9 Must-Read Polish Poems

Poland has produced many notable poets throughout history. Polish poetry often engages with themes that include love, nature, spirituality, and the human condition. Polish poets have also written about historical events and social and political issues, reflecting the country’s complex and often turbulent history.

Some of the most famous Polish poets include Adam Mickiewicz, Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, and Zbigniew Herbert. Mickiewicz, a Romantic poet from the 19th century, is considered one of Poland’s greatest literary figures and wrote epic poems such as “Pan Tadeusz,” which is widely regarded as the national epic of Poland.

Miłosz, a Nobel Prize laureate, is known for his deeply philosophical and politically charged poetry that often grapples with the complexities of human existence. Szymborska, also a Nobel Prize laureate, is celebrated for her precise and witty poetry that often examines the contradictions of everyday life.

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A Poor Christian Looks at the Ghetto

by Czeslaw Milosz

‘A Poor Christian Looks at the Ghetto’ by Czeslaw Milosz presents a description of the Warsaw Ghetto from the eyes of a “poor Christian.”

This incredibly powerful poem is an example of Polish poetry, a rich literary tradition characterized by its depth of feeling, intellectual rigor, and engagement with complex themes and issues. The poem reflects the diversity and richness of this tradition and speaks to the enduring legacy of Polish poetry as a form of artistic expression and cultural identity. It engages with topics that the poet was closely connected to and does so through realistic, hard-to-forget images.

Bees build around red liver, Ants build around black bone. It has begun: the tearing, the trampling on silks, It has begun: the breaking of glass, wood, copper, nickel, silver, foam

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Try to Praise the Mutilated World

by Adam Zagajewski

‘Try to Praise the Mutilated World’ by Adam Zagajewski focuses on the most important ways that people can find happiness in their everyday lives. They can step out into nature or return to memories.

As a Polish poet, Zagajewski's work often engages with the history and culture of his homeland, exploring themes such as loss, displacement, and hope. The poem reflects a Polish perspective on the human condition, both in celebrating simple pleasures and acknowledging darkness and struggle. The poem is regarded as a truly wonderful example of Polish verse

Try to praise the mutilated world.

Remember June's long days,

and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine.

The nettles that methodically overgrown

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I’ll Open the Window

by Anna Swir

‘I’ll Open the Window’ is a passionate piece written by Anna Swir that offers a raw and natural post romantic breakup statement.

Swir was a prominent poet in Poland during the 20th century, and her work continues to inspire readers around the world. 'I'll Open the Window' is a powerful example of the emotional and honest poetry that has come out of Poland over the years, highlighting the rich literary tradition of the country.

Our embrace lasted too long. We loved right down to the bone. I hear the bones grind, I see our two skeletons.

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A Song on the End of the World

by Czeslaw Milosz

‘A Song on the End of the World’ by Czeslaw Milosz is an impactful poem that takes a paradoxical view of the apocalypse as a means of underscoring the surreality of facing cataclysm.

Milosz is considered one of the eminent voices in Polish literature. All of his poems, even after immigrating to the United States, were written in his native Polish and translated either by others or himself to English. Many of his early poems were penned while living under Nazi occupation and about the aftermath of the war.

On the day the world ends

A bee circles a clover,

A fisherman mends a glimmering net.

Happy porpoises jump in the sea,

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The Three Oddest Words

by Wislawa Szymborska

‘The Three Oddest Words’ is a poem that addresses peculiarities of language in ways that reflect the peculiarities themselves.

This poem reflects the tradition of Polish poetry, which often places a strong emphasis on language and the use of simple, direct imagery to convey complex emotions and ideas. This poem and poet are not well-known outside Poland, but her verse is well-worth reading. Szymborska was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1996, and her works are widely celebrated for their philosophical depth, wit, and precision of language.

When I pronounce the word Future, the first syllable already belongs to the past.

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The Terrorist, He’s Watching

by Wislawa Szymborska

In ‘The Terrorist, He’s Watching,’ Wislawa Szymborska captures the tense countdown to a bombing, as the terrorist coldly observes who lives and who dies.

As a Polish poet, Szymborska reflects Poland’s 20th-century history of war, surveillance, and moral ambiguity. Her sparse, detached tone echoes the numbness shaped by decades of political violence. The poem critiques passive observation and questions fate, drawing from a national psyche marked by occupation, resistance, and the randomness of survival.

The bomb in the bar will explode at 13:20.

Now, it’s just 13:16.

There’s still time for some to go in, and some to come out.

The terrorist has already crossed the street.

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The End and the Beginning

by Wislawa Szymborska

Szymborska contemplates the aftermath of war, urging resilience and reflection amidst destruction, evoking emotions of melancholy and hope.

This poem by Wislawa Szymborska stands as an exceptional poem among other Polish works due to its powerful portrayal of the aftermath of war and the complexities of reconstruction. Szymborska, a Nobel laureate, showcases her brilliance in crafting contemplative verses, touching upon profound themes with vivid imagery. The poem's introspective tone, concise language, and the blending of the personal and universal make it a remarkable piece of Polish literature. Its ability to resonate with readers on a global level further solidifies its significance in the context of Polish poetry.

After every war

someone has to clean up.

Things won’t

straighten themselves up, after all.

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A Contribution to Statistics

by Wislawa Szymborska

‘A Contribution to Statistics’ by Wislawa Szymborska provides a statistical yet poignant snapshot of human behavior, attitudes, and emotional states.

Poetry by Polish writers is often known for its focus on philosophical and existential themes. The social and historical context of Poland, especially its complicated 20th-century history, adds another layer of depth to Szymborska's exploration of human traits in this specific poem.

Out of a hundred people

those who always know better

-- fifty-two

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I, the Poet

by Leonard Gorski

‘I, the Poet’ by Leonard Gorski is a thought-provoking and multi-layered free-verse poem that explores themes of identity, mortality, and the search for meaning in an often confusing and uncertain world.

Leonard Gorski is a contemporary Polish poet whose work is not well-known among the country's literary greats. His verse is well-worth reading, though, as it deals with highly relatable and interesting themes in a unique manner.

I, the poet, wandering and amazed

Nailed by unhappiness to the wall

By age and poverty,

On which floor of stupidity or ignorance I dwell?

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9 Must-Read Polish Poems

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9 Must-Read Polish Poems

by Czeslaw Milosz

by Adam Zagajewski

by Anna Swir

by Czeslaw Milosz

by Wislawa Szymborska

by Wislawa Szymborska

by Wislawa Szymborska

by Wislawa Szymborska

by Leonard Gorski

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