Halina Poswiatowska
Encyclopedia
Halina Poświatowska - Polish
poet
and writer
, one of the most important figures in modern Polish literature
.
She is famous for her lyrical poetry and for her intellectual and passionate yet unsentimental poetry on the themes of death, love, existence, famous historical personages, especially women, as well as her mordant treatment of life, living, being, bees, cats and the sensual qualities of loving, grieving and desiring.
She died at 32 after a second heart operation to correct a heart defect that limited her mobility and breathing, which she acquired when she fell ill as a child during the World War II
Nazi
occupation of Poland.
Her first heart operation was performed in Philadelphia, USA, in 1958, and was successful enough to enable her to
live for several more years. Soon afterward she enrolled at Smith College
in Northampton
, Massachusetts
, USA, where she completed her undergraduate studies in 3 years. Turning down offers of graduate study and financial support in the USA, she returned to Poland where she completed a Master's degree
in Philosophy
at the Jagellonian University in Kraków
.
Her works have been collected in the four-volume Dzieła (Works), published by Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków, Poland, 1997, of which the first two volumes (several hundred pages) are poems,
and the latter two prose and letters, respectively.
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
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...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, one of the most important figures in modern Polish literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
.
She is famous for her lyrical poetry and for her intellectual and passionate yet unsentimental poetry on the themes of death, love, existence, famous historical personages, especially women, as well as her mordant treatment of life, living, being, bees, cats and the sensual qualities of loving, grieving and desiring.
She died at 32 after a second heart operation to correct a heart defect that limited her mobility and breathing, which she acquired when she fell ill as a child during the 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...
Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
occupation of Poland.
Her first heart operation was performed in Philadelphia, USA, in 1958, and was successful enough to enable her to
live for several more years. Soon afterward she enrolled at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in Northampton
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA, where she completed her undergraduate studies in 3 years. Turning down offers of graduate study and financial support in the USA, she returned to Poland where she completed a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the Jagellonian University 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...
.
Her works have been collected in the four-volume Dzieła (Works), published by Wydawnictwo Literackie, Kraków, Poland, 1997, of which the first two volumes (several hundred pages) are poems,
and the latter two prose and letters, respectively.
Translations
- Mais uma lembrança/Jeszcze jedno wspomnienie/, Magdalena Nowinska (Trans.), (n.t.) Revista Literária em Tradução, nº 1 (set/2010), Fpolis/Brasil, ISSN 2177-5141
- Ey zendegi tarkam koni mimiram. Gozine-ye ash'ar = Życie, umrę jeśli odejdziesz. Wybór wierszy, [trans. into Persian] Alireza Doulatshahi, Ivonna Nowicka, Baal Publications, Tehran-Iran 2010, ISBN 978-964-2574-28-5