The Envoy of Mr. Cogito (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Zbigniew Herbert
- First Published: 1974
- Type of Work: Meditation
- Genres: Poetry, Meditation
- Subjects: Mythology or myths, Good and evil, Legends, Ethics, Heroes or heroism, Diplomacy or diplomats
The Poem
“The Envoy of Mr. Cogito” is a medium-length poem in free verse, divided into fifteen short stanzas. The title contains a pun, for Mr. Cogito is an envoy, a kind of messenger, and the poem is also an envoy (or envoi), summarizing the poet’s message in the closing lines of his collection Pan Cogito. Envoys, however, are usually diplomats, conveying carefully worded messages from their governments; they are the bearers of political, not poetic, statements. Yet the language of both diplomacy and poetry is simultaneously precise and ambiguous, providing room...
[The entire page is 1439 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
