Instytut Badań Literackich Polskiej Akademii Nauk

(Epigram “Boleslaus II Audax" from the “Vitae Regum Polonorum" series by Klemens Janicki as the tradition)

Year of publication: 2018
Page range: 14 (5-18)
Keywords: epigram, amplification, ratiocinatio, ambivalence, reprimands, invention
Author: Krystian Słomka vel Słomiński (University of Łódź)
 

Abstract

In 1563 a series of 12-verse epigrams was issued. It was written by Klemens Janicki and entitled “Vitae Regum Polonorum". The work features the praises and reprimands of the native sovereigns. Among the criticising poems, one should notice “Boleslaus Secundus Audax". The first distich of the epigram, portraying the ambivalent nature of Boleslaw the Bold, forms an amplification – it is an example of ratiocinatio, where the readers must decide for themselves which part of the reasoning is being emphasised. The authors of the series referring to “Vitae Regum Polonorum", namely S. F. Klonowic, J. A. Kmita, M. Paszkowski and J. Bielski, were inspired by the original to a various extend – in some versions the amplification from the 2-verse poem by Janicki changed its nature to incrementum, in others the significance of ratiocinatio was visibly weaker, whereas elsewhere the amplification was not applied at all. It was usually more vivid where the Boleslaw the Bold’s criticism was strongest and the amplification intensity faded out where the criticism was articulated in a more subtle manner.

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