Wespazjan Kochowski

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Wespazjan Kochowski, coffin portrait (ca. 1787), National Museum in Kraków
Wespazjan Kochowski
Nieczuja - the coat of arms
of Kochowski family
The first page of Psalmodia polska

Wespazjan (Vespasian) Kochowski (

Polish Baroque, the most typical representative of the philosophy and literature of Sarmatism
.

Life

Kochowski was associated with

battle of Beresteczko). In 1660 he came back to paternal Gaj, but he had to move to Goleniowy near Szczekociny in Kraków Land
.

His first publication was a

poem entitled Kamień świadectwa wielkiego w Koronie Polskiej senatora niewinności (The Stone of Testimony of the Innocence of the Great Senator of Polish Kingdom) in the defence of Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski. In 1668 he published his first volume, Różaniec Najświętszej Panny Maryi (The Rosary of Holy Virgin Mary), which considers each secrets of rosary
.

During that time, Kochowski was involved in political life (regional

salt mines in Wieliczka near Kraków
.

In 1674 he published his first masterpiece — Niepróżnujące próżnowanie (Not idling idleness). This is a collection of several hundreds verses, divided in four books of lyrics, one book of epodes and two books of epigrams. He showed the variety of topics, feelings, stylistic figures and versification forms. He expressed the care of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, praised its triumphs, criticised its weaknesses, encouraged compatriots to defence it; he glorified life in the country and his paternal region, thanked God for looking for him and also joked at many ordinary situations in life.

In 1681 Kochowski also wrote two religious poems: Chrystus cierpiący (Suffering Christ), which laments the

Our Lady
.

During the

John II Casimir and Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki. Kochowski had used the information from many witnesses, documents and his own experiences and he had done it so well. This book is one of the main sources for the old Polish history
.

In 1683 Kochowski took part in the

Memoirs from the war against Turks). He also tried to make the national epos, but he managed to write only one canto
, edited as Dzieło Boskie albo Pieśni Wiednia wybawionego (The Work of God or Songs of Liberated Vienna, also in 1684.

The last, most original and interesting piece of Kochowski was Trybut należyty wdzięczności wszystkiego dobrego Dawcy, Panu i Bogu albo Psalmodia polska za dobrodziejstwa Boskie dziękująca (The Appropriate Gift of Gratefulness for the Giver of Everything Good, Lord and God, or Polish

providence (złota mierność – the golden mean), special role of Poland in the world (antemurale christianitatis – the bulwark of Christianity) and the superiority of Polish political system (złota wolność – the golden liberty). Psalmodia polska is recognized as one of the main monuments of old Polish literature and the best synthesis of Sarmatism
.

In 1658 Kochowski married Marianna (Marianne) Misiowska. They had a son, Hieronim Franciszek (Jerome Francis), as late as 1674. After the death of Marianna in 1677 he married rich widow Magdalena (Madeline) Frezer. In 1696 she also died.

He was the best

Święty Krzyż) and Pakosław Lanckoroński (a politician
).

Kochowski was very popular in his time. He was also very popular in the last period of partitions and between the Wars. Last time he is more and more esteemed again.

Works

  1. Wespazjan Kochowski, Utwory poetyckie. Wybór, opr.
    Biblioteka Narodowa
    , seria I, number 92)
  2. Wespazjan Kochowski, Lata potopu: 1655-1657, tł.
    Warszawa
    , 1966
  3. Wespazjan Kochowski, Psalmodia polska, Kraków, 2003
  4. Wespazjan Kochowski, Wybór wierszy, Kraków, 2003
  5. Wespazjan Kochowski, Poezje wybrane, opr.
    Warszawa
    , 1977
  6. Wespazjan Kochowski,
    Warszawa
    , 1978
  7. Wespazjan Kochowski, Dzieło Boskie albo Pieśni Wiednia wybawionego, opr. Marian Kaczmarek, Wrocław, 1983
  8. Wespazjan Kochowski, Pisma wierszem i prozą, wyd. Kazimierz Józef Turowski, Kraków, 1859 (jedyne pełne wydanie jego polskich poezji)

See also

References

Further reading

  1. Jan Czubek, Wespazyan z Kochowa Kochowski, Kraków, 1900
  2. Warszawa
    , 1973
  3. Maria Eustachiewicz, Wiesław Majewski, Nad lirykami Wespazjana Kochowskiego, Wrocław, 1986
  4. Jerzy Starnawski, Wespazjan Kochowski, Wrocław, 1988
  5. Krzysztof Obremski, Psalmodia polska. Trzy studia nad poematem, Toruń, 1995
  6. Wespazjan Kochowski w kręgu kultury literackiej, red. Dariusz Chemperek, Lublin, 2003

External links

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