Juliusz SÅ‚owacki (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjuljuÊ‚ swÉ"ˈvatÍ¡ski];
French: Jules Slowacki; 4 September 1809 â€" 3 April 1849) was a
Polish Romantic poet. He is considered one of the "Three Bards" of
Polish literature â€" a major figure in the Polish Romantic period,
and the father of modern Polish drama. His works often feature
elements of Slavic pagan traditions, Polish history, mysticism and
orientalism. His style includes the employment of neologisms and
irony. His primary genre was the drama, but he also wrote lyric
poetry. His most popular works include the dramas Kordian and
Balladyna and the poems Beniowski, Testament mój and
Anhelli.SÅ‚owacki spent his youth in the "Stolen Lands", in Kremenets
(Polish: Krzemieniec; now in Ukraine) and Vilnius (Polish: Wilno, in
Lithuania). He briefly worked for the government of the Kingdom of
Poland. During the November 1830 Uprising, he was a courier for the
Polish revolutionary government. When the uprising ended in defeat, he
found himself abroad and thereafter, like many compatriots, lived the
life of an émigré. He settled briefly in Paris, France, and later in
Geneva, Switzerland. He also traveled through Italy, Greece and the
Middle East. Eventually he returned to Paris, where he spent the last
decade of his life. He briefly returned to Poland when another
uprising broke out during the Spring of Nations (1848).Like many of
his countrymen, SÅ‚owacki decided to stay in France as a political
refugee. In 1832 he published his first collections of poems and his
first two dramas (Mindowe and Maria Stuart).[1][2] He also met
Mickiewicz again; reportedly, Mickiewicz approached his younger
colleague and shook his hand.[2] However, SÅ‚owacki's poems, written
in the 1820s, were unpopular among his Polish compatriots, as they
failed to capture the sentiment of a people living under foreign
occupation.[13] SÅ‚owacki was angered by Mickiewicz, who not only
stole the limelight with his Księgi narodu polskiego i pielgrzymstwa
polskiego (Books of the Polish nation and pilgrimage), but his part
three of Dziady (1832) cast Słowacki's stepfather, professor Bécu,
in the role of a villain.[14] In a letter to his mother SÅ‚owacki
wrote that immediately after reading that work he was ready to
challenge Mickiewicz for a duel; that did not come to pass but from
that moment on, SÅ‚owacki would see Mickiewicz as his main
rival.[14][15] Few days later, antagonized by worsening reception of
his works among the Polish émigré community in Paris, including
sharp criticism from Mickiewicz, SÅ‚owacki left on a trip to Geneva,
Switzerland.[16] The French authorities denied him the right to return
to France as part of a larger program to rid the country of the
potentially subversive Polish exiles who had settled there.[13]
French: Jules Slowacki; 4 September 1809 â€" 3 April 1849) was a
Polish Romantic poet. He is considered one of the "Three Bards" of
Polish literature â€" a major figure in the Polish Romantic period,
and the father of modern Polish drama. His works often feature
elements of Slavic pagan traditions, Polish history, mysticism and
orientalism. His style includes the employment of neologisms and
irony. His primary genre was the drama, but he also wrote lyric
poetry. His most popular works include the dramas Kordian and
Balladyna and the poems Beniowski, Testament mój and
Anhelli.SÅ‚owacki spent his youth in the "Stolen Lands", in Kremenets
(Polish: Krzemieniec; now in Ukraine) and Vilnius (Polish: Wilno, in
Lithuania). He briefly worked for the government of the Kingdom of
Poland. During the November 1830 Uprising, he was a courier for the
Polish revolutionary government. When the uprising ended in defeat, he
found himself abroad and thereafter, like many compatriots, lived the
life of an émigré. He settled briefly in Paris, France, and later in
Geneva, Switzerland. He also traveled through Italy, Greece and the
Middle East. Eventually he returned to Paris, where he spent the last
decade of his life. He briefly returned to Poland when another
uprising broke out during the Spring of Nations (1848).Like many of
his countrymen, SÅ‚owacki decided to stay in France as a political
refugee. In 1832 he published his first collections of poems and his
first two dramas (Mindowe and Maria Stuart).[1][2] He also met
Mickiewicz again; reportedly, Mickiewicz approached his younger
colleague and shook his hand.[2] However, SÅ‚owacki's poems, written
in the 1820s, were unpopular among his Polish compatriots, as they
failed to capture the sentiment of a people living under foreign
occupation.[13] SÅ‚owacki was angered by Mickiewicz, who not only
stole the limelight with his Księgi narodu polskiego i pielgrzymstwa
polskiego (Books of the Polish nation and pilgrimage), but his part
three of Dziady (1832) cast Słowacki's stepfather, professor Bécu,
in the role of a villain.[14] In a letter to his mother SÅ‚owacki
wrote that immediately after reading that work he was ready to
challenge Mickiewicz for a duel; that did not come to pass but from
that moment on, SÅ‚owacki would see Mickiewicz as his main
rival.[14][15] Few days later, antagonized by worsening reception of
his works among the Polish émigré community in Paris, including
sharp criticism from Mickiewicz, SÅ‚owacki left on a trip to Geneva,
Switzerland.[16] The French authorities denied him the right to return
to France as part of a larger program to rid the country of the
potentially subversive Polish exiles who had settled there.[13]
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