Adam Zagajewski’s “Try to Praise a Mutilated World” is a beautiful and poignant poem that speaks to the world we live in today. The poem starts with the speaker trying to find the words to praise the world, but he can’t seem to find them. He then goes on to list all of the terrible things that have happened in the world, from wars and natural disasters, to personal tragedies. Despite all of this, the speaker still tries to find the good in the world and praise it. This is a powerful poem that will resonate with many people.
In the Poem “Try to Praise a Mutilated World” by Adam Zagajewski, the speaker’s goal is to convey the idea that we must learn to accept or praise world flaws in order to perceive beauty and help repair the damaged world. When life gets tough, we must keep in mind all of the wonderful things.
The speaker goes on to say that we should “praise the world for its mornings and evenings, for humus and rains, for roses, for thorns,” (lines 5-7). The things that make up our world should not be taken for granted, no matter how small they may seem. Zagajewski also wrote “Try to praise the mutilated world. Remember June’s long days, and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine. The nettles that methodically overgrow the abandoned homesteads of exiles. You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships; one of them had a long journey behind it, while salty oblivion awaited others. A tall fin cut through the water; perhaps there was a drowning man beneath it. You’ve seen the refugees heading nowhere, you’ve heard the executioners sing joyfully. You should praise the mutilated world.” In this section, he again speaks to us about how we should not take anything for granted. We must remember the good and the bad because both make up our world.
Zagajewski asks us to “praise love for its madness,” (line 14) even though love can sometimes make people act irrationally or do things they wouldn’t normally do. He also says that we should “praise friendship for disinterested conversations,” (line 16) even though friends may have disagreements and argue from time to time. The speaker wants us to see the beauty in everything, even the things that are broken or imperfect.
Zagajewski’s poem “Praise the Mutilated World” utilizes repetition to express his themes. The phrase “Praise the Mutilated World,” for example, is utilized throughout the poem in various ways and has different meanings each time because of the tone used and the urgency requested to praise a damaged world. The tone varies from an inquiry to a commanding voice, then a parental speech, before reaching a pleading tone to convey how strongly the speaker feels about things.
Zagajewski also employs enjambment which allows him to keep the poem flowing smoothly and helps with the pacing of the poem. This is important because he wants the reader to feel the same sense of urgency that he is feeling.
The first stanza starts off with an asking tone, “Try to praise the mutilated world.” The speaker is asking the reader to try and see the beauty in a world that is filled with so much darkness and destruction. He talks about how there “are birds in the kitchens,” which could be seen as a symbol for hope, but also shows how even though there is hope, there is still darkness present. The second stanza takes on a more demanding tone, as the speaker says “Praise the mutilated world.”
Grzegorz Zagajewski also uses imagery to assist the reader in being one with the essay, allowing them to put themselves in it. When things go wrong, Zagajewski is trying to get the readers to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative.
“Try to praise the mutilated world.” (Line 1) Adam Zagajewski was born in 1945 in Lvov, Poland. He is a poet, novelist, essayist, and translator. His work has been translated into English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Lithuanian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovakian, Romanian and Swedish. In 1982 he emigrated to France. He currently teaches at the University of Houston and lives in Kraków.
Adam Zagajewski’s “Try to Praise the Mutilated World” is a poem about post-war Europe and the human spirit. The poem starts with the speaker telling the reader to “try to praise the mutilated world.” The speaker is trying to find beauty in a world that has been ravaged by war.
He talks about how “we are flawed / creatures, not beautiful / like the sunsets.” (Lines 3-5) But despite our flaws, we must still try to find the beauty in the world. Zagajewski uses the image of a sunset to contrast the beauty of nature with the imperfections of humanity.
The speaker goes on to say that “we squint into the blinding light” (Line 6) and that “our eyes tear up from the smoke.” (Line 7) This shows how even though we may be surrounded by darkness and pain, we still search for the light.
In the final stanza, the speaker talks about how “a great sense of joy” (Line 9) can be found in simply “ordering coffee in a cafe.” (Line 10) Even though the world may be full of pain and suffering, there are still moments of happiness and beauty to be found.
Adam Zagajewski’s “Try to Praise the Mutilated World” is a powerful poem about finding beauty in a broken world. Through the use of imagery and contrast, Zagajewski shows us that even in the darkest of times, there is still light to be found.
“It’s about the world as it appears to us,” explains Zagajewski. “The poem reflects a philosophical concept rather than a happening.” (Tennant) When asked what event prompted him to write this poem, he replied, “I’ve always considered the world in this way. During my childhood, I encountered many ruins in post-war Poland. This is my environment. It stayed with me, this sense that the world is injured or damaged in some manner.” (Tennant)
This poem is about living in a world that is filled with violence and destruction and still finding beauty in it. Zagajewski grew up in Poland and saw the effects of World War II first hand. The poem starts off with him describing how he tries to praise this mutilated world. He sees beauty in the ruins and the people who have been affected by the war. Even though the world is full of pain, he still finds things to praise.
