The work presents the problem of “dissonant” relations between Polish Romanticism and politics of the independence camp during World War I. Basing on the example of two literary polemics between publicists and members of the independence propaganda machine and those of the passivist group (Henryk Elzenberg and Ludwik Szczepański, Julia Kisielewska and Wiktor Gomulicki), the text discusses the paradoxes of the propaganda discourse of the camp and the strategies used by publicists to handle the attacks of ideological enemies. In these debates, Romanticism, as well as symbols and attitudes related to it, turn out to be a “dissonant heritage,” which is examined in view of future and new Polish patriotism, and in reference to the reality of contemporary politics. These polemics illustrate that Romanticism was still the key word in the national discourse (as a sort of metalanguage), but on the threshold of independence, its meaning gradually became vague.
PL
W artykule przedstawiono problem „kłopotliwych” związków między polskim romantyzmem a polityką obozu niepodległościowego w latach I wojny światowej. Na przykładzie dwóch polemik literackich toczonych między publicystami i pracownikami aparatu propagandy niepodległościowej a przedstawicielami obozu pasywistów (Henryk Elzenberg i Ludwik Szczepański, Julia Kisielewska i Wiktor Gomulicki) omówiono paradoksy dyskursu propagandowego tego obozu oraz strategie, za pomocą których publicyści radzili sobie z atakami ideologicznych przeciwników. Romantyzm i powiązane z nim symbole oraz postawy okazują się w tych dyskusjach „kłopotliwym dziedzictwem”, które zostaje poddane rewizji w perspektywie przyszłości i nowego kształtu polskiego patriotyzmu oraz w odniesieniu do realiów współczesnej polityki. Polemiki te obrazują, że romantyzm jest wciąż w dyskursie narodowym słowem kluczem (ponieważ jest rodzajem metajęzyka tego dyskursu), jednak u progu niepodległości jego znaczenie staje się coraz bardziej rozmyte.
The paper contains an analysis and interpretation of essays by Bolesław Leśmian from 1915 to 1916, published in Myśl Polska in the section ‘Intermedia rybałtowskie’. These texts, which concern literary life, are considered in reference to the tradition of minstrel literature and against the background of war changes and cultural diagnoses. This perspective makes it possible to perceive Leśmian not only as an insightful diagnostician, who is familiar with philosophical‑cultural issues (which has been proved by researchers), but also a critic of contemporary times and change initiator, who was able to recognise his own situation and literary identity against a broad sociological‑cultural background, and took an effort in order to change his own position and some rules which were relevant in the Polish literary field.
EN
The paper contains an analysis and interpretation of essays by Bolesław Leśmian from 1915 to 1916, published in Myśl Polska in the section ‘Intermedia rybałtowskie’. These texts, which concern literary life, are considered in reference to the tradition of minstrel literature and against the background of war changes and cultural diagnoses. This perspective makes it possible to perceive Leśmian not only as an insightful diagnostician, who is familiar with philosophical‑cultural issues (which has been proved by researchers), but also a critic of contemporary times and change initiator, who was able to recognise his own situation and literary identity against a broad sociological‑cultural background, and took a
DE
The paper contains an analysis and interpretation of essays by Bolesław Leśmian from 1915 to 1916, published in Myśl Polska in the section ‘Intermedia rybałtowskie’. These texts, which concern literary life, are considered in reference to the tradition of minstrel literature and against the background of war changes and cultural diagnoses. This perspective makes it possible to perceive Leśmian not only as an insightful diagnostician, who is familiar with philosophical‑cultural issues (which has been proved by researchers), but also a critic of contemporary times and change initiator, who was able to recognise his own situation and literary identity against a broad sociological‑cultural background, and took an effort in order to change his own position and some rules which were relevant in the Polish literary field.
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