Nothing Twice

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1997

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Background

Literary Context

Szymborska came of age in the 1940s during World War II and wrote much of her poetry following the war in communist Poland. Szymborska’s work falls within the context of post-war Poland, joining poets such as Czesław Miłosz, Tadeusz Różewicz, and Zbigniew Herbert. World War II devastated Poland and decimated its population. Poland lost six million people, nearly one-fifth its population. Writers and artists who survived, like Szymborska, were burdened with having to speak for a generation and country that had undergone a traumatic event.

20th-century Polish poets felt the need to change the way poetry was written following the war. Defined by their restraint and simple, everyday language, these poets preferred stripped-down imagery, metaphors, and similes. The poems of this era resemble nothing of pre-war writing. In speaking of this style of poetry, Szymborska claims the following:

It was not possible to use the same language as before. We all felt the need to use a very simple, very brash language. We wanted a poetry without artifice (Hirsch, Edward. “A Poetry That Matters.” 1996.The New York Times.).

“Nothing Twice” represents these ideals. Placed against the trauma of post-World War II Poland, the poem’s seeming simplicity gains depth, value, and gravity.

Historical Context

“Nothing Twice” was originally published in 1957 as part of Szymborska’s third collection of poetry, Calling Out to Yeti. It was written and published during Poland’s communist era, which spanned from 1945 to 1989. During this time, Poland was part of the Soviet Bloc, which was defined as countries closely aligned with communism and the Soviet Union.

While Szymborska denied that “Nothing Twice” commented on this time of Poland’s history, the poem carries the weight of the postwar period. Szymborska claimed: “Of course, life crosses politics, but my poems are strictly not political. They are more about people and life” (Perlez, Jane. “Polish Poet, Observer of Daily Life, Wins Nobel.” 1996. The New York Times.) While Szymborska’s poem isn’t a political poem, it still highlights the everyday life of Polish people living at a time in Poland’s history defined by control. This would eventually transition into civil unrest and result in even further military control, defined by martial law, in the 1980s.

“Nothing Twice” can be read in light of communist-controlled post-war society. The passing of time suddenly becomes the loss of time, as the people of Poland can never regain those lost years in which free speech and travel were limited and curfews were invoked. Those years, defined by isolation and fear, represent time lost and moments that can never be lived again. The New York Times has described Szymborska’s poems thus:

…there is a certain sadness, and nostalgia, a general fear of civilization and the crisis of values. But contrary to other poets, Szymborska says that one can still live nobly. (Perlez, Jane. “Polish Poet, Observer of Daily Life, Wins Nobel.” 1996.The New York Times.)

“Despite the passing of time in “Nothing Twice,” there is still happiness, beauty, and bliss. There are still “smiles and kisses” (Line 25) to enjoy. There is still life “beneath our star” (Line 26).