Famous Polish Poets

Olga Tokarczuk is a Polish writer and public intellectual. She is one of the most critically acclaimed authors of her generation in Poland. She was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first female Polish writer to receive the honor. Her works have been translated into almost 40 languages. She is also a clinical psychologist. 

Adam Mickiewicz was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, and political activist. He was a major figure in Polish Romanticism and considered one of Poland's "Three Bards." He has long been regarded as Poland's national poet and is often compared to Byron and Goethe. The vast majority of his work is available only in Polish and has been reprinted numerous times. 

L. L. Zamenhof was an ophthalmologist best remembered for creating the most widely spoken international auxiliary language, Esperanto. He came up with the constructed language after being consumed by the idea of a warless world. L. L. Zamenhof received several honors for creating Esperanto, including the Légion d'honneur. He also received 12 nominations for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

Nobel Prize-winning Polish-American poet Czesław Miłosz, known for the iconic Poem of Frozen Time, had made a lucky escape during the German invasion of Poland but had gone back using fake documents to be with his wife, Janina. He later became a Polish diplomat and also taught in the US.

Wisława Szymborska was a Polish poet, essayist, and translator. In 1996, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for her poetry. Her works have been translated into numerous languages, including English, Arabic, Japanese, Hebrew, and Chinese. She also translated French literature, especially Baroque poetry, into Polish. She actively wrote until her death at the age of 88. 

Globally reputed Polish journalist, photographer, poet and author Ryszard Kapuściński was the only correspondent of the Communist-era Polish Press Agency in Africa at the time of decolonization. Notable works of Kapuściński, who was considered a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, includes Another Day of Life, The Emperor, Imperium and The Shadow of the Sun.. 

Czeslaw Niemen was a Polish singer-songwriter, keyboard player, and composer. He gained notoriety during the 1960s for his revolutionary music, such as the 1967 song Strange Is This World, which was considered the most prominent Polish protest song of that time. Czeslaw Niemen’s life and career have inspired several documentaries, including Krzysztof Magowski's 2014 film A Dream About Warsaw.

Juliusz Słowacki was a Polish Romantic poet. Counted among the Three Bards of Polish literature, Słowacki is often referred to as the father of modern Polish drama. However, Juliusz Słowacki was not popular during his lifetime and none of his dramas were performed on stage. His works were popularized after his death by the writers of the Young Poland period.

Jan Kochanowski was a Polish Renaissance poet whose poetic patterns became a key component of the Polish literary language. Kochanowski is considered the greatest Polish poet before the arrival of Adam Bernard Mickiewicz. Jan Kochanowski is best remembered for his magnum opus Treny, a series of 19 elegies on the demise of his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Urszula.

Avraham Stern was one of the most important leaders of Irgun, a Zionist paramilitary organization. The members of this organization were recruited by the Israel Defense Forces at the beginning of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Avraham Stern is also credited with founding Lehi, a Zionist terrorist organization that aimed at evicting British authorities from Palestine. 

Stanisław Wyspiański was a Polish poet, playwright, and painter. He was one of the most patriotic writers of the Young Poland Movement and is best remembered for creating several symbolic, national dramas. Stanisław Wyspiański is sometimes referred to as the Fourth Bard of Polish literature.

Julian Tuwim was a Polish poet who co-founded a group of experimental poets called Skamander along with his contemporaries like Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and Antoni Słonimski. A popular and influential figure in Polish literature, Tuwim was also admired for his immense contribution to children's literature. In 1935, Julian Tuwim was honored with the Polish Academy of Literature's prestigious Golden Laurel award.

Tadeusz Borowski was a Polish journalist and writer. His wartime stories and poetry highlighting his experiences as a prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp are regarded as classics of Polish literature. His works also had a significant influence in Central European society. Tadeusz Borowski's writings inspired the 1970 Polish movie Landscape After the Battle.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec was a Polish poet and aphorist. Best remembered for his skeptical philosophical-moral aphorisms and lyric poetry, Lec is counted among the 20th century's most influential aphorists. He is also widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of post-war Poland. Before the advent of World War II, Stanisław Jerzy Lec had founded a satirical magazine called Szpilki.

Zbigniew Herbert was a Polish poet, drama writer, essayist, and moralist. One of the most translated and best known post-war Polish writers, Herbert received several nominations for the prestigious Nobel Prize in literature during his lifetime. Zbigniew Herbert did receive several other prestigious awards such as the Kościelski Prize, Jurzykowski Prize, Herder Prize, and Austrian State Prize for European Literature.  

Agnieszka Osiecka was a Polish poet, playwright, TV writer, film director, and journalist. Widely regarded as an icon of Polish culture, Osiecka was also a prolific songwriter, having penned the lyrics of over 2000 songs. Thanks to her large body of work, Osiecka is regarded as one of the most prolific and important persons in postwar Polish history and culture.  

