Adam Mickiewicz was born on December 24th, 1798 in Zaosie
near Nowogrodek. Soon after his birth Mickiewicz's
parents
moved to Nowogrodek where the father of the poet-to-be
became
a court-appointed lawyer. In Nowogrodek Adam started to
study
at Dominican school. In 1815, after graduating his first
school, he left and arrived to Vilnius (Wilno) where
started
to study at local university (faculty of mathematics and
nature but after first semester moved to faculty of
teachers.
He got a government scholarship. During his studies he
joined
the Society 'Filomaci' and wrote poems (for example 'Już
się
z pogodnych niebios ocenią' in 1818). In 1819,
Mickiewicz -
after getting a certificate of completion - had to work
as a
teacher at school in Kovno to catch up on the
scholarship.
The he wrote 'Ballady i Romanse' ('Ballads and Romances'
). That book was included in the volume of poems
published
in 1822. In 1823, imperial authorities of Russia
detected
secret orgranizations operating in the Lithuania area.
As a
new probation officer, Nowosilcow (who substituted for
Adam
Czartoryski) initiated proceedings. Due to the
investigation
Mickiewicz was sentenced to an exile. He left Vilnius,
came
to Petersburg and then to Odessa and Moscow where he
encountered writers-conspirators and took part in the
Uprising of Decembrists which fell. During the journey
to the
Crimea he got to know oriental culture and wrote 'Sonety
krymskie' ('The Crimean Sonnets'). During his stay in
Russia
he also wrote 'Dziady' - part II and IV, 'Grażyna'
(1823) and
'Konrad Wallenrod' (1828). The he managed to leave
Russia. He
travelled through Hamburg, Berlin, Prague. In 1831 he
was in
Rome and then news about the great uprising in Poland
reached
him. He came back to the homeland but did not make it in
time and all that was left for the poet to do was to go
abroad. He came to Dresden whe he wrote 'Dziady' - part
III
in 1832.
During his travelling through Europe Mickiewicz
created his greatest work - 'Pan Tadeusz'. In 1834, he
married the daughter of a famous Polsih pianist - Celina
Szymanowska who gave birth to 6 children. In 1839
Mickiewicz
moved to Lozanne where he started to teach Latin
literature
and wrote 'Liryki lozańskie' (Lozanne lyrics') but he
stopped
work in Switzerland to take office of the professor of
Slavic
studies at College de France in Paris. During the Spring
of
People' in 1848 the poet came to Italy where he he
wanted to
form Polish Legions but he did not manage to sell that
idea
to the Pope or rich Polish parties in exile. But a small
legion included some people marched from Rome to Milan
where
it was deferred to the authorities of Lombardy and
fought
against Austria all year. After comeback to Paris,
Mickiewicz
funded a newspaper 'Trybuna Ludu' (The Tribune of
People')
but he had to withdraw from editing because the police
hunted
for him and finally he lost his job at College de
France. In
165 he bacame a librarian in Paris. His patriotic hopes
were
connected with Napoleon III and the war started in 1855
between France, England, and Russia. After wife's death
he
left to Constantinopol while his chldren were in Paris
alone.
He wanted to support units of Cossacks formed in Turkey
which
were going to fight against Russia. Mickiewicz - tired
mentally and physically - died on November 26th, 1855.
His
death evoked deep mourning not only among Poles.