Sophisticated Concept. The Place of Adam Mickiewicz’s [Królewna Lala] in the History of Literature

Abstract

The article attempts to define the place of Adam Mickiewicz’s unfinished work from the last stage of the poet’s artistic life, titled [Królewna Lala] [Princess Lala], in the history of literature, and thus in the history of literary research, and to outline the possible interpretations of the work using the category of Romantic irony and the idea of concept. A fine artistic idea behind [Królewna Lala] consists in using complex contrasts, combining fairy tale with realism, seriousness with comedy, simplicity of language with poetic mastery, dialogue with literary tradition. It is a virtuoso performance of the writer who creates a comic effect that is closer to the poetics of the absurd (pure nonsense) than to pure comedy. The work reveals a new aesthetic quality, unknown to Mickiewicz’s earlier works.