Published : 2022-10-19

Express the “Inexpressible”: Psychological Secrets of the Soul of a Romantic Artist in "Utwory francuskie" by Zygmunt Krasiński

Włodzimierz Śmieciński

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2193-2873

Abstract

The article presents the issue of the psychology of creativity. In the 19th century, psychological issues, along with philosophical ones, were at the very center of thought, penetrating all areas of life. The basic key word for this field in Romanticism was the concept of a “soul”–  a very ambiguous term, encompassing many different meanings and semantic properties. The psychological “soul” - similarly to the key words in philosophy: “God,” “absolute,” “eternity,” “infinity”– refers to the idea (quality) that is elusive, inaccessible in a human way, introducing the “inexpressible” element to romantic poetry. This is the attempt to express the “inexpressible” – according to the author of the article – in Zygmunt Krasiński’s "Utwory francuskie" [Eng. French Works]. Images of the soul, deeply embedded in these texts, are a bold poetic attempt to explore the sphere of elusive, essentially “inexpressible”
qualities. They take us into the “supernatural universe, where the spirit incarnates sublime shapes or is terribly born in the unconscious, allowing us to penetrate the most irrational and imaginary world [translation].” However, Krasiński’s “soul,” as
the author states, remains unknown in these texts; moreover –  it should remain unrecognized. Enchanted in its non-recognition, it testifies not only to the novelty and artistry of "Utwory francuskie", but also determines the essence of romantic poetry and poetry in general.

Keywords:

romanticism, romantic poetry, Zygmunt Krasiński, psychology of creativity, idealistic philosophy, God, absolute, infinity, “inexpressibility”, “soul”, “mood” (“state of the soul”), subconsciousness, onirism, dream, death, premonition of death, eschatology



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Śmieciński, W. (2022). Express the “Inexpressible”: Psychological Secrets of the Soul of a Romantic Artist in "Utwory francuskie" by Zygmunt Krasiński. Studia Mazowieckie, 17(2), 87–100. https://doi.org/10.54539/sm.38


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