wiersze

Wiersze is the plural form of the Polish noun wiersz, meaning a poem. The term denotes a poetic work written in lines and often characterized by rhythm, meter, and figurative language. In everyday usage, wiersze can refer to a single poem or to poetry as a whole. Polish literature uses the term alongside more specific classifications, such as sonet (sonnet), ballada (ballad), elegia (elegy), and free verse.

Historically, Polish wiersze developed from medieval religious and courtly verse and matured through the Renaissance and Baroque, with the Romantic era shaping national poetic language. The 19th and 20th centuries saw varied forms, including lyric monologues, narrative poems, and modernist experiments with form. Polish poets have often used wiersze to address identity, history, religion, love, and social issues. Meter and rhyme have differed across periods, with some poets using strict forms and others exploring free verse.

Prominent poets whose wiersze are well known include Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki, Cyprian Norwid, and later Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, Zbigniew Herbert, and Tadeusz Różewicz. Their poems have been translated widely and contributed to both Polish and international literature. Wiersze remain a central element of Polish literary culture and are studied in schools, anthologies, and scholarly editions.