Traces of the Bible and antiquity in the "Lyrics" of Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski

Abstract

The article presents traces of the Bible and antiquity present in the poems of Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski - a poet crowned with a poetic laurel and called the Christian Horace. The author’s religious fervor and his belief in the perfection of the Creator of the world, whom he worshiped in accordance with the Ignatian motto ad maiorem Dei gloriam, were examined. Inspirations from the Old and New Testaments were indicated, including the Song of Songs and the Passion and saving sacrifice of Christ. Attention was paid to the creation of Mary and her role in the divine plan of redemption. It was noticed that biblical motifs in Sarbiewski’s poetry resonate with the heritage of Greco-Roman antiquity. This type of affiliation was noticed especially in panegyric texts praising outstanding families and/or figures. It was established that when creating his contemporary heroes, the poet used established cultural codes—he used an ancient cloak to evoke Christian values, and he presented places close to his heart (home, Masovia and Poland) in the Arcadian convention, inspired by the poetry of Virgil
and Horace.