The Polish column then and now. On the evolution of the genre
The primary objective of the article is to show the key transformations that the Polish column has undergone since the 19th century up to the present time. The origins of this means of expression as well as the distinguishing features of the column in the 19th century are identified. In the final part of the article, the present state of the genre is depicted, with the elements preserved from earlier times taken into account.
Main conclusions:
1. the sources of the Polish column may be sought either in the Enlightenment-era writing of Franciszek Bohomolec or in Romanticism-era journalism;
2. the second part of the 19th century witnesses the development of the typical kind of column, which assumes the form of a chronicle — a subjective, humorous commentary on current city affairs;
3. the 20th-century column is a piece of writing devoted to one single subject, characterized by the author’s subjective attitude as well as far-reaching freedom in form and stylistics.