1925 he received an award from the Polish Book Publishers' Association, and in 1935 an award from the Polish Academy of Literature.
From 1930 to 1939 Lechoń was cultural attaché
at the Polish embassy in Paris
. After the fall of France
to Nazi Germany
, he left for Brazil
and later settled in New York
. There he co-edited many Polish newspapers and magazines and, in 1942, co-founded the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America
.
Lechoń committed suicide on 8 June 1956 by jumping from the twelfth floor of the Hudson Hotel
. At the time his motive for doing so was given as depression
deepened by "social degradation". The memoirs of his friend Adam Ciołkosz point to depression caused by the strengthening of the communist regime in Poland
.
In 1991 Lechoń's remains were exhumed from Calvary Cemetery
in Queens
and transferred to a cemetery in Laski
, to a family tomb shared with his parents, Władysław and Maria Serafinowicz.
. His poetry collection Srebrne i czarne (Silver and black) earned him an award from the Polish Book Publishers' Association. However, growing interest in Lechoń's work and his successes in the field of poetry negatively influenced him. He found his growing status as a legend overwhelming and didn't publish further until the outbreak of World War II
.
Poland
's wartime demise awakened in him the passion to continue writing. He published Lutnia po Bekwarku in 1942 and Aria z kurantem in 1945, as well as Marmur i róża. Other works include Karmazynowy poemat and Iliada.
His poetry combined romantic
and classicist
elements, and was different from that of other Skamander
members. He also translated several dramas, wrote reviews and essays.
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...
, Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
, Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, March 13, 1899 – June 8, 1956, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) was a Polish poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, literary and theater critic, diplomat, and co-founder of the Skamander
Skamander
Skamander was a Polish group of experimental poets founded in 1918 by Julian Tuwim, Antoni Słonimski, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Kazimierz Wierzyński and Jan Lechoń....
literary movement and the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America
Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America
The Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America is a Polish-American scholarly institution headquartered in Manhattan , at 208 East 30th Street.-History:...
.
Life
Lechoń studied Polish language and literature at Warsaw University, by which point he had already authored two collections of poetry and a play. He was co-editor of Pro arte et studio magazine. It was he who thought of the name Skamander for that literary group; he also delivered the opening speech at the group's first meeting, on 6 December 1919. During the Polish-Soviet WarPolish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
(1919–21) he worked in the press office of Chief of State Józef Piłsudski.
Lechoń was a member of the Pikador (Picador
Picador
A picador is one of the pair of horsemen in a Spanish bullfight that jab the bull with a lance. They perform in the tercio de varas which is the first of the three stages in a Spanish bullfight.The picador has three main functions:...
) literary cabaret, a member of the Polish Writers' Union, and secretary-general of the PEN Club. In 1926-29 he edited the satirical magazine Cyrulik Warszawski (The Barber of Warsaw—the title was an homage to The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
). In 1925 he received an award from the Polish Book Publishers' Association, and in 1935 an award from the Polish Academy of Literature.
From 1930 to 1939 Lechoń was cultural attaché
Cultural attaché
A cultural attaché is a diplomat with special responsibility for promoting the culture of his or her homeland. The position has been used as an official cover for intelligence agents. Historically, the post has often been filled by writers and artists, giving them a steady income, allowing them to...
at the Polish embassy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. After the fall of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, he left for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and later settled in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. There he co-edited many Polish newspapers and magazines and, in 1942, co-founded the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America
Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America
The Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America is a Polish-American scholarly institution headquartered in Manhattan , at 208 East 30th Street.-History:...
.
Lechoń committed suicide on 8 June 1956 by jumping from the twelfth floor of the Hudson Hotel
Hudson Hotel
The Hudson Hotel is a boutique hotel located at West 58th Street, New York City, USA.-History:The building, which currently houses the Hudson Hotel, was constructed in 1928 by the daughter of J. P. Morgan as the American Women’s Association clubhouse and residence for young women in New York....
. At the time his motive for doing so was given as depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
deepened by "social degradation". The memoirs of his friend Adam Ciołkosz point to depression caused by the strengthening of the communist regime in Poland
History of Poland (1945–1989)
The history of Poland from 1945 to 1989 spans the period of Soviet Communist dominance imposed after the end of World War II over the People's Republic of Poland...
.
In 1991 Lechoń's remains were exhumed from Calvary Cemetery
Calvary Cemetery, Queens
The Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in Queens has the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the United States.The offices of Calvary Cemetery are located at 49-02 Laurel Hill Blvd. in Woodside in the New York City borough of Queens, New York. The cemetery is managed by the Trustees of...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and transferred to a cemetery in Laski
Laski
Laski is a village in Poland, in Masovian Voivodship, to the west of Warsaw, in the commune of Izabelin. It is located at the southern border of the Kampinos Forest and is a notable resort, with 1,600 permanent inhabitants ....
, to a family tomb shared with his parents, Władysław and Maria Serafinowicz.
Work
Lechoń made his literary debut at the age of 14 with poetry collections entitled Na złotym polu (1913, In a golden field) and Po różnych ścieżkach (1914, On different paths). In 1916, his drama W pałacu Stanisława Augusta (At the palace of Stanisław August) premiered at the Old Orangery in WarsawWarsaw
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...
. His poetry collection Srebrne i czarne (Silver and black) earned him an award from the Polish Book Publishers' Association. However, growing interest in Lechoń's work and his successes in the field of poetry negatively influenced him. He found his growing status as a legend overwhelming and didn't publish further until the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
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...
's wartime demise awakened in him the passion to continue writing. He published Lutnia po Bekwarku in 1942 and Aria z kurantem in 1945, as well as Marmur i róża. Other works include Karmazynowy poemat and Iliada.
His poetry combined romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
and classicist
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
elements, and was different from that of other Skamander
Skamander
Skamander was a Polish group of experimental poets founded in 1918 by Julian Tuwim, Antoni Słonimski, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Kazimierz Wierzyński and Jan Lechoń....
members. He also translated several dramas, wrote reviews and essays.