„Rozhuśtana na grozie wesołość” – barok w poetyckim świecie Wisławy Szymborskiej
„Merriment dangling from terror” – baroque in the poetic world of Wisława Szymborska

Summary/Abstract: The article extends previous findings regarding the multiple connections between Szymborska’s poetry and the baroque tradition. It exposes the existential dimension of these references concerning anthropology and the place of man in the world. The world of Szymborka’s poetry, unlike the baroque one, is a disenchanted world. The author of the article draws attention to the inner dark trend in Szymborska’s work, related to the sense of terror of existence. This conviction about the tragic essence of the condition of human nature is skillfully masked with linguistic means, giving the impression of cheerful fun. The poet asks questions about the responsibility for one’s own life, for other beings. Existential anxiety of this poetry is mitigated by the convention of linguistic play. However, this does not ease the sense of being lost in the abyss of being.

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