Kasper Twardowski
Encyclopedia
Kasper Twardowski was a Polish
poet of the early Polish Baroque
period, representing the so-called metaphysical
or metaphysical-and-devotional line of poets. Little is known of his personal life. Twardowski was most likely born in Sambor (now Sambir
) into the family of the local tailor, and spent his youth in Kraków
(Cracow), Poland
, where he is assumed to have studied at the Jagiellonian University
(then known as the Kraków Academy). In 1629 Twardowski moved probably to Lwów (Lviv
), where he died. Twardowski is best known for his erotica called "the Cupid's Lessons", banned by the bishop of Kraków, and later rejected by the poet himself as immoral; blamed for his own poor health as the apparent wrath of God.
's Lessons), modelled on the Latin "quinqua linea amoris" describing five steps to love from gaze, talk, and touch, to kiss, and intimate union. The work did not survive in its published original; only in copies which, nevertheless, allow for its full reconstruction. Following publication, the poem was condemned and indexed by the ecclesiastical censorship of the Royal City of Kraków with Bishop Marcin Szyszkowski
. Soon after, the poet experienced a grave illness, which was described in the Preface to his subsequent works. Twardowski blamed his erotica for getting ill. Helped by the nuns, he reconciled himself to God and was admitted to the Jesuit religious brotherhood called the Congregation of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kongregacja Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny).
The poem "Cupid's Lessons" begins with a short invocation
entitled To the Reader ("Do Czytelnika") and ends with a 14-line lament ("Lament na to") over the protagonist's own handle (or trzonek in Polish) gone soft with the sight of a female chaperone. The work is composed of 12 strophe
s written in hendecasyllabic meter
, 11 syllables per line.
Just as "the Cupid's Lessons" were a kind of "Ars Amandi", so was Twardowski's subsequent output as the poet-convert. In 1618 he published his other famous work called A boatful of young people floating to shore ("Łódź młodzi z nawałności do brzegu płynąca"), an allegorical poem
for the young, modelled after the "Confessions
" of St. Augustine
, describing his own return to the circle of the pious.
of Polish "metaphysical poetry" of the 16th–17th century. Twardowski's devotion grew out of Counter Reformation, even though, his poetry did not. His aesthetics are now considered a part of Counter Reformation particularly relevant in the contexts of artistic legacy of the Jesuit Societas Iesu regardless of the fact that the poet promoted only his own personal road to salvation, and remained neutral in the matters of religious controversy, away from the typical of his own period Catholic confrontations with Protestantism
.
about Twardowski appeared in 1939 written by Ludwik Kamykowski; while the actual poems have been re-released thanks to Radosław Grześkowiak and Krzysztof Mrówcewicz. The most important modern interpretations of the artistic legacy of Kasper Twardowski's work as part of the Baroque period
in Poland, are provided by researchers: Eugeniusz Trzaska, Ludwik Kamykowski, Ryszard Montusiewicz, Radosław Grześkowiak, Krzysztof Mrowcewicz and Adam Urbanik.
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...
poet of the early Polish Baroque
Baroque in Poland
The Polish Baroque lasted from the late 16th to the mid-18th century. As with Baroque style elsewhere in Europe, Poland's Baroque emphasized the richness and triumphant power of contemporary art forms. In contrast to the previous, Renaissance style which sought to depict the beauty and harmony of...
period, representing the so-called metaphysical
Metaphysical poets
The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, who shared an interest in metaphysical concerns and a common way of investigating them, and whose work was characterized by inventiveness of metaphor...
or metaphysical-and-devotional line of poets. Little is known of his personal life. Twardowski was most likely born in Sambor (now Sambir
Sambir
Sambir is a city in the Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Sambir Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast. It is located at around , close to the border with Poland.-History:...
) into the family of the local tailor, and spent his youth in 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...
(Cracow), 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...
, where he is assumed to have studied at the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
(then known as the Kraków Academy). In 1629 Twardowski moved probably to Lwów (Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
), where he died. Twardowski is best known for his erotica called "the Cupid's Lessons", banned by the bishop of Kraków, and later rejected by the poet himself as immoral; blamed for his own poor health as the apparent wrath of God.
Poet convert
Kasper Twardowski debuted in 1617 as the author of a 12-part poem entitled "Lekcyje Kupidynowe" (CupidCupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
's Lessons), modelled on the Latin "quinqua linea amoris" describing five steps to love from gaze, talk, and touch, to kiss, and intimate union. The work did not survive in its published original; only in copies which, nevertheless, allow for its full reconstruction. Following publication, the poem was condemned and indexed by the ecclesiastical censorship of the Royal City of Kraków with Bishop Marcin Szyszkowski
Marcin Szyszkowski
Marcin II Szyszkowski of Ostoja Coat of Arms was a notable Polish priest who attended the Jesuit school of Kalisz and became bishop of Lutsk, Płock and finally of Kraków. In the power of the Bishop of Kraków, he also became Prince of Siewierz.- Life and education :Szyszkowski was born into a noble...
