Polish Dantism: Between the Epic and Ethics

Abstract

This essay proposes a synthesis of the major themes and issues of Polish Dantism, with a particular reference to the 20th century and beyond. The author retraces the traditional motifs which connect 20th century authors to the Romantic tradition, and discusses some examples (Gombrowicz, Vincenz, Miłosz) in a broader comparative dimension (referring specifically to Eliot, Mandel'štam, Brodsky). The author argues that the Modernist ethical idea of “necessity of Dante” tends to be gradually replaced by a Postmodernist notion of "aesthetic Dante", with a flowering of new translations – not only of the Divina Commedia. These works restore a balance between Polish literary Dantism and Dante studies. In this sense, the Polish situation displays a lot of similarity to the European and international context, abundant with trends and concerns which go far beyond those of a national language and literature.