Opisanie Witowa Aleksandra Minora – o „kodowaniu świata” w literaturze baroku

Abstract

This paper analyses previously unknown poem, published by Agnieszka Niewiadomska in the“Melusina” (2015, no. 1), from a handwritten silva rerum by Aleksander Minor – cupbearer (cześnik)of Chełm and the author of various texts, mostly occasional texts. “The Description of Witów”(Opisanie Witowa) is a panegyric piece, praising the former mansion in Witów (Lesser Polandregion). The paper attempts to establish the historical, cultural, and literary (especially inthe rhetorical tradition and nobleman poetry topics aspects) contexts of the poem. The juxtapositionof literary conventions with reality known from archives and on-site research allowsto post a question concerning the methods and capabilities of recording reality in literature ofthe second half of the 17th century. The discovery of Minor’s poem is also a contribution to reflecton the legitimacy of researching on non-remarkable texts, which value for literary historyis based not only on the quality of literary features.

Keywords

• silva rerum
• edition
• Aleksander Minor
• nobleman poetry
• rhetoric