Entitled “Czesław Miłosz, Our Contemporary,” this special issue of The Polish Review offers a multifaceted collection of articles that examine Miłosz’s works and life. Contributions range from discussions of Miłosz’s poetic craft and the philosophical underpinnings of his worldview to explorations of his goals for poetry and art, how he used imagery in his works, and the celebrated musicality of his verse. Topics include Miłosz’s concept of “objective poetry” in the collection A Book of Luminous Things; the construction of the poems “Pory roku” [Seasons] and “Późna starość” [Late old age]; Miłosz’s fascination with Manichaean and Gnostic ideas and Darwin’s and Hegel’s influence on his thought; Miłosz’s treatment of animals in both his prose and poetry; and the inspiration for the ode “My Homeland, Europe” and possible reasons Miłosz left it unpublished in his lifetime. The special issue closes with two review essays on recent books about Miłosz.
