A poet’s name, etched in Warsaw’s heart. That’s Szymbarska. This passage honors Wisława Szymborska. She was a Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet.
This passage connects the Centrum metro station with the Central Station. It links Dworzec Śródmieście to the Palace of Culture. Imagine walking here. You’re tracing the steps of countless commuters and admirers of Szymborska.
Wisława Szymborska gained fame for her poetry. Her work explored humanity, nature, and art. She questioned importance. Szymborska found the extraordinary in the ordinary. Even people who disliked poetry admired her. Her words resonate with playful elegance. They present few barriers to entry.
Szymborska did not like anniversaries. But this anniversary needs to be reminded. Twenty years ago, a prominent Polish poet received the Nobel Prize. She was an extraordinary person. She possessed an extraordinary sense of humor. Her poetry constantly impresses us. It shows accuracy of observation of the world. It talks about important issues. Szymborska preferred talking with ordinary people. She liked this more than congresses with poets. Discussions with intellectuals were not her favorite. Besides poetry, Szymborska passionately created collages. She used newspapers, magazines, photos, and postcards.
Now, imagine this passage. It’s more than just a walkway. It’s a tribute to her insightful gaze. The passage will be a wide avenue. Flower meadows will line its sides. These meadows will overflow with a sea of roses. Noble species of grass will also be present.
Szymborska’s life, though stable, spanned tumultuous times. She lived through World War II. She experienced the Holocaust. She saw decades of Communist rule. She witnessed the democratic transition.
She resided in Kraków from 1932 onwards. Szymborska traveled infrequently and reluctantly. Yet her poetry is not limited to one place. It extends beyond the local and human-centered. Western culture, humankind, and nature are her subjects. She used moral, logical, and aesthetic considerations in her poetry.
The original intention of the poet’s collages was to make postage sheets. Her Serbian friends decided to do an exhibition. She was amazed they could be treated this way. A few years later, she agreed that the collages could be used as illustrations for her books. On the first anniversary of her death, an exhibition was organized. In three years, it visited several countries. Szymborska’s poetry has gained many new readers. Many readers discovered how talented she was visually.
As you stroll along Szymborska, consider her words. She once wrote about the joy of writing. For her, art was the revenge of the mortal hand. The opening ceremony was attended by Michal Rusinek. He is president of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation. Admirers of talent attended too. Tomasz Stanko and Professor Maciej Lewenstein were present. Many invited guests attended. Representatives of art and business were there too.
Walking through Pasaż Szymborskiej today, we honor a poet. We celebrate her unique perspective. We remember her ability to find the extraordinary in the everyday. The Szymborska passage will connect us. It will link us to her enduring legacy. This will be a place of reflection. It will honor a great Polish poet.