. Soon after, the poet experienced a grave illness, which was described in the Preface to his subsequent works. Twardowski blamed his erotica for getting ill. Helped by the nuns, he reconciled himself to God and was admitted to the Jesuit religious brotherhood called the Congregation of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kongregacja Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny).
The poem "Cupid's Lessons" begins with a short invocation
Invocation
An invocation may take the form of:*Supplication or prayer.*A form of possession.*Command or conjuration.*Self-identification with certain spirits....
entitled To the Reader ("Do Czytelnika") and ends with a 14-line lament ("Lament na to") over the protagonist's own handle (or trzonek in Polish) gone soft with the sight of a female chaperone. The work is composed of 12 strophe
Strophe
A strophe forms the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. In its original Greek setting, "strophe, antistrophe and epode were a kind of stanza framed only for the music," as John Milton wrote in the preface to Samson Agonistes, with the strophe...
s written in hendecasyllabic meter
Meter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
, 11 syllables per line.
|
Just as "the Cupid's Lessons" were a kind of "Ars Amandi", so was Twardowski's subsequent output as the poet-convert. In 1618 he published his other famous work called A boatful of young people floating to shore ("Łódź młodzi z nawałności do brzegu płynąca"), an allegorical poem
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
for the young, modelled after the "Confessions
Confessions (St. Augustine)
Confessions is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by St. Augustine of Hippo, written between AD 397 and AD 398. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of St...
" of St. Augustine
St. Augustine
-People:* Augustine of Hippo or Augustine of Hippo , father of the Latin church* Augustine of Canterbury , first Archbishop of Canterbury* Augustine Webster, an English Catholic martyr.-Places:*St. Augustine, Florida, United States...
, describing his own return to the circle of the pious.
A new-found devotion
For the rest of his life Twardowski remained faithful to his new-found religiosity, mulling over spiritual matters in all his subsequent works. One of his most important later achievements was The torch of God's Love with the five arrows of fire ("Pochodnia Miłości Bożej z piącią strzał ognistych") published in 1628 – a fervently religious piece of considerable significance in the genreGenre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
of Polish "metaphysical poetry" of the 16th–17th century. Twardowski's devotion grew out of Counter Reformation, even though, his poetry did not. His aesthetics are now considered a part of Counter Reformation particularly relevant in the contexts of artistic legacy of the Jesuit Societas Iesu regardless of the fact that the poet promoted only his own personal road to salvation, and remained neutral in the matters of religious controversy, away from the typical of his own period Catholic confrontations with Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
.
Later research and literary analysis
In many modern analyses (e.g., Cz. Hernasa ) all three of Twardowski’s major works including The Cupid's lessons, A boatful of young people, and The torch of God's Love, are interpreted as the unintentional, though consistent literary trilogy, demonstrating the development of the poet through different life-stages. Often perceived as his single greatest achievement in the field of literature, they have been published together along with his life story. The first and only monographMonograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
about Twardowski appeared in 1939 written by Ludwik Kamykowski; while the actual poems have been re-released thanks to Radosław Grześkowiak and Krzysztof Mrówcewicz. The most important modern interpretations of the artistic legacy of Kasper Twardowski's work as part of the Baroque period
Baroque in Poland
The Polish Baroque lasted from the late 16th to the mid-18th century. As with Baroque style elsewhere in Europe, Poland's Baroque emphasized the richness and triumphant power of contemporary art forms. In contrast to the previous, Renaissance style which sought to depict the beauty and harmony of...
in Poland, are provided by researchers: Eugeniusz Trzaska, Ludwik Kamykowski, Ryszard Montusiewicz, Radosław Grześkowiak, Krzysztof Mrowcewicz and Adam Urbanik.
Works by Kasper Twardowski
The most widely held works by Kasper Twardowski include:- Lekcyje Kupidynowe (Cupid's Lessons), 1617
- Łódź młodzi z nawałności do brzegu płynąca (The boatful of young people floating to shore), 1618
- Kolęda. Nowe lato. Szczodry dzień abo piosneczki Emmanuelowe (The Carol. New summer. Bountiful days or the Emmanuel songs), 1619
- Kolęda. Nowe lato. Szczodry dzień (The Carol. New summer. A bountiful Day), 1623
- Bicz Boży abo krwawe łzy utrapionej Matki Ojczyzny Polskiej (Scourge of God, or bloody tears of Polish mournful Motherland), 1625
- Pochodnia Miłosci Bożej z piącią strzał ognistych (The torch of God's Love with five arrows of fire), 1628
- Bij Gustawa, kto dobry. Pobudka utrapionej Ojczyzny (Beat Gustav, who in the right mind. Reveille mournful Homeland), 1629
- Bylica świętojańska (St. John's Artemisia), 1630
- Gęś świętego Marcina (St. Martin's Goose), 1630
- Katafalk Aleksandrowi księciu Zasławskiemu (Catafalque for Prince Alexander Zasławski), 1630
- Kolebka Jezusowa. Pasterze. Trzej krolowie (A cradle of Jesus. Pastors. The three kings), 1630 or 1632
- Najjaśniejszej Konstancjej krolowej polskiej [...] obchod nieodżałowanej śmierci (Serene Queen Constance of Poland [...] celebration of much lamented death), 1631