Homo interpretativus confronted with Norwid’s Great Words

Abstract

The book confronts a number of various readings of one poem: Great Words by Cyprian Norwid. Its special value is established by a novel conception of the study work, designed as “work in progress”, in which particular interpretations, commentaries, polemic opinions and replies to them enter dialogic relations with each other. However, the reader feels a little unsatisfied because of the way the initial plan is carried out; first of all by the inconsistent profile of the texts, some of which are rightful interpretations of the poem by Norwid, and some are didactic presentations of various theoretical models of reading a text (hermeneutic, phenomenological), for which Norwid’s poem is only an example. This does not change the fact that the book significantly enriches our knowledge of both studies of Norwid and theory of interpretation.