Postmodern Language-centered Writing and the Question of Ideology: A Polish Perspective

Abstract

This article examines the ideological dimensions of postmodern literature from a Polish perspective. It argues that while postmodern writers critique established cultural and artistic canons, they also acknowledge literature’s role in shaping social conditions. Focusing on language-centered texts, the study analyzes how American postmodernists such as Ronald Sukenick and Charles Bernstein engage with the politics of language. These writers challenge conventional forms to reflect social struggles and promote alternative worldviews. By comparing American and Polish language-centered poetry of the 1960s and 1970s, the article contests the notion that postmodernism is exclusively Western. It demonstrates how stylistic and formal experimentation functions as an ideological tool that questions dominant doctrines and envisions broader transformations in social and cultural life.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)