The Two Most Beautiful Słowacki's Ballads

Abstract

Critics have written memoirs in which they described the external values of Mlle George and Wysocka. In this study I have put together these memoirs, limiting my commentaries to the minimum, and set them in opposition to each other, while in the middle there is an empty mirror frame. What did they see? There was an exceptional kinship of their outlook: one was the poet's muse, and the other attempted to create his literary work. One is tempted to start with announcing Wysocka Słowacki's dream Balladyna. It is only through an analysis of her creative acts that allowed me to call here by this name. The spirit of transformations in the theatre was born in Słowacki's work and snatched Wysocka to a “new game.” Her creation of Balladyna was an example that Słowacki's writing provoked those who were open to it in Poland to the Great Reform of the Theatre. Solski and Siedlecki responded to this challenge by the “Słowacki Cycle” of 1909. I shall discuss the fruit of their work in another place.