Title: Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, a court and salon poet

Lesson plan elaborated by: Magdalena Trysińska

Topic:

Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, a court and salon poet.

Target group:

1st‑grade student of a high school.

Core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

1. Reading literary works. Student:

1) understands the basis for periodizing literature, situates literary works in particular periods: antiquity, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, enlightenment, romanticism, positivism, Young Poland, the interwar period, literature of war and occupation, literature of 1945‑1989 national and emigre literature, literature after 1989

4) recognises in the literary text the means of artistic expression learned in primary school and the means of meaning: oxymoron, periphrase, euphonia, hyperbole; lexical, including phraseologies; syntactic: antithesis, parallelism, enumeration, epiphora, ellipse; versioning, including the launcher; defines their functions;

9) recognises the subject and issues of the texts learned and its relation to the programs of the literary era, social, historical, existential and aesthetic phenomena; he reflects on it;

10) recognises in the work the ways of creating: the presented world (plot, heroes, actions, themes, motives), narrative, lyrical situation; interprets and evaluates them;

14) presents a proposal for interpretation of the work, indicates in the text of the place that may constitute arguments in support of its interpretation proposal.

III. Creating statements.

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

4) explains how the rhetorical means used (eg rhetorical questions, calculations, exclamations, parallelisms, repetitions, apostrophes, metadases, inversions) affect the recipient.

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

1) agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion;

2) build a statement in a conscious manner, with the knowledge of its language function, taking into account the purpose and the addressee, keeping the principles of rhetoric;

10) in the interpretation presents a proposal to read the text, formulates arguments on the basis of the text and known contexts, including personal experience, and carries out a logical argument for the validation of formulated judgments.

General aim of education

Students learn the features of baroque poetry based on the concept.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Learning outcomes

Student:

• compares literary works or their fragments;

• presents a proposal for interpreting the work;

• recognises in the literary text the means of artistic expression, including contrast, hyperbole, enumeration, oxymoron, metaphor, epithet, antithesis;

• defines the function of stylistic means;

• explains what the concept is.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. The teacher asks the chosen student or students to familiarize themselves with the material of the abstract and prepare eight reproductions of Baroque art (paintings) that will become an inspiration for the planned work in groups.

Introduction

1. The teacher determines the purpose of the class, which is to learn about the works of Jan Andrzej Morsztyn and the features of the Baroque concept. It gives students the criteria for success.

2. The teacher writes the word KUNSZT on the board and asks the students to give them associations. The selected person saves suggestions. The teacher then asks the students what „elaborate poetry” means. Among the answers should be the opinion that kunsztowna poetry is one in which there is a wealth of stylistic means.

Realization

1. A short repetition of stylistic means known to students. Eager or selected participants of the classes give names and examples of stylistic means. Then everyone solves exercise 1 and flashcards in abstract.

2. The pupil chosen before the lesson talks about Baroque poetry. It provides information, among others on the subject of conceptism and poets using the concept: Giambattista Marina and Jan Andrzej Morsztyn.

3. Students read a poem by Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, „Cuda miłości.” The teacher notes that the poem about love was written by Giambattista Marino, and translated into Polish by Jan Andrzej Morsztyn. Then students perform exercises 3, language, through which they will learn or recall the words needed to analyze the concept.

4. The students, on the abstract interactive board, build a concept of the concept used by Jan Andrzej Morsztyn.

5. Then, in pairs or in groups, they perform exercises under the poem, interpreting the work.

6. Students read the following text: „Niestatek”. They interpret the poem, following the instructions given in the following exercises.

7. Work in groups. Each team receives one illustration - a reproduction of a Baroque work. The teacher asks the question: if this picture were to become the subject of the poem, what would the poem be like and what title would it have? Students develop answers and then discuss their suggestions on the class forum.

Summary

1. The teacher asks the students questions for a summary, e.g.
   - What is the concept?
   - Do you think that Baroque poetry has brought new, original solutions?
   - Who do you think could have been a recipient of baroque poems? In whose hands did they hit?.

Homework

1. Is Jan Andrzej Morsztyn an original poet? Or is he a translator? Think and write short note in your notebook.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, a court and salon poet

In 17th century, royal and magnate courts served as important cultural centres. An elite culture inspired by foreign styles was developing in those circles. Jan Andrzej Morsztyn was a typical poet attached to the royal court. He was known for quoting words of Giambattista Marino: “To arouse wonder, surprise – that’s the aim of the poet.”

One can say that the poems of J. A. Morsztyn were like little masterpieces. His work was astonishing and fascinating due to its form and concept. The author knew how to play with words. He created surprising punch lines and associated different words in an extraordinary way.

The main trend in the European baroque literature was to make use of an extraordinary and sophisticated idea (with regard to the content and form). Surprising connotations in tasteful forms, artistic agility of the author and originality of ideas were supposed to amaze the reader. Authors were using various means of artistic expression to achieve their aim, e.g. antitheses, oxymorons, paradoxes, etc.

One of the most prominent artist of the conceptismo was Giambattista Marino.

Giambattista Marino
1569–1625
He was an Italian poet most famous for his mythological and hedonistic poem L’Adone (1623) on the love of two mythical characters–Venus and Adonis–accompanied by a variety of digressions. The form of the piece, its elegant language and perfection of versification were impressive. Almost the whole Europe was imitating his artwork. The phenomenon consisting in translating, paraphrasing and taking inspiration from Marino was called Marinism.

Jan Andrzej Morsztyn
1620–1693
After his studies, he became attached to the court of magnate Lubomirski and then to the royal court as a courtier. Thanks to the patronage of the queen Marie Louise he gained fame as a politician; he was a diplomat and held important public positions. When John III Sobieski ascended to the throne, Morsztyn endeared the new king to himself. Nevertheless, a change in the Polish politics (from the pro‑French to the pro‑Austrian one) gave rise to a conflict between the king and the poet. Morsztyn was accused of high treason and embezzlements. He escaped to France in 1683, where he stayed until his death.

The work of Jan Andrzej Morsztyn is a typical example of the contemporary court art movement, which means that his environment was a court (magnate, royal court, etc.) and his work had an elite character. Collection of poems Lutnia and Kanikuła albo psia gwiazda deserve to be recognised. Both appeared in print in the late 19th century.