“I myself truly cannot explain why, with such sad eagerness, I throw myself into an unknown world full of dangers.”

Original: Ja sam prawdziwie nie mogę sobie wytłumaczyć, dlaczego z takim smutnym zapałem rzucam się w świat nieznajomy pełny niebezpieczeństw. — He captures the paradox of being drawn towards danger while fully conscious of its risks. · Letter to his mother, August 1836 (Polish)

• Adventure
• Courage
• Uncertainty

“Pray to the Most High God day and night for poetry for living people.”

Original: Proś Boga najwyższego w dzień i w nocy o poezyę dla żywych ludzi. — Poetry is imagined as something spiritually useful to living people rather than merely an ornament. · Letter to his mother, February 1845 (Polish)

• Inspiration
• Poetry
• Purpose

“I have this moment when, almost in despair, I throw myself at the paper, wanting to cast handfuls of my soul upon people and transform them into myself.”

Original: a mam tę chwilę, że niby z jakąś rozpaczą rzucam się do papieru, chcąc garściami duszę moją rzucać na ludzi, przemieniać ich w siebie — Writing becomes an almost physical act of pouring the self into other people. · Letter to his mother, 28 November 1843 (Polish)

• Creation
• Expression
• Writing