Adam Zagajewski was a Polish poet, essayist, translator, and novelist. A prominent poet of the Polish New Wave and one of the most important contemporary poets from Poland, Adam Zagajewski was honored with several prestigious awards such as the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, Griffin Poetry Prize for Lifetime Achievement, and Princess of Asturias Award.

Ignacy Krasicki was a Primate of Poland, playwright, journalist, encyclopedist, translator, critic of the clergy and a prominent Enlightenment poet of Poland. The most notable works of Krasicki are his Fables and Parables and Satires. The first Polish novel, The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Wisdom, written in the form of a diary by Krasicki is a milestone in Polish literature.

Cyprian Norwid was a Polish poet, painter, dramatist, and sculptor. Although he did not find much success and monetary gains during his lifetime, Norwid is now regarded as a nationally esteemed poet. His works were rediscovered and popularized by the members of the Young Poland art movement. Cyprian Norwid is now counted among the four most prominent Polish Romantic poets.

Maciej Maleńczuk is a Polish guitarist, vocalist, and poet. He is best known for his song Vladimir which went viral in several Discord servers in late 2018, earning Maleńczuk worldwide fame. Maciej Maleńczuk is also known for his association with his former music groups Homo Twist and Püdelsi where he was the leader. 

Maria Konopnicka was a Polish poet, children's writer, novelist, translator, critic, journalist, and activist for Polish independence and women's rights. Counted among the most prominent poets of Poland's Positivist period, Maria Konopnicka first gained prominence after the publication of her poem In the Mountains. A number of memorials and statues have been erected across Poland in her honor.

Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński was a Polish poet and soldier. Baczyński was one of the most famous poets of the Generation of Columbuses. Like many other poles from his era, Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński suffered during the German occupation of his country and was killed in action at age 23. His life inspired several films including the 1984 film The Fourth Day.

Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz was a Polish poet, writer, essayist, translator, and dramatist. Remembered for his literary achievements, Iwaszkiewicz received four nominations for the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature during his lifetime. Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz is also remembered for saving the lives of many Jews during the Second World War and was honored with the Righteous Among the Nations award in 1988.

Jacek Kaczmarski was a Polish poet, singer, songwriter, and author. He is best remembered for his protest songs on various political and social subjects. His songs created a furore in the 1980s as it criticized the ruling communist government. Jacek Kaczmarski is also remembered for his expressive performance and classical guitar playing style.

Jan Brzechwa was a Polish poet, lawyer, and author. He is best remembered for his immense contribution to children's literature. He is credited with writing a series of children's books that revolve around the adventures of a famous fictional character named Pan Kleks. Many of these books were adapted into a series of films.

Stanisław Przybyszewski was a Polish novelist, poet, and dramatist. He wrote several successful novels including Homo Sapiens which was translated into English. Stanisław Przybyszewski is also remembered for his work as the editor in chief of an illustrated weekly called Życie. He helped revitalize the publication, which was soon turned into a bi-weekly. 

Mikołaj Rej was a Polish poet, musician, prose writer, and politician. Rej is remembered as the first Polish writer to write solely in the Polish language. He is also counted among the originators of Polish literary language and literature.

Remembered for his song Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, which later became the Polish national anthem, author Józef Wybicki had begun his career as a court official. He also worked as a diplomat, as an advisor of the Confederacy. He was also part of the Kościuszko Uprising and presided over the Supreme Court of Congress Poland.

Tadeusz Różewicz is remembered as one of the finest poets and dramatists of the post-World War II era. Kartoteka, or The Card Index, and Twarz trzecia, or The Third Face, remain 2 of his best-known works. He had also been part of the Polish Home Army during World War II.

Aleksander Fredro was a Polish poet, author, and playwright. Although his works were harshly criticized by his contemporaries, Fredro's works, especially his plays, were published extensively and popularized after his death. Many of his works have been translated into several languages including English, German, French, Russian, Hungarian, and Czech.

Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz is remembered as the first author from Poland to have studied English literature minutely and also translated the works of various English authors, such as John Dryden and John Milton. His 3-volume Jan of Tęczyn brought the genre of the historical novel to Poland.

One of the pioneers of Symbolism and Expressionism in Polish poetry, lyric poet Bolesław Leśmian also established an artistic theater and co-published an art newspaper. Apart from working as a notary and a lawyer, he published masterpieces such as Łąka, or The Meadow, and Napój cienisty, or Shadowy Drink.

A Polish priest, Stanisław Konarski later came to be known as an important educational reformer. He taught rhetoric, wrote on Polish law, and later established the first public-reference library in mainland Europe and the elite school Collegium Nobilium. He also penned a 4-part volume on the Polish parliamentary system.

