NORWID, CYPRIAN KAMIL

born Sept. 24, 1821, Laskowo-Gluchy, near Warsaw, Pol., Russian Empire [now in Poland] died May 23, 1883, Paris, France Polish poet, the most original and innovative of the 19th century, whose genius was not appreciated until his rediscovery in the 20th century. Norwid lived in exile after the suppression of the Polish insurrection against Russia of 183031. From 1842 he lived for some time in Italy, where he studied painting and sculpture. In 1849 he went to Paris and in 1852 to the United States but in 1854 returned via England to Paris, where he led a life of penury and obscurity until his death. His literary failure in his own day resulted from his idiosyncratic and difficult literary style. He wrote poems (Poezye, 1863), plays (Krakus, 1863; Wanda, 1901; Kleopatra, 1904), and a treatise on aesthetics, in prose and verse, included in Poezye. His poetry is essentially philosophical. Norwid's work was restored to posterity by Zenon Przesmycki (pseudonym Miriam), who began publishing his works in 1901.