Radiance and Wonder: Reflections on Adam Zagajewski

In his poems and essays, Adam Zagajewski often described the work of poetry as discovering and giving expression to the “radiance” of the world. I argue that Zagajewski’s conception of poetry has much in common with Plato’s idea that philosophy begins in wondering. I further argue that in both cases, our confidence in the veridicality of wonder depends on our ability to share in wondering with another person, and I suggest that we can see this dynamic in several of Zagajewski’s poems about listening to music.