Rights and obligations

In one of his most famous poems, Różewicz raised the question: Who is a poet? Nowadays, the question posed in the title of the poem cannot be clearly answered, The condition for being a poet is not even writing poems, which are not always poetry anyway. The author admits to powerlessness when trying to create a definition, multiplies conflicting statements: The poet is the one who writes poems and the one who does not write poems. So what are the rights and obligations of artists today, poets?

The great writer talks about it with clear caution, years of experience, reflection on the world, man brought him deep wisdom, which orders one above all: avoid categorical courts, aphoristic names, try to understand people, and not instruct them. The accumulated knowledge leads to a bright realization, How many things are relative, How little you know about the world – This is how this knowledge becomes wisdom. It was different in your youth. At that time, everything seemed clear, obvious. Young artist, every young man, It easily terminates clearly grades, He is sure of his arguments. I want to be a guide, which will lead them all to the unusual, bold actions tailored to the ups of Icarus. There is nothing reprehensible about it, this is the privilege of age, Element of the rebellion assigned to him, opposition in the name of often very noble ideals. The young poet knows for sure, that art is the most important, with, dreams, Icarus gliding under the sky, falling into the sea. To on, as a sign of a great idea, is the most important:

Ikar is falling
Icarus is the son of a dream
give up the plow
abandon
open your eyes
Ikar
sink

Tiller, who does not see Ikar is called the trunk, dead, soulless object. The young poet thinks, that he has the right and obligation to shout at the oacz and all other blinds, who, busy, focus on this, what is their world. Ikar is not from this world, comes from the reality of the myth, art, that is, a better world, more important, As seems to be a young artist. The first part of the poem talks about all this. In its last eight verses there is no longer that certainty. A mature artist does not intend to become a harsh judge of ordinary people. He already knows well, that their affairs are equally momentous, Like Icar's dreams. They are undoubtedly much closer to reality, earth. Ikar is falling, But the field must be plowed, fastened flock. This is the eternal order of the world, which is worth reconciled with. The said order will not change the flight and fall of Icarus. The artist should also understand this, Soberly see reality. The poet should speak to gray, normal people, but not expect, that they will become artists. Let them remain ordinary, average people, However, maybe – thanks to art – they will enrich their interior, will pay attention to ideas (though, As we read in the poem, There is nothing shocking in this, that despite the tragedy of Ikar, life goes on), more abstract values, They will notice Icarus.

In deep human, Różewicz's humanistic writing "average" never means "worse", You can be a wonderful man, doing a simple profession. Poet, Due to writing poems, it does not become more than the reality of ordinary people, He should not consider himself better.