Wojtyła’s David: Lost or Found? Contextual Clues Toward Possible Solution of a Literary Mystery

Scholarly consensus suggests that Karol Wojtyła (the future Pope John Paul II) wrote an early drama entitled David that has been lost to history. The primary source of information regarding this literary work comes from Wojtyła’s wartime correspondence with friend and mentor Mieczysław Kotlarczyk. Contextual clues, through closer reading of this correspondence, as well as textual clues, via study of an early collection of poetry by Wojtyła known as the Psalter of David, suggest an alternate interpretation. This literary mystery is explored through consideration of context, content, title, genre, form, history, provenance, style, themes, and meaning. Perhaps what had been lost as a drama has been found as a collection of dramatic poetry.