Herbert, Zbigniew - Herbert, Zbigniew 1924–
Herbert, Zbigniew 1924–
A Polish poet, Herbert came to the forefront of Polish literature with the relaxation of political suppression in 1961. Herbert's poems have as their subject matter everyday objects and mythical fantasies, and they are imbued with great wit and nonsense. Although his poems seem to be simply mischievous, they are actually careful, studied indictments of the repressiveness of totalitarianism, and the poet uses his outward buoyancy to enhance sanity and survival in a world that is bleakly impersonal.
The most distinctive quality of Herbert's imagination is his power to invest impish fantasy, mischievously tender nonsense, with the highest seriousness. His humorous fantasy is the armor of a superlatively healthy mind staving off political oppression. Fantasy is an instrument of survival: it is the chief weapon in a poetry arsenal which serves as a caretaker of the individual identity, a bulwark against the mental slavery of the...
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