Cyprian Kamil Norwid - Poems by the Famous Poet - All Poetry

Famous poet /1821-1883

Cyprian Kamil Norwid

One of Poland's most original minds of the 19th century.  Norwid was a poet, dramatist, sculptor, painter, and engraver.



During his lifetime he was mostly ignored by critics and publishers. His works were rediscovered in this century and have influenced Polish writers. His style, precursory of 20th century poetry, is characterized by great beauty and lucidity. The content is philosophical and ironic. His collections of poems are: Vademecum and Quidam.  Dramas: The Actor and The Ring of a Great Lady, philosophical essays: Black Flowers, White Flowers.





Bibliography and image source: newpoland.org

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Beauty

…God sees all ­
"How can
God's eye endure ugliness all round ?"
If you wish to know, with an artist's eye
Look closely at a ruin, at cobwebs
In sunlight, at matted straw
In fields, at potter's clay -
- He gave us all, even His traces,
As He perceives things, have no envy, have no shame!
Yet there is sun-gilded Pride
Convinced the sun will not shine through her;
She is the end of sight and contemplation,
She is the screen against God's rays,
So that man, the most ungrateful creature in the world,
Should feel extinguished brightness and night in his eyes
- In every art let all arts gleam, save the one
Through which the work is to be done.
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Analysis (ai): This poem explores the concept of beauty in the imperfections of the world. The speaker argues that God sees beauty in all things, even in those that are traditionally considered ugly. This contrasts with human pride, which often blinds people to the beauty around them.

The poem is written in a simple, straightforward style, with no flowery language or excessive ornamentation. This emphasizes the poem's central message: that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.

The poem is also notable for its time period. In the 19th century, when it was written, there was a prevailing belief that beauty was only to be found in the perfect and symmetrical. This poem challenges that belief, arguing that beauty can be found in the imperfect and the broken.

In comparison to the author's other works, this poem is relatively short and concise. However, it is no less powerful in its message. In fact, the poem's simplicity and directness make its message all the more effective.
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My Country

Those who say my country means
Meadows, flowers and fields of wheat,
Hamlets and trenches, must confess
These are her feet.

The child is not forced from his mother's arms,
The youth at her side will grow
While she leans on her eldest son,
These are my laws.

My country's brow has not risen here;
My flesh's beyond Euphrates and the Flood,
My spirit soars above Chaos,
I pay rent to the world.

No nation fashioned or saved me,
I recall eternity's span :
David's key unlocked my lips,
Rome called me man.

I fall on the sand to wipe with my hair
My country's blood-stained feet,
But I know her face and crown
Radiant like the sun of suns.

My ancestors have known no other;
Her feet with my hand I used to feel;
I often kissed the clumsy sandal strap
Round her heel.

They needn't teach me where my country lies;
Hamlets, trenches and fields of wheat,
Flesh and blood and this her scar
Are her print, her feet.
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Analysis (ai): Norwid's "My Country" is a deeply personal and moving exploration of his complex relationship with his homeland. Through a series of powerful and vivid images, Norwid paints a portrait of a country that is at once both familiar and deeply enigmatic. The poem begins with the speaker dismissing the superficial trappings of nationhood, such as "flowers and fields of wheat," as inadequate representations of his true country. Instead, he locates his country's essence in its people, its history, and its spirit.

Norwid's country is a place where the child is safe in his mother's arms and the youth can grow and thrive. It is a place where the laws are just and the people are free. It is a place that has witnessed both triumph and tragedy, and whose spirit has soared above the chaos of history.

Norwid's poem is also a deeply personal exploration of his own identity. He sees himself as a man who owes his existence to his country, and he is deeply grateful for the gift of his homeland. He is also aware of the ways in which his country has been flawed, but he chooses to focus on its beauty and its promise.

"My Country" is a complex and moving poem that defies easy summary. It is a poem that is both personal and universal, and it speaks to the deep connection that we all feel to our homelands.
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The Past

The past , death and pain are not acts of God,
But of law-breaking man,
Who therefore lives in dread
And sensing evil, wants oblivion !

But is he not like a child in a dray
Crying, "Oh, look, the oak's
Disappearing in the wood…",
While the oak's still and the child's borne away ?

The past is now - though somewhat far :
Behind the dray a village barn,
And not something somewhere
Never seen by man!…
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Analysis (ai): This poem explores the conflict between the past and present, contrasting it with a child's perception of a disappearing oak tree. The past is personified as a force beyond human control, while the present is a constant state of awareness. The poem suggests that the past cannot be forgotten, as it continues to haunt the present and shape human experience. Compared to other works by the author, this poem is more philosophical and introspective, exploring the human condition and the nature of time. It also reflects the existentialist themes prevalent during the time period, which emphasized the absurdity and alienation of human existence.
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