Jan Twardowski facts for kids
Jan Jakub Twardowski (born June 1, 1915 – died January 18, 2006) was a famous Polish poet and a Catholic priest. He was known for his modern religious poems.
His poems were often short and simple. They sometimes used humor and everyday language. He liked to mix observations about nature with deeper thoughts about life.
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Biography
Jan Twardowski was born in Warsaw, Congress Poland, on June 1, 1915. His parents were Jan Twardowski and Aniela Maria Konderska. Soon after he was born, his family moved to Russia because of World War I. They came back to Warsaw three years later. He finished middle school in 1935.
In 1932, he started working for a youth newspaper called "Kuźnia Młodych" (which means "Forge of the Young"). He had his own section where he wrote poems and short stories. He also interviewed different writers for the paper.
After middle school, he went to the Józef Piłsudski University (now the University of Warsaw). There, he studied literature. In 1937, he published his very first book of poems.
During World War II, Jan Twardowski was part of the Armia Krajowa (Home Army). This was a Polish underground resistance movement. He also fought in the Warsaw Uprising, which was a major battle during the war.
After the war ended, he decided to become a priest. He joined a seminary and studied theology at the Warsaw University. He became a priest in 1948. In 1959, he became a provost (a type of church leader) at the Visitationist Church.
His writings were often published in a popular Polish Catholic magazine called Tygodnik Powszechny. He became very well-known in 1960. This was after he published his first major poetry book, "Znak Ufności" ("The Sign of Trust").
Jan Twardowski received many awards for his work. In 1980, he won lifetime achievement awards from the PEN Club and Robert Graves. In 1996, he received the Order Uśmiechu (The Order of the Smile), which is a special award given by children. He won the IKAR prize in 2000 and the TOTUS prize in 2001.
Jan Twardowski passed away on January 18, 2006, in Warsaw. He was buried in the crypts of the Temple of Divine Providence. This was outside of Warsaw, even though he had wanted to be buried in the Powązki cemetery in Warsaw.
Works
Here are some of the books Jan Twardowski wrote:
Poetry Books
- 1959: Wiersze, ("Verses"); Warsaw
- 1970: Znaki ufności, ("Signs of Trust"), Kraków: Znak
- 1980: Niebieskie okulary, ("Blue Sunglasses"), Kraków: Znak
- 1983: Który stwarzasz jagody ("Who Made the Blueberry"), Kraków: Wydawnictwo literackie
- 1986: Nie przyszedłem pana nawracać. Wiersze z lat 1937-1985 ("I Have Not Come to Convert You: Poems From the Years 1937-1985"), Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Archidiecezji Warszawskiej ("Warsaw Archdiocese Publisher")
- 1990: Tak ludzka ("So Human"), Poznań: Księgarnia św. Wojciech
- 1991: Uśmiech Pana Boga. Wiersze dla dzieci ("The Smile of God. Poems for children"), Warsaw: Nasza Księgarnia
- 1993: Kasztan dla milionera. Wiersze dla dzieci ("A Chestnut For a Millionaire. Poems for Children"), Warsaw: Nasza Księgarnia
- 1993: Krzyżyk na drogę ("A cross for the road"), Kraków: Znak
- 1996: Rwane prosto z krzaka ("Torn Right Off the Bush"), Warsaw: PIW
- 1998: Bóg prosi o miłość - Gott fleht um Liebe ("God Asks for Love"), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literary
- 1998: Niebo w dobrym humorze ("Heaven in Good Mood"), Warsaw: PIW
- 1999: Miłość miłości szuka, Volumes 1 and 2 ("Love Seeks Love"), Warsaw: PIW, Księgarnia i Drukarnia Świętego Wojciecha
- 2000: Elementarz księdza Twardowskiego dla najmłodszego, średniaka i starszego, Kraków: Wydawnictwo literackie
- 2001: Kiedy mówisz ("When You Say"), Kraków: Wydawnictwo literackie
- 2006: Kilka myśli o cierpieniu, przemijaniu i odejściu, Poznan: Księgarnia Św. Wojciecha ("A few thoughts about suffering, passing and leaving")
Prose Books
- 1973: Zeszyt w kratkę ("The Graph-Paper Notebook"), Kraków: Znak
- 1986: Nowy zeszyt w kratkę ("The New Graph-Paper Notebook"), Poznan: Pallotinum
- 1987: Patyki i patyczki ("Sticks and Twigs"), Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Archidiecezji Warszawskiej "Publisher of the Archdiocese of Warsaw"
- 1991: Niecodziennik ("Not Quite a Diary"), Kraków: Maszachaba
See also
In Spanish: Jan Twardowski para niños
