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A review by ironi
Tutaj / Here by Wisława Szymborska
4.0
The last week or so has been kind of terrible due to various reasons. It has forced me to ask questions that I didn't want to ask and consider things that I just didn't want to ever consider. Somehow, although nothing has technically changed, it feels like this week was life changing. I feel like I've grown. I can feel the direction of my life shifting during this week, my priorities are no longer the same and I'm not sure if they'll ever return to what they were or if I'm happy with where they are now. That's incredibly jarring (future me is probably rolling their eyes about this dramatic statement).
And when things go terribly, I am so very grateful poets like Szymborska exist. It genuinely felt like she was speaking to me, in the most self centered way possible. Her words were a huge comfort. It was like visiting a grandparent and having them give you perspective that everything is going to be fine, even when it all feels like it's collapsing into itself (I'm pretty sure that I've cried more times this week than in the past three months but this is fine because as Szymborska says "You may choose/ where to be or not to be/ to overpass or pull over/ only not to overlook.").
I don't know why these poems spoke so much to me. Is it because there's something comforting about a Nobel winning poet so deeply paranoid about people writing better poetry than her? Or perhaps it's because these poems are so intimate? They're dark and light at the same time ("The body has its own installment plan"), they're descriptive and they're gentle. Usually when I think about famous writers, I imagine thick prose and big words but Szymborska writes clearly and elegantly without needing to thicken her words.
I have so much to do and this week is far from being over but I'm so glad I took an hour to read this. I hope it'll stay with me, that I'll be able to hold on to Szymborska's thoughts on dreams, labyrinths, faith, family and poetry. If you're looking for some poetry, I really think you can't go wrong with this collection.
What I'm Taking With Me
- It feels a little wrong to count this as my Polish book for my reading challenge because the poems here are so international but at the same time, I don't have any other idea for a Polish book and well, she is Polish.
- I'm positive at least some of my panic is coming from the realization that my birthday is coming up and I'm already starting up with the anxiety.
- And I'm just so so tired, who knew critical thinking was so exhausting
And when things go terribly, I am so very grateful poets like Szymborska exist. It genuinely felt like she was speaking to me, in the most self centered way possible. Her words were a huge comfort. It was like visiting a grandparent and having them give you perspective that everything is going to be fine, even when it all feels like it's collapsing into itself (I'm pretty sure that I've cried more times this week than in the past three months but this is fine because as Szymborska says "You may choose/ where to be or not to be/ to overpass or pull over/ only not to overlook.").
I don't know why these poems spoke so much to me. Is it because there's something comforting about a Nobel winning poet so deeply paranoid about people writing better poetry than her? Or perhaps it's because these poems are so intimate? They're dark and light at the same time ("The body has its own installment plan"), they're descriptive and they're gentle. Usually when I think about famous writers, I imagine thick prose and big words but Szymborska writes clearly and elegantly without needing to thicken her words.
I have so much to do and this week is far from being over but I'm so glad I took an hour to read this. I hope it'll stay with me, that I'll be able to hold on to Szymborska's thoughts on dreams, labyrinths, faith, family and poetry. If you're looking for some poetry, I really think you can't go wrong with this collection.
What I'm Taking With Me
- It feels a little wrong to count this as my Polish book for my reading challenge because the poems here are so international but at the same time, I don't have any other idea for a Polish book and well, she is Polish.
- I'm positive at least some of my panic is coming from the realization that my birthday is coming up and I'm already starting up with the anxiety.
- And I'm just so so tired, who knew critical thinking was so exhausting