Best remembered for the long poem Maria, which was his only written work in Polish literature, Antoni Malczewski is regarded as a pioneer of Polish Romantic poetry. Initially part of the Napoleonic Polish army, he later settled in Ukraine and then went back to Poland.

Initially a journalist, Polish poet and author Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer later joined the Young Poland movement. Many of his poems were first published in the periodical Życie, or Life. His best-known work remains Tales of the Tatras, which revolves around mountaineers. His later years were plagued by a mental illness.

Polish poet and dramatist Adam Asnyk initially studied medicine but was later exiled for his political activities. He was part of the revolutionary government in Poland and fled following the unsuccessful insurrection. He joined the Positivist school and penned everything from sonnets, erotic poems, tragedies, and comedies.

Polish author, columnist, and translator Antoni Słonimski was a prominent part of the Skamander group of poets and intellectuals. Known for his collections such as Road to the East and plays such as Rodzina, or Family, he later converted from Judaism to Catholicism and became an anti-Stalinist.

A significant figure of the Young Poland movement, poet and translator Leopold Staff is remembered for his works such as Dreams of Power and The Needle’s Eye. He experimented with various poetic forms and often exhibited elements of classicism and symbolism. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize, too.

Remembered as the queen of lyrical poetry and compared to Greek poet Sappho, Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska was a pioneering figure of Polish lyrical poetry. The daughter of Polish painter Wojciech Kossak, she is known for works such as Raw Silk and A Rose and Burning Forests.

Though born into a peasant family, Jan Kasprowicz used his talent and hard work to become one of the greatest Polish poets and translators ever. Initially a journalist, he later taught comparative literature. Part of the Young Poland movement, he also translated works by English icons such as Shakespeare and Yeats.

Initially a royal courtier, Jan Andrzej Morsztyn led the opposition during the reign of John III Sobieski. He also served as a Polish agent of French king Louis XIV and later became the comte de Châteauvillain. His best-known works include poems and epigrams, while he also translated Italian and French literature.

Polish poet Władysław Broniewski, known for his patriotic works, initially fought for the Polish army and was once even interned by Germany. After proving his military mettle in the Russo-Polish War, he devoted himself to literature and penned revolutionary and war poem volumes, such as The Windmills and Bayonets Ready.

One of the most iconic figures of sung poetry and ballads in Poland, Jeremi Przybora also created the TV series Kabaret Starszych Panów, or Elderly Gentlemen's Cabaret. He had also published several books, such as Uwiedziony and Piosenki prawie wszystkie. He now lies buried at Warsaw’s Calvinist Cemetery.

One of the co-founders of the Skamander group of Polish poets and intellectuals, Jan Lechoń is best remembered for his patriotic and war poetry, such as the volumes The Poem in Scarlet and Bekwark’s Lute. He also penned the award-winning lyrical poetry collection Silver and Black.

Tadeusz Miciński was a Polish poet, playwright, and gnostic. An influential figure, Miciński was a forerunner of Surrealism and Expressionism in Poland. Tadeusz Miciński was also a well-known revolutionary. His efforts to organize the Polish armed forces during the Russian Revolution were cut short when he was assassinated in 1918.

Ludwik Władysław Franciszek Kondratowicz was a renowned Polish poet, better known by his pseudonym, Władysław Syrokomla. Though he died before turning 40, he left behind a vast legacy of poems, comedies, satires, and translations. He also contributed to rural tourism through his poetic descriptions of his trips in Lithuania.

Polish author and editor Jerzy Putrament initially worked as a journalist and was later arrested for his communist activities. Best known for his political and war novels such as At the Crossroads and Bołdyn, he also served as the Polish ambassador to Switzerland and France, and as a member of the parliament.

Józef Wittlin was a Polish poet, novelist, and translator. Best remembered for his humanist views, Wittlin often expressed the importance of pacifism through his works. His book Salt of the Earth, which established Józef Wittlin as a prominent writer, is one of the finest examples of his best known work. 

Adam Naruszewicz was the first historian from Poland to use modern scholarship methods. A Roman Catholic bishop, he later became a major figure of the Age of Enlightenment in Poland and also popularized the term Piast dynasty through his writings. Apart from his 7-volume history of Poland, he also wrote poems.

Polish poet, bishop and diplomat Johannes Dantiscus, who was the prince-bishop of Warmia and Bishop of Chełmno, was one of the first representatives of Renaissance humanism in Poland. Known as the Father of Polish Diplomacy, Dantiscus served as a royal diplomat and the royal secretary for over three decades. His notable literary works include his autobiography Vita Joannis de Curiis Dantisci.