The Picture of Polish-Lithuanian Encounters in the Poetry of Wacław Potocki (Unweeded Garden, Morals)

Abstract

The paper deals with less well-known poetry of Wacław Potocki, which concerns Polish and Lithuanian relations. The poems show the multicoloured picture of social and political tensions between the Lithuanians and the Poles. A satiric tone and the moral high ground prevail in Potocki’s poems. Stable relations between Poland and Lithuania are perceived by the writer as the key factor for safety and development of the common country. The writings sometimes present a critical attitude of the poet towards the separatist tendency of Lithuania, and they also reveal the poet’s pride in belonging to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.