EN
Contemporary cultural changes force Polish literary critics to constantly change their views on literature. Traditional literary canon is prone to stagnation and inertia, but multiculturalism may lead to a dangerous melting in the multiplied maze of cultural interconnections. Trying to overcome such antinomies, the author of the article focuses on the criteria that are important in the reception of Polish culture abroad. Literary canon is not regarded as a standard, but it is worth taking into consideration as an exposition of some general aesthetic, axio- logical and worldview changes.