Szymborska, Wislawa (1923–)

Polish poet, essayist and translator. Name variations: Wisawa Szymborska; Wislawa Symborska; (pseudonym) Stanczykowna. Pronunciation: Vee-SWAH-vah Shim-BOR-skah. Born July 2, 1923, in Prowent-Bnin, Poland; dau. of Wincenty Szymborski and Anna (Rottermund) Szymborska; attended schools in Cracow (Kraków); attended a Polish underground school during German occupation in WWII; granted an undergraduate degree from Jagiellonian University, Cracow; m. Adam Wlodek or Wodek (div.); m. Kornel Flipowicz (also seen as Filipowicz), a poet and prose writer (died 1990).

One of the leading poets, and the leading woman poet, in post-WWII Poland, won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1996); published 1st poem in a supplement to Dziennik Polski (Polish Daily, 1945); published some 30 poems in the Daily (1945–48); worked on the staff of the literary newspaper Zycie Literackie (Literary Life, 1952–81); was criticized for writing elitist poetry, in violation of Socialist Realism, when she attempted to publish her 1st book of poems (1948); accepted Stalinistera Socialist Realism and criticized Western countries in Dlatego zyjemy (That's Why We Live (1952) and Pytania zadawane sobie (Questioning Oneself, 1954); repudiated Socialist Realism in Woíanie do Yeti (Calling Out to Yeti, 1957); completely omitted pre-1956 poems from her collected works of poetry, Poezje (Poetry, 1970); emerged as a mature poet with Sto pociech (A Hundred Laughs, 1967); considered not only Poland's most eminent woman poet of the 20th century but also one of its three greatest poets of the century. Received Goethe Award (1991) and Polish PEN Poetry award (1996).

See also Women in World History.