ABSTRACT
Angels are the most commonly known and most potent representation of perfection and otherness. However, they have not always performed this function. Since 1945, angels have made frequent appearances in literature by Polish and Czech writers. Zbigniew Herbert, Tadeusz Rozewicz, Miroslav Holub and Milan Kundera use angels in various ways to illustrate epistemological and ontological enquiries, enquiries whose foundations are rooted directly or indirectly in experiences of life in countries under Nazi or Communist control. Angels are now the most commonly known and most potent representation of perfection and otherness. However, they have not always performed this function. Herbert's interest in angels and heaven is rooted in his contempt for the ideals of Nazism and Communism. 'The Seventh Angel' engages with issues regarding the freedom of expression and types of censorship, be it by forces exterior to the artist or by the artist themselves, but it also asks us to consider the notion of difference, of 'deviation'.
