Studia Filologiczne UJK

Summary

Aleksander Szczęsny (1885‒1929) is an almost forgotten writer of the turn of the 20th century, who left behind only two collections of poems and several stories published in his lifetime. In addition, he made his own elaboration of Andersen’s fairy tales. So far his work has not been the subject of an in-depth, separate literary studies. Three main themes can be distinguished in his poems: the first one is metaphysical questions about the nature and condition of man, about his place in the world, about what drives him, defines him, determines his essence. Everyday life is the second direction, which Szczęsny adopts in his poetry. However, this is a very special, unique, even „fairy-tale” like everyday life. He also wrote poems about dark and disturbing themes and moods related to corporeality, illness and death.