So what kind of authorial identity is emerging from the poems we’ve examined and our brief foray into Szymborska’s background? What characterises her concerns and outlook as a person and poet?  What characterises her tone and style of poetry?  Make reference to specific poems to underpin your observations.

She is an optimist who is nonetheless well aware of the limitations of humankind. There is a colloquial, conversational tone to her poems. She often relies on wit, sarcasm and wry humour in the tone of her writing to render her commentary on certain issues, metaphysical or otherwise. Szymborska is very particular about the use of vernacular, which is often used in a deliberate attempt to create evocative images that hold other connotations. She allows herself to be frank, often preferring micro details (minutiae) to the macro. This is particularly seen in the poem “Possibilities”, where in some places she relies on idiosyncratic detail to get across the quotidian nature of humankind, and in others, resonant details to illustrate how humanity is mired in joint struggles

Szymborska explores metaphysical concerns in what often appears to be a simple, accessible manner, but often belies a greater complexity. Her poetry makes plain the difficult, but without ridding it of the intricacies that make it beautiful…