Sacred and Profane Love cover image

Sacred and Profane Love

Sacred and Profane Love Episode 36: The Realist Poetry of Czeslaw Milosz

Jun 25, 2021
Delve into the life and poetry of Czeslaw Milosz, exploring his impact on Eastern Europe after World War II. Discover the significance of naming things in his realistic poetry and his spiritual journey as a poet. Analyze Milosz's poem 'An Appeal' and explore different translations and editions of his work.
01:08:56

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Czeslaw Milosz's poetry reflects his journey from political exile to a spiritual exploration of religion.
  • Milosz's poetry emphasizes the experiential understanding of truth, rejecting illusions and inviting readers to reconsider their relationship to reality.

Deep dives

Chesla Miłosz - Life and Influence on Poetry

In this podcast episode, Professor Thomas Fau of Duke University discusses the life and poetry of Chesla Miłosz. Miłosz's life can be divided into two halves, with the first half marked by his birth in Lithuania and his defection from communist Poland. He defected due to his ideological opposition to Soviet-style communism and the repression it brought. His exile from his homeland and the loss of his familiar world greatly influenced his poetry. As he settled in the United States, his poetry began to reflect more on questions of religion and spirituality. Miłosz's poetry is characterized by its realism and attention to detail. He strives to capture the truth of the world and the human experience in a way that goes beyond mere self-expression. He sees poetry as a form of testimony and a means to reclaim language from abuse. Ultimately, Miłosz's poetry invites readers to wrestle with existential questions and to confront the dissonance between the reality of the world and the truths that should be.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode