Zmysł uniżenia. O motywie twórczego wysiłku na przykładzie krótkich form literackich

The paper tends to present the motif of creative effort that is defined as apeculiar flair of humility functioning in the short literary forms — notations wherein it occurs as abasic, obligatory manner of expressing the author’s conduct and depicting the world. The topos, integrated with the other ideal schemes and notional constructs, reveals itself as afunctional template of perception and exegesis of the creative reality that frequently refers also to history, politics, and religion. This template is areflection of Christ kenosis, presented by the style of author’s humility that is consolidated in the Old Church Slavonic literature. Thus the motif, typical of the notations, constitutes arealization of the universal idea and aprojection of the conventional literary formula. Furthermore, the very same motif of creative effort, linked with adefinite repertoire of ideas of which building material is aseries of biblical references, serves the presentation of the medieval world view, authorship conception, and the indication of writer’s status and role in the hierarchic system of communication.