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Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński (alias Jan Bugaj) was born on January 22nd 1921 in Warsaw. His father – Stanisław – was a literary critic, publicist, historian of literature, one of the most interesting personalities of the Interwar Period. His mother – Stefania of the Zieleńczyk – had outstanding humanistic and literature talents and was known of her educational-pedagogical activity. Krzysztof was a frail boy suffering from tuberculosis since his childhood, constantly tormented from attacks of chronic asthma and had also some cardio logical problems. In 1943 in the poem “To parents” he wrote about himself:

And there everything you have.
I was like a lime tree rustle,
And my name was Krzysztof
And also the body - it is so little.

(translated by Bill Johnston)

He wasn't looking for friendships, he was rather a loner who felt badly in a group. Being aware of his separateness and exceptionality he used to meet with colleagues and teacher's misunderstanding.. Krzysztof was an average student. He was attending an elite school, one of the best in Warsaw - The Barory High School of Batory (Liceum im. Stefana Batorego). While he was going to secondary school he started to deal seriously with poetry. He was also artistically talented. He graduated from the high school just before the outbreak of the Second World War. The first four week of September 1939 were very hard for Krzysztof. Till that time he had already written several adolescence poems. His poetic volumes were published in summer and autumn 1940. Each of them consisted of seven poems and was copied seven times. The poems form that term were of various style. The war impressed its mark on human everyday life. At climate of tension is presented in Baczyński's work, even in those poems which didn't describe reality. The majority of them was written in 1940 and 1941. Contact with writers of the older generation brought him satisfaction. He came into contact with Iwaszkiewicz and Anrzejewski among the others.His outstanding talent was appreciated. Entering ithe literary circles was possible thanks to personal acquaintances and the common work for underground publishing houses. The fact of being recognized caused the progress of young poet. Baczyński's poems started to be published in anthologies and the author received his first modest honoraria. 1942 was the turning point in the life of Baczyński. He was married to Barbara Drapczyńska, the daughter of an owner of the printery, well - known in Warsaw. She was a charmful, intelligent and full of personal attraction girl. Baczyński wrote his erotics to her, he dedicated to her his poem "Lullaby":

Lay in the cradle your welled up eyes,
your body on the wings of the demon of light,
then you'll swim through me like a leaf
fallen into the tiger's warm purr.

(translated by Alex Kurczaba)

Baczyński continued his education at Warsaw University. However, he gave it up soon. Education wasn't able to fill the whole of his life efficiently. He was looking for something else, for conspiracy work, for brave sabotage actions, for publishing of illegal magazines. In secret military college he underwent a combat training which was supposed to be very helpful later, during the days of the Warsaw Uprising. This all found its reflection in the poems. We can find bitterness of experience, wasted youth, disappointment and horror of the world in Baczyński's poetry but on the other hand we can also find romantic, sacrificial patriotism, and the fight for maintenance of morality. The month before the Uprising Baczyński and the officer cadet Mors left the Zośka battalion for the Parasol. There Baczyński was offered the position of the commander of platoon. In July 1944 Jerzy Zagórski invited Krzysztof with his wife for some days to Wiliszewo. There they were resting fot a short time among pine forests between tributaries of the Vistula and the Bugo-Narew. Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński fell on August 4^th 1944 at about 16.⁰⁰ on the insurgent sentry in Blanka Palace. There is a commemorative table devoted him on the Theatrical Square in Warsaw. The grave of the poet is situated on Powązki Military Cemetery.