Dzieło i rękopis. O brulionach Zbigniewa Herberta

"The Work and the Manuscript. On Zbigniew Herberts's Drafts". Inspired by the methodology of genetic criticism, this book traces the genesis of sixteen poems by Zbigniew Herbert. The author guides the reader through the world of manuscripts - an intimate space of freedom that reveals the stratification of the work and the scene of rhetoric, while highlighting alternative paths of the creative process. We delve into the mysterious laboratory of the poet, uncovering routes that lead to Herbert's biography and literary influences, revealing the kaleidoscopic richness of threads still alive in the Herbert Archive at the National Library of Poland. Herbert's manuscripts question the finished work, testifying to what was removed yet shaped the text as much as what remained in the final version. Individual chapters examine significant case studies, showing not only the process of creation of single works but also the evolution of key themes within the dynamic flow of texts composing the mosaic of genesis. The monograph also includes illustrations and a comprehensive annex with manuscript transcriptions.