Malczewski, Antoni

Malczewski, Antoni

 

Born June 3, 1793, in Kniaginin in Volyn’; died May 2, 1826, in Warsaw. Polish poet.

Malczewski studied at the Kremenets Lycée and served in the army of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw from 1811 to 1815. His only work, the narrative poem Maria (1825), along with Mickiewicz’s narrative verse, laid the foundation for romantic epic poetry in Poland. Malczewski’s poem, set in the 17th century, depicts the life of the Polish gentry in the Ukraine. The poem is noteworthy for its colorful evocation of the historical past, its antimagnate sentiment, its lyrical descriptions of the Ukrainian countryside, its vivid character portrayal, and its use of colloquial speech.

WORKS

Maria. Warsaw, 1956.

REFERENCES

Mazanowski, M. Żywot i utwory A. Malczewskiego. L’vov, 1890.
Dernalowicz, M. Antoni Malczewski. Warsaw, 1967. (Bibliography pages 209-13).