To the Common Man

Julian Tuwim was born into an assimilated Jewish family in Lódz. He studied law and philosophy in Warsaw, where he played an integral role in Polish modernist literary circles. In addition to writing poetry for children and adults, Tuwim was a lyricist, translator, and dramatist, active in the poetic group Skamander. Tuwim wrote exclusively in Polish and stressed his allegiance to Poland while downplaying his attachment to Judaism; in prewar years he was vilified by antisemites and tried to distance himself from Jewish culture. He lived in the United States during World War II and after the war returned to Poland, where he expressed deep sympathy for Jews who were killed in the Holocaust.