Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska, ''née'' Kossak (24 November 1891 – 9 July 1945), was a prolific Polish poet known as the ''Polish Sappho'' and "queen of lyrical poetry" during Poland's interwar period. Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska: Biography and ''A Woman of Wonder''
,

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

. She was also a dramatist.

Life

Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska nac PIC 1-K-1734-2)

Born in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

into a family of painters, Maria Kossak grew up in the manor house known as the Kossakówka surrounded by artists, writers, and intellectuals. Her grandfather,

Juliusz Kossak Juliusz Fortunat Kossak (Nowy Wiśnicz, 15 December 1824 – 3 February 1899, Kraków) was an Austrian Polish historical painter and master illustrator who specialized in battle scenes, military portraits and horses. He was the progenitor of an ...

, and father,

Wojciech Kossak Wojciech Horacy Kossak (31 December 1856 – 29 July 1942) was a noted Polish painter and member of the celebrated Kossak family of artists and writers. He was the son of painter Juliusz Kossak, and twin brother of freedom fighter Tadeusz Kossa ...

, were both professional painters famous for their depictions of historical scenes and horses. Her younger sister, Magdalena Samozwaniec, was also a popular writer of satire. Fluent in French, English, and German, in her youth, Kossak divided her time between painting and poetry. It was only during her marriage to Jan Pawlikowski — after the annulment of her first marriage to Władysław Bzowski — that her literary interests prevailed, inspired by the couple's discussions about her poetic output and the world of literature in general. Their passionate relationship based on shared interests and mutual love was an endless source of poetic inspiration for her. However, her second marriage also failed. Following her divorce, Maria Pawlikowska became associated with the

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

-based Skamander group of poets: Julian Tuwim, Jan Lechoń, Kazimierz Wierzyński, and other renowned writers such as Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Irena Krzywicka, Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna and

Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński Tadeusz Kamil Marcjan Żeleński (better known by his pen name, Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński or simply as Boy; 21 December 1874 – 4 July 1941) was a Polish stage writer, poet, critic and, above all, the translator of over 100 French literary classics ...

. In the inter-war period Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska published twelve volumes of poetry and established herself as one of the most innovative poets of the era. She began her career as a playwright in 1924, with her first farce, ''Archibald the Chauffeur'', produced in Warsaw. By 1939 she had written fifteen plays whose treatment of taboo topics such as

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

, extramarital affairs, and

incest Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity (marriage or stepfamily), adopti ...

provoked scandals. She was compared by critics to

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...

, Marivaux, Oscar Wilde,

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

, and Witkacy.Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska's ''Baba-dziwo''. Experimenting With the Popular
''www.findarticles.com'' Her plays depicted her unconventional approach to motherhood, which she understood as a painful obligation that ends mutual passion. She spoke in support of a woman's right to choose. In 1939, at the onset of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, she followed her third husband, Stefan Jasnorzewski, to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. She was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1944, soon becoming hemiplegic, and on 9 July 1945 died in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, cared for to the last by her husband. She is buried with her husband in

Southern Cemetery, Manchester Southern Cemetery is a large municipal cemetery in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England, south of the city centre. It opened in 1879 and is owned and administered by Manchester City Council. It is the largest municipal cemetery in the United ...

''A Woman of Wonder''

In 1937 Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska wrote an anti-Nazi play, ''Baba-dziwo'', which was translated into English by Elwira M. Grossman and Paul J. Kelly as ''A Woman of Wonder''.

Works

* ''Niebieskie migdały'',

1922 * ''Różowa magia'',

1924 * ''Narcyz'' 1926 * ''Szofer Archibald''.

Comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

in 3 acts, premiere:

, The New Theatre 1924, publication: "Świat" 1924 (# 45–52) * ''Kochanek Sybilli Thompson''. Futuristic fantasy in 3 acts, premiere:

, J. Słowacki Theatre 1926 * ''Pocałunki'',

1926 * ''Dancing. Karnet balowy'',

1927 * ''Wachlarz'',

1927 * ''Cisza leśna'',

1928 * ''Paryż'',

1929 * ''Profil białej damy'',

1930 * ''Egipska pszenica''. Play in 3 acts, premiere:

, J. Słowacki Theatre 1932 * ''Mrówki (myrmeis)''. Play in 3 acts, premiere:

, J. Słowacki Theatre 1936 * ''Referat''. Farce in 3 acts, premiere: Polish TV 1968, publication: "Dialog" 1979 * ''Zalotnicy niebiescy''. Play in 3 acts, premiere:

, The New Theatre 1933, publication

1936 * ''Surowy jedwab'',

1932 * ''Powrót mamy''. Comedy in 3 acts, premiere:

, The New Theatre 1935 * ''Śpiąca załoga'',

1933 * ''Dowód osobisty''. Comedy in 3 acts, premiere:

, The New Theatre 1936 * ''Nagroda literacka''. Comedy in 4 acts, premiere:

, The New Theatre 1937 * ''Balet powojów'',

1935 * ''Biedna młodość'', radio play, Polish radio 1936 * ''Pani zabija pana'', radio play, Polish radio 1936 * ''Krystalizacje'',

1937 * ''Złowrogi portret'', radio play, Polish radio 1937 * ''Baba-dziwo''. TragiComedy in 3 acts, premiere:

, J. Słowacki Theatre 1938, publication: "Dialog" 1966 * ''Dewaluacja Klary''. Comedy in 3 acts, premiere:

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint Joh ...

, Teatr Polski 1939 * ''Popielaty welon. Fantazja sceniczna w 9 obrazach'', premiere:

, Teatr Narodowy 1939 * ''Szkicownik poetycki''.

1939 * ''Gołąb ofiarny'', poems,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

1941 * ''Róża i lasy płonące''.

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, 1941 * ''Czterolistna koniczyna albo szachownica''.

, 1980

Awards

* Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature (1935) * Literary prize of the city of Cracow (1937)

Notes

External links

Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska: selected poems in translation including photographs at Buffalo University's InfoPolandMaria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska
at culture.pl
Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska
collected works (Polish)
Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska: poems in translation and biographical material
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska, Maria Writers from Kraków Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature 1891 births 1945 deaths Polish women poets Polish women dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Polish poets 20th-century Polish dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Polish women writers Deaths from bone cancer Deaths from cancer in England Burials at Southern Cemetery, Manchester