Zbigniew Herbert-A Literary Genius

Hi ! Its cold all over India now. Shimla, Manali and the surrounding hills of Kullu experienced first Snowfall of the season here making the weather chilled and beautiful. Well today's Post is about the famous literary personality of Poland - Zbigniew Herbert. Polish Post introduced a postage stamp containing an image of the writer on the background of his poems on 1 December 2008. The FDC contains a facsimile of the manuscript of Herbert's poem called Kamyk, printed on the background depicting a blue and grey rock. It's a wonderful idea of the artist who designed stamp and FDC giving the most appropriate design to reval a literary personality. Polish stamps are always my favourite so I write more about them. Here is the beautiful stamp and FDC. In second part of the Post some stamps on personalities issued by India Post on last day of year 2008. This is all for today!...... Till Next Post .....Have a Nice Time !

Zbigniew Herbert

Zbigniew Herbert was born in 1924 in Lviv. His rich life story includes numerous dramatic events. After he had completed clandestine classes and passed his final secondary school examinations (pol. matura, equivalent of the Anglo-Saxon A-Level examinations) in Lviv, which was then occupied by the Germans, he studied Polish Philology and later, in Krakow, he took up studies in Economy at the Cracow University of Economics and Law at the Jagiellonian University. At the same time, he begun a course at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts. If that wasn't enough, he got involved in the underground activities of the AK (pol. Armia Krajowa - Polish armed forces in conspiracy, an underground force in operation during the years of WW II). During the war and occupation he worked as, among others, a flea feeder with an institute developing vaccines against typhus.

He completed his studies in Law in 1949 at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, after which he took up philosophy. His versatile education later on gave rise to unmatched poetry, forcing the reader to think hard and requiring knowledge of many fields of arts and science. His first literary appearance was in press in 1950, and his first published book, Struna Swiata, came out six years later. In the 1980s Herbert was the poet of the Polish resistance. He always used to keep outside the poetic mainstream and only follow his own ways.

Mr. Cogito

Zbigniew Herbert created the literary person of Mr Cogito as his alter ego. It is this imaginary character that the poet employed to voice truths too painful or difficult to say out loud, and also to talk about regular problems, the real world, and imaginary worlds. He never ceased his exploration of the paths of life, but also walked along country roads, in towns and cities, often wandering beyond the limits of reality. He would constantly keep looking for something which fled him, he never ceased to wonder, always used to contemplate, let himself get surprised. Mr Cogito is a modern man, but he is at the same time strongly attached to the Mediterranean civilisation and its heritage, and therefore full of contradictions, evoking admiration for the truths that he teaches and his attitude towards the world, but at the same time objection against some of the solutions he proposes. Like Mr Cogito, the poet never accepted compromise in real life. When old friends became enemies, he had no sympathy towards such conduct.This is how he voiced it in his poem entitled The Envoy of Mr Cogito:

.... be courageous when the mind deceives you be courageous in the final account only this is important....

and do not forgive truly it is not in your power to forgive in the name of those betrayed at dawn.....

Be faithful Go..........

A citizen of the world

Zbigniew Herbert travelled extensively (among others to Austria, France, the USA, the Netherlands, Belgium, Israel). He would always return to his country, but only to leave on a journey again. Seriously ill, he settled down permanently in Poland in 1992. He died on 28 June 1998 in Warsaw. Buried at the Warsaw Powązki cemetery, he was posthumously decorated with the Order of the White Eagle, the last one out of an impressive collection of awards which he received in numerous countries worldwide.

28 July 2008 was the 10th anniversary of the passing away of one of the most outstanding Polish 20th century literary artists -Zbigniew Herbert. This extraordinary poet, essayist and playwright didn't live to receive a Nobel prize, although in the minds of many of the connoisseurs and admirers of his work worldwide he had deserved it more than anybody else. Therefore, by a resolution of the Polish Parliament, the year 2008 has been proclaimed the year of Zbigniew Herbert.

Courtesy - Polish Post

Recent Indian Stamps issued on 31 December 2008