Polish Sung Poetry
Since living in Poland, I have felt a strong empathy toward Poland and how they have not been recognized for their heroism in history. They have a rich culture of science, art, and standing up for what they think is right, even for other countries. For example, they contributed immensely to the fall of the Soviet Union. There are many stereotypes about Polish people that I find wrong and horrible. People call them Nazis and think they are stupid. I find this disgusting because Polish people were the first to be sent to Auschwitz. They have an incredibly unfortunate geographic location and because of this they have a great struggle.
I am very passionate about the Polish language because I think it is a necessary part of understanding the culture and a lot of the beautiful art they produce. One of my favorite genres that I have been trying to understand through the language is sung poetry. My favorite sung poems that I have learned so far is called “Mury”, which in Polish means “Walls”.
Most Polish sung poetry is political and “Mury” by Jacek Kaczmarski is no exception. The song was written for the people of Catalonia but was also written at the time of the solidarity strikes in Poland. The poem is about breaking down walls, which at the time could be a variety of different political problems.
I like this poem for its bravery as well as its beauty. Accompanied by acoustic guitar, at first if you don’t speak Polish it sounds like a love song. Gradually it sounds stronger and more powerful as more people and instruments join in. The chorus is the strongest part. The lyrics of the chorus roughly translated mean, “The teeth of bars – pull them from walls! Tear off the shackles, break the whip! And the walls shall fall down, fall down, fall down. And they’ll bury the old world!”. The repetition of the walls falling down builds throughout the sung poem creating an even more powerful feeling.
Today, I think Poland struggles culturally. In my personal experience they feel so proud and protective of their culture (understandably) that they are not willing to make changes for the general advancement of society. In this particular poem, burying the old world is a statement of power and positivity about standing up for improvement and freedom. Today, I think Poland has a kind of identity crisis. For example, sexual education and health is extremely poor compared to the rest of Europe. As a majority Catholic country, the lines of culture and progress are a constant struggle. After all, where does culture begin to fade away with change?
Your passion for the Polish culture is super awesome. I will definitely have to give the song a listen when I get the chance. Songs that make political statements are extremely important, because song is one of the most effective creative outlets when it comes to expressing yourself and your feelings. I know I personally find much of my emotions being channeled through my work. But great posts, keep up the great work!
I very much enjoyed this post, as for me it gave me some more understanding to the Polish culture. In my democracies class this week we discussed the current state of Poland and Hungary, and how the leaders of each of these nations have been using autocratic and populist tactics to try and create an “illiberal democracy.” I feel like when talking about presidential plane crashes and the president’s brother starting conspiracy theories about it to gain power, it can be easy to forget that the countries we are studying are filled with a beautiful culture and people.