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Adam MickiewiczGreat Polish poet
Date of Birth: 24.12.1798
Country:  Poland |
Content:
- Biography of Adam Mickiewicz
- Early Works and Romanticism
- Exile in Russia
- Works in Russia
- Time in Rome
- Life in Paris
- Later Life and Legacy
Biography of Adam Mickiewicz
Early Life and EducationAdam Mickiewicz, a great Polish poet, was born on December 24, 1798 in Nowogródek (now Belarus) into a small noble family. He completed his education at the University of Vilnius in 1819.
Early Works and Romanticism
In 1822 and 1823, Mickiewicz published two small poetry collections that marked the beginning of the romantic movement in Polish literature.
Exile in Russia
In 1824, due to his active involvement in Polish patriotic organizations, Mickiewicz was exiled to Russia. He lived in Odessa, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, and in 1829, he was granted permission to travel to Western Europe.
Works in Russia
During his time in Russia, Mickiewicz wrote the Crimean Sonnets (Sonety krymskie, 1826) and an epic poem in the style of Lord Byron, Konrad Wallenrod (1828), which showcased his poetic maturity.
Time in Rome
From 1829 to 1831, Mickiewicz spent most of his time in Rome, where he experienced a spiritual crisis and became fascinated with mysticism. Though not particularly enthusiastic, he attempted to join the participants of the Polish uprising in 1830-1831.
Life in Paris
In 1832, Mickiewicz settled in Paris, where he spent the majority of his remaining life. It was during this time that he wrote two of his greatest poems, the third part of Dziady (1832) and Pan Tadeusz (1834). In the first poem, Mickiewicz presented his "messianic" idea, depicting Poland as being crucified but destined to rise again and initiate a new historical era. The plot of Pan Tadeusz unfolds in rural Lithuania on the eve of Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, centering around the feuds among local Polish nobles, ultimately resolved through a wedding.
Later Life and Legacy
After Pan Tadeusz, Mickiewicz practically ceased writing poetry. In 1840, he became the first professor of Slavic literature at the Collège de France in Paris. In 1841, he was influenced by the mystic Apologist of Polish Messianism, A. Towiański, whose teachings combined faith in Poland's rebirth with belief in the perpetual activity of Napoleon's spirit. Mickiewicz's advocacy of Towiański's ideas led to the French government removing him from lecturing in 1845, and he was retired in 1852. In 1855, Mickiewicz traveled to Constantinople with the intention of organizing a Polish legion to assist the French and English in their struggle against Russia. However, he contracted cholera and passed away on November 26, 1855. In 1890, Mickiewicz's remains were transported from Paris to Kraków and placed in a sarcophagus in the Wawel Cathedral.
