Goethe Prize of the City of Frankfurt
1 appearances
-
Edition 37 (1991) Winner
Wisława Szymborska
ヴィスワヴァ・シムボルスカ
Wislawa Szymborska
Aliases:
Maria Wisława Anna Szymborska
Pen Names:
Stańczykówna（Pseudonym used for contributions to samizdat publications）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1923-07-02 （Prowent (now part of Kórnik), Poland）
- Died
- 2012-02-01 （Kraków, Poland） age 88
- Nationality
- Poland
- Languages
- Polish
- Residence History
- Prowent (childhood) → Toruń → Kraków — lived there for most of her life
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Essayist, Translator
- Active Years
- 1943-2012
- Affiliations
- Staff of the literary review Życie Literackie, Editor at the monthly NaGłos
- Memberships
- Polish United Workers' Party (former membership)
- Influenced By
- Czesław Miłosz, Jerzy Giedroyc
- Influenced
- Contemporary Polish poets (broad influence)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jagiellonian University | Faculty of Polish literature (switched to sociology) | Sociology (did not complete degree) | — | 1945–1948 | Poland |
Jagiellonian University
Faculty of Polish literature (switched to sociology)
/ Sociology (did not complete degree)
Period:
1945–1948
Country:
Poland
Left university without a degree due to financial difficulties
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Kościelski Award | — | — | Kościelski Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1991 | Goethe Prize | — | — | Goethe Foundation (Germany) | 受賞 |
| 1995 | Herder Prize | — | — | Herder Prize organization | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Nobel Prize in Literature | for her poetry (body of work) | — | The Swedish Academy | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Order of the White Eagle | — | — | Republic of Poland | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (Gold) | — | — | Polish Ministry of Culture | 受賞 |
Kościelski Award
1990
Organization:
Kościelski Foundation
Result:
受賞
Goethe Prize
1991
Organization:
Goethe Foundation (Germany)
Result:
受賞
Herder Prize
1995
Organization:
Herder Prize organization
Result:
受賞
Nobel Prize in Literature
1996
Work:
for her poetry (body of work)
Organization:
The Swedish Academy
Result:
受賞
Order of the White Eagle
2011
Organization:
Republic of Poland
Result:
受賞
Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis (Gold)
2005
Organization:
Polish Ministry of Culture
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Nobel Prize in Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 89 (1996) Winner
Works
Major Works
Dlatego żyjemy (That's Why We Are All Alive)
1952 PoetryAn early collection including poems reflecting socialist-realist themes; shows her early alignment and later distancing from official ideology.
societyhistoryindividual and collective
Translations
- Available in English translation
Sól (Salt)
1962 PoetryA mid-career collection that mixes everyday imagery with ontological reflection.
everyday lifeexistencemetaphor
Translations
- Available in English translation
Ludzie na moście (People on the Bridge)
1986 PoetryA collection portraying groups of people from varied viewpoints; one poem was adapted into film.
collective portraitshistorical memorychance and necessity
Adaptations
- [Film] People on the Bridge (film adaptation) / Beata Poźniak
Translations
- Available in English translation
Koniec i początek (The End and the Beginning)
1993 PoetryContains deep reflections on war, rebuilding and memory; includes poems that received international attention.
warmemoryreconstruction
Translations
- Available in English translation
Widok z ziarnkiem piasku (View with a Grain of Sand)
1996 PoetryA collection of poems that observe humans and the world from a microscopic or focused perspective.
observationphilosophynature
Translations
- Available in English translation
Dwukropek (Colon)
2005 PoetryOne of her late collections, characterized by short, incisive pieces.
short poemsreflection
Translations
- Available in English translation
Wystarczy (Enough)
2012 PoetryFinal collection published posthumously; concentrates late-life reflections.
endingretrospectstillness
Translations
- Available in English translation
Bibliography
- Dlatego żyjemy (1952)
- Pytania zadawane sobie (1954)
- Sól (1962)
- 101 wierszy (1966)
- Ludzie na moście (1986)
- Koniec i początek (1993)
- Widok z ziarnkiem piasku (1996)
- Dwukropek (2005)
- Tutaj (2009)
- Wystarczy (2012)
Adaptations
- Film adaptation of the poem 'People on the Bridge' by Beata Poźniak
- Musical settings of poems (e.g. setting of 'Buffo')
- Use of the poem 'Love at First Sight' in the film 'Turn Left, Turn Right'
Translations by Author
- Translations of French Baroque poetry and works by Agrippa d'Aubigné
Translations of Works
- Works translated into English, German, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Chinese and many other languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Concise style combining irony and precisionUse of paradox and understatementPhilosophical and existential reflections condensed in short pieces
- Recurring Motifs
- war and memoryperspectives from everyday lifecontrasts of life and deathparadox
Health
-
Lung cancer晩年（死去時の主な死因）Died of lung cancer in 2012 at home; the illness affected her ability to finalize late poems.
Legacy
Wisława Szymborska, awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature, gained international recognition for poetry marked by ironic precision. Her deep reflections on war, everyday life and memory greatly influenced Polish and international poetry. A literary award bearing her name has been established.
Academic Societies
- Polish PEN Club (associated)
In Popular Culture
- Use/influence of her poems in 'Turn Left, Turn Right' and inspiration for 'Three Colors: Red'
- Musical settings of her poems (e.g. 'Buffo', adaptations of 'Nic dwa razy')
Quotes
-
I have a trash can in my home.
Source: Interview/comment about why she published few poems -
For poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality.
Source: Nobel Committee (citation for the Nobel Prize in Literature) (1996)
Trivia
- Her published body of poetry numbers fewer than 350 poems.
- In 1953 she signed a political petition condemning certain priests (a controversial act).