About
Adam Zagajewski was a Polish poet and essayist born in Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine) and died in Kraków. A leading figure of the Polish New Wave, he criticized the communist regime, which led to censorship. Exiled to Paris in 1982, he taught in the United States before returning to Poland in 2002. His poem 'Try to Praise the Mutilated World' was published in The New Yorker after September 11, 2001, bringing him international recognition. Winner of numerous awards, including the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 2004, he is considered one of the greatest contemporary poets.
* 1945-06-21 — † 2021-03-21
Major works
- Komunikat (1972)poetry collection
- Tremor (1985)poetry collection
- Solidarity, Solitude (1990)essays
- Mysticism for Beginners (1997)poetry collection
- Another Beauty (2000)memoir
Key milestones
- 1975Signed the 'Letter of 59' protesting constitutional changes, leading to the banning of his works by state censors.
- 2001His poem 'Try to Praise the Mutilated World' appeared in The New Yorker's special post-9/11 issue.
- 2004Received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature.
Themes
exile and memoryhistory and politicsbeauty and wondermetaphysics and spiritualityeveryday life and contemplation
Sources: poetryfoundation.org · poets.org · milosz.polonistyka.uj.edu.pl