A Philologist’ Laboratory. Józef Czechowicz’s Poems - The Problem of Authorship

Abstract

In the article issues are tackled connected with establishing the authorship and correctness of Józef Czechowicz's texts. Typescripts of his poems that he had left unsigned, and that are now among the signed manuscripts and typescripts, gave a lot of trouble to editors of the poet's works. A lack of his signature caused hesitations as to the authorship; however, sometimes there was a possibility of completely ruling out the authorship of the Lublin poet. The problem of authorship is also complicated because of other poets' poems that Czechowicz copied himself. New prospects connected with establishing the authorship of the texts are offered by reaching to the poet's surviving original poems. Owing to this method – in several cases – it was possible to reconstruct their correct shape.