Klemens Janicki

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Klemens Janicki (also: Janiciusz, Januszkowski, from Januszkowo, Latin: Clemens Ianicius, * 1516 in Januszkowo ; † 1543 ) was one of the most important Latin poets of the 16th century.

Life

Janicki was born in Januszkowo, a village near Żnin, to a Polish farming family. He first attended a primary school in Żnin and later the Lubrański Academy in Poznan where he studied Greek, Latin and ancient literature.

In 1536 he became secretary of the Archbishop of Gniezno Andrzej II. Krzycki , through whom he met scholars such as Jan Dantyszek and Stanisław Hozjusz . During this time he wrote the elegies Ad Andream Criciumand De Cricio Cracovia eunte as well as Vitae archaepiscoporum Gnesnensium for his patron . After Archbishop Krzycki's death, he worked under the patronage of Count Piotr Kmita and wrote the work Querella Reipublicae Regni Poloniae i Ad Polonos proceras . In 1538 Count Sobieński financed his studies in Padua , where he met Filip Padniewski and Andrzej Zebrzydowski . On July 22, 1540 he graduated as a doctor of philosophy. Pope Paul III awarded him the title of poeta laureatus .

During his trip to Italy, he developed edema and soon returned to Poland. Since he did not want to continue working for Count Kmita, he devoted himself to a job as a pastor in Gołaczewy near Olkusz . In 1541 he wrote a collection of elegies entitled " Tristium liber " in which he predicted his death, particularly in Elegy VII De se ipso ad posteriatem (About myself for posterity). Janicki died in January 1543. His last work, Epithalamium Serenissimo Regi Poloniae, Sigismundo Augusto was found by his heirs, Jan Antonin and Augustinos Rotundos , who decided to publish it.

As a humanist and a connoisseur of the classics, Janicki managed to raise his poetic methodology to the highest possible level. At the same time, he approached his subject areas in an original way, which can be clearly seen in the text fragments in which he addresses the past and present of his homeland, Poland. Personal tone was a new element in Polish poetry in its day. He was the first poet to write in such detail about himself, his relatives, and the dignity and pride of his profession.

Works

Janicki was first and foremost a lyric writer , which is particularly evident in the 1542 year. Inspired by Ovid , he wrote elegies in which he developed personal motifs and in some cases gave private and topographical insights into his life. His autobiographical elegy De se ipso ad posteritatem (“About myself for posterity”) is sometimes understood as a paraphrase of the elegies of Roman masters (Tristia IV, 10). With the title of his volume of poems Tristium Liber he clearly refers to the elegies written by Ovid in his exile Tristia.

In addition to elegies, epigrams were the most common lyric form used by Janicki. He used numerous variants of this genre: epitaphs, stemmas and metaphorical poems, similarly emblematic compositions. Based on Martial , propertius and Catullus , he processed various erotic, laudatory, humorous and satirical motifs. There are two collections of his epigrams: Vitae archiepiscoporum Gnesnensium and Vitae regum Polonorum . The first volume contains 43 poems that describe the life of the Archbishop of Gniezno, his patron. Although the portrayals of the church dignitaries contained therein are mostly positive, critical and humorous tones can also be recognized. The latter volume, initiated by Kmita, contains 44 poems (biograms) on legendary and historical rulers of Poland (beginning with Mieszko I. ).

Querela Reipublicae Regni Poloniae has a completely different character. The poem refers to the events of the nobility rebellion known as the Chicken War . Through the words of Poland personified, Janicki criticizes the nobility, especially the magnates , their internal disputes and private interests.

A wedding song, Epithalamium Serenissimo Regi Poloniae, Sigismundo Augusto , on the occasion of the planned marriage between King Sigismund II August and Elisabeth of Austria , the daughter of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Ferdinand I , who was also King of Bohemia and Hungary Janicki's last work. It is divided into two poems and consists of over 500 verses in total. The first, addressed to King Sigismund I , was a hymn of praise to the monarch, his military achievements, and other achievements. The second poem was the actual wedding song and praises the bride and groom.

bibliography

personal data
SURNAME Janicki, Klemens
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Janiciusz, Klemens; Januszkowski, Klemens; Klemens from Januszkowo; Ianicius, Clemens (Latin)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Latin poet
DATE OF BIRTH 1516
PLACE OF BIRTH Januszkowo
DATE OF DEATH 1543