‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian Tuwim
The Polish-Jewish poet Julian Tuwim (1894–1953) was among the most widely read – and denounced! – writers of interwar Poland. Described as ‘a virtuoso of language’ in his beloved Polish mother tongue, Tuwim’s literary range was remarkable and varied. Most introspectively, his poetry expressed a simu...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Lodz University Press
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Czytanie Literatury |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/czytanieliteratury/article/view/24745 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832584297359343616 |
|---|---|
| author | Myer Siemiatycki |
| author_facet | Myer Siemiatycki |
| author_sort | Myer Siemiatycki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Polish-Jewish poet Julian Tuwim (1894–1953) was among the most widely read – and denounced! – writers of interwar Poland. Described as ‘a virtuoso of language’ in his beloved Polish mother tongue, Tuwim’s literary range was remarkable and varied. Most introspectively, his poetry expressed a simultaneous embrace and ambivalence, towards the dual identities he fiercely proclaimed: both Polish and Jewish. His poetry combined, stretched and challenged identities in unprecedented ways. This writing earned Tuwim a wide audience, along with many critics. Living in exile during the Second World War, Tuwim was among the first major European literary figures to write Holocaust poetry as genocide was being perpetrated. His searing Holocaust poems convey a longing for Poland, for a better Poland, and a solidarity of suffering with his brethren Jews. To the end, Julian Tuwim was a powerful, troubled Polish-Jewish literary voice. He was ever hunting for the words that could change his world and ours. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-171130926b584f5bb679f5375b3ee54a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2299-7458 2449-8386 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Lodz University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Czytanie Literatury |
| spelling | doaj-art-171130926b584f5bb679f5375b3ee54a2025-01-27T14:24:49ZengLodz University PressCzytanie Literatury2299-74582449-83862024-12-011327129310.18778/2299-7458.13.1625315‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian TuwimMyer Siemiatycki0Toronto Metropolitan UniversityThe Polish-Jewish poet Julian Tuwim (1894–1953) was among the most widely read – and denounced! – writers of interwar Poland. Described as ‘a virtuoso of language’ in his beloved Polish mother tongue, Tuwim’s literary range was remarkable and varied. Most introspectively, his poetry expressed a simultaneous embrace and ambivalence, towards the dual identities he fiercely proclaimed: both Polish and Jewish. His poetry combined, stretched and challenged identities in unprecedented ways. This writing earned Tuwim a wide audience, along with many critics. Living in exile during the Second World War, Tuwim was among the first major European literary figures to write Holocaust poetry as genocide was being perpetrated. His searing Holocaust poems convey a longing for Poland, for a better Poland, and a solidarity of suffering with his brethren Jews. To the end, Julian Tuwim was a powerful, troubled Polish-Jewish literary voice. He was ever hunting for the words that could change his world and ours.https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/czytanieliteratury/article/view/24745julian tuwimpolish-jewish poetryholocaust poetrypoetryidentityhybridity |
| spellingShingle | Myer Siemiatycki ‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian Tuwim Czytanie Literatury julian tuwim polish-jewish poetry holocaust poetry poetry identity hybridity |
| title | ‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian Tuwim |
| title_full | ‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian Tuwim |
| title_fullStr | ‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian Tuwim |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian Tuwim |
| title_short | ‘As Though It Were A Sacred Relic’: The Troubled Holocaust Poetry of Julian Tuwim |
| title_sort | as though it were a sacred relic the troubled holocaust poetry of julian tuwim |
| topic | julian tuwim polish-jewish poetry holocaust poetry poetry identity hybridity |
| url | https://czasopisma.uni.lodz.pl/czytanieliteratury/article/view/24745 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT myersiemiatycki asthoughitwereasacredrelicthetroubledholocaustpoetryofjuliantuwim |