SOURCE: “Adam Mickiewicz: Poland's National Romantic Poet,” in South Atlantic Bulletin, Vol. 42, No. 4, November, 1977, pp. 103-13.

In the following essay, Fagin offers an overview of Mickiewicz's literary career, observing that Mickiewicz's Romanticism is characterized by his patriotism, and that his poetry reflects his intense love of country and humankind.

Józef Witlin, one of Poland's contemporary writers and literary critics, wrote that, “To the world at large Polish literature is known as an unknown literature.”¹ This seems to be especially true in regard to the literature of the romantic period, which is considered to be the richest in Poland's history.

The lack of popularity among foreign readers of Polish romantic literature could probably be attributed to its deeply rooted, and seemingly excessive, nationalism. It is an accepted fact that all European romantic writers of the nineteenth century were idealistic, having been influenced by the ideals of the French...