Editing Ignacy Krasicki (section)

==Works==
Ignacy Krasicki was the leading literary representative of the [[Polish Enlightenment]]—a prose writer and poet highly esteemed by his contemporaries, who admired his works for their wit, imagination, and fluid style.<ref>Jan Zygmunt Jakubowski, ed., ''Literatura polska od średniowiecza do pozytywizmu'' (Polish Literature from the Middle Ages to Positivism), p. 245.</ref>

Krasicki's literary writings lent splendor to the reign of Poland's King [[Stanisław August Poniatowski]], while not directly advocating the King's political program.

Krasicki, the leading representative of [[Polish classicism]], debuted as a poet with the [[strophe]]-[[hymn]], "''Święta miłości kochanej ojczyzny''" ("[[O Sacred Love of the Beloved Country]]"), published in 1774. He was then nearing forty. It was thus a late debut that brought the extraordinary success of this strophe, which Krasicki would incorporate as part of song IX in his [[mock-heroic]] poem, ''[[Myszeida]]'' (Mouseiad, 1775). In "O Sacred Love of the Beloved Country," Krasicki formulated a universal idea of patriotism, expressed in high style and elevated tone. The strophe would later, for many years, serve as a [[national anthem]] and see many translations, including three into French.

The Prince Bishop of Warmia gave excellent Polish form to all the genres of European [[classicism]]. He also blazed paths for new genres. Prominent among these was the first modern Polish novel, ''Mikołaja Doświadczyńskiego przypadki'' ([[The Adventures of Nicholas Experience]], 1776), a synthesis of all the varieties of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] novel: the social-satirical, the adventure (''à la'' ''[[Robinson Crusoe]]''), the [[Utopian]], and the [[didactic]].

Tradition has it that Krasicki's mock-heroic poem, ''[[Monachomachia]]'' (War of the Monks, 1778), was inspired by a conversation with Frederick II at the palace of [[Sanssouci]], where Krasicki was staying in an apartment that had once been used by [[Voltaire]]. At the time, the poem's publication caused a public scandal.

The most enduring literary monument of the Polish Enlightenment is Krasicki's [[fables]]: ''Bajki i Przypowieści'' ([[Fables and Parables]], 1779) and ''Bajki nowe'' (New Fables, published posthumously in 1802). The poet also set down his trenchant observations of the world and [[human nature]] in ''Satyry'' (Satires, 1779).
[[File:01 Zbiór Potrzebniejszych Wiadomości.png|thumb|upright|''A Collection of Essential Information'', vol. I, 1781]]
Other works by Krasicki include the novels, ''[[Pan Podstoli]]'' (Lord High Steward, published in three parts, 1778, 1784 and posthumously 1803), which would help inspire works by [[Mickiewicz]], and ''[[Historia (novel)|Historia]]'' (History, 1779); the epic, ''[[Wojna chocimska]]'' (The Chocim War, 1780, about the [[Khotyn]] War); and numerous others, in [[homiletics]], theology and [[heraldry]].

In 1781–83 Krasicki published a two-volume encyclopedia, ''[[Zbiór potrzebniejszych wiadomości]]'' (A Collection of Essential Information), the second Polish-language general encyclopedia after [[Benedykt Chmielowski]]'s ''Nowe Ateny'' (The New Athens, 1745–46).

Krasicki wrote ''Listy o ogrodach'' (Letters about Gardens) and articles in the ''[[Monitor (Polish newspaper)|Monitor]]'', which he had co-founded, and in his own newspaper, ''Co Tydzień'' (Each Week).

Krasicki [[translation#History of theory|translated]], into Polish, [[Plutarch]], ''[[Ossian]]'', fragments of [[Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]'', and works by [[Anacreon]], [[Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux|Boileau]], [[Hesiod]] and [[Theocritus]].<ref>[[Edward Balcerzan]], ed., ''Pisarze polscy o sztuce przekładu, 1440–1974: Antologia'' (Polish Writers on the Art of Translation, 1440–1974: an Anthology), pp. 445–46, note 6.</ref> He wrote a 1772 essay "On the Translation of Books" ("''O przekładaniu ksiąg''")<ref>Ignacy Krasicki, {{lang|pl|"O przekładaniu ksiąg"}} ("On the Translation of Books"),  ''[[Monitor (Polish newspaper)|Monitor]]'', 1772, no. 1, reprinted in [[Edward Balcerzan]], ed., {{lang|pl|Pisarze polscy o sztuce przekładu, 1440–1974: Antologia}} (Polish Writers on the Art of Translation, 1440–1974: an Anthology), pp. 74–75.</ref> and another, published posthumously in 1803, "On Translating Books" ("''O tłumaczeniu ksiąg''").<ref>Ignacy Krasicki, {{lang|pl|"O tłumaczeniu ksiąg"}} ("On Translating Books"), in {{lang|pl|Dzieła wierszem i prozą}} (Works in Verse and Prose), 1803, reprinted in [[Edward Balcerzan]], ed., {{lang|pl|Pisarze polscy o sztuce przekładu, 1440–1974: Antologia}} (Polish Writers on the Art of Translation, 1440–1974: an Anthology), pp. 75–80.</ref>