What is Pijaństwo by Ignacy Krasicki about?

The article makes an attempt to show various options of interpretation of Ignacy Krasicki’s satirePijaństwo [Drunkenness]. The point of departure is a thorough analysis of the work, leading us to a conclusion that it has a many-sided sense. It concerns not only the eponymous phenomenon of abuse of spiritsbut also a psychological mechanism of justification of our own behaviours considered as negative, as well as the ineffectiveness of persuasion. It turns out that the characters indialogue actually deliver separate monologues, and the poet does not identify himself clearly with any of them, as he does not accept authoritative moralizing which takes heed neitherofspecific circumstances of the criticized phenomenon nor of the receiver’s viewpoint and opinions. An importantrole in the satire under discussion is also played by the category of comedy. The article also shows the relationship between the subject matter of Pijaństwo and the entire cycle of satiresby Krasicki, as well as some of his other works (particularly fables)

Streszczenie

Celem artykułu jest próba pokazania różnych możliwości interpretacji satyry Ignacego Krasickiego Pijaństwo. Punkt wyjścia stanowi dokładna analiza utworu, która prowadzi do wniosku, że jego sens jest wielostronny. Odnosi się nie tylko do przywołanego już w tytule zjawiska nadużywania trunków, ale również do psychicznego mechanizmu usprawiedliwiania przez nas własnych działań ocenianych jako negatywne, a także do nieskuteczności zabiegów perswazyjnych. Okazuje się, że postacie prowadzące dialog w istocie wygłaszają oddzielne monologi, a poeta jednoznacznie się nie utożsamia z żadną z nich. Nie akceptuje on bowiem apodyktycznego moralizatorstwa, które nie uwzględnia konkretnych okoliczności piętnowanego zjawiska ani punktu widzenia i przekonań adresata. Ważną rolę w omawianej satyrze pełni też kategoria komizmu. Artykuł pokazuje również związek problematyki Pijaństwa z całym cyklem satyr Krasickiego oraz z niektórymi innymi jego utworami (głównie bajkami). 

What is Pijaństwo by Ignacy Krasicki about?

The article makes an attempt to show various options of interpretation of Ignacy Krasicki’s satirePijaństwo [Drunkenness]. The point of departure is a thorough analysis of the work, leading us to a conclusion that it has a many-sided sense. It concerns not only the eponymous phenomenon of abuse of spiritsbut also a psychological mechanism of justification of our own behaviours considered as negative, as well as the ineffectiveness of persuasion. It turns out that the characters indialogue actually deliver separate monologues, and the poet does not identify himself clearly with any of them, as he does not accept authoritative moralizing which takes heed neitherofspecific circumstances of the criticized phenomenon nor of the receiver’s viewpoint and opinions. An importantrole in the satire under discussion is also played by the category of comedy. The article also shows the relationship between the subject matter of Pijaństwo and the entire cycle of satiresby Krasicki, as well as some of his other works (particularly fables).