Canon Disputed. Polish Religious Poetry in English Translations by Adam Czerniawski

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyse and discuss Polish religious poems represented and promoted in Anglo-Saxon culture by the anthology Moved by the Spirit by Adam Czerniawski. This émigré poet and translator did not only compose his anthologies guided by a set of unique criteria and individual literary standards but also – following his idea of translation developed in essays and theoretical manifestos – chose texts and introduced semantic shifts according to the philosophy of poetry he discussed in numerous journal articles. Thus, the volume by Czerniawski provides the anglophone reader with an image of Polish religious verses significantly influenced by the anthologist’s individuality and, as a result, considerably different from the pattern most popular in Poland and traditionally copied by the majority of Polish editors of such publications.