Czeslaw Milosz
(b. 1911)

Czeslaw Milosz, the contemporary Polish poet, essayist, and novelist, was as versatile in other careers as he was in writing. Born in Lithuania, he first chose to study law in Vilna. However, by 1931, Milosz turned to composing poetry, much of which was inspired by the Lithuanian countryside.

During World War II, Milosz lived in Warsaw and continued to write poetry that was now deeply influenced by the violence and inhumanity of the war. In Warsaw, he participated in underground publishing and considered communism in resistance to the Nazi takeover, although he did not wholeheartedly support the Communist doctrine.

Following the war, the U.S.S.R. gained control of Poland and Milosz lived in Washington, D.C., as a Polish diplomat. He argued for reform within but saw little results and changed directions again. Milosz moved permanently to the United States in order to teach literature at the University of California at Berkeley.

Czeslaw Milosz has inspired younger generations to value independence through his experiences and his writing. Some of his finest works include a collection of essays The Captive Mind (1953), the novel The Seizure of Power (1955), and the lengthy poem A Treatise on Poetry (1957). In international recognition of his aptitude, Milosz received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1980.

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