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Tadeusz Różewicz was born on October 9, 1921 in Radomsko as the fourth of five children. In his youth he studied at the Feliks Fabiani Gymnasium in Radomsko. There he also obtained the so-called small high school diploma.

Różewicz's interest in literature was largely influenced by his older brother Janusz. It was he who introduced the future poet to books, as well as magazines such as "Skamander" and "Wiadomości Literackie." Różewicz began writing his first poems when he was in his late teens. During this period, he also wrote for the magazine "Under the Sign of Mary".

During the war, Różewicz initially worked in his hometown of Radomsko as a storekeeper and chaser, and later became an apprentice carpenter in one of the local factories. 

In 1942, he became a soldier in the Home Army. Różewicz was given the pseudonym "Satyr." A year later he was transferred to the forest troops. In 1943-1944, he took an active part in battles waged by Home Army soldiers. At that time he constantly wrote poems, and also edited the wartime magazine "Czyn Zbrojny" (Armed Action). His work was very popular among other partisans.

It was then that Forest Echoes was written, which should be considered Tadeusz Różewicz's actual literary debut. Flattering opinions about this volume were expressed by many of the poet's friends, as well as his brother Janusz, who predicted a great career for him. The poet's brother died in 1944, first captured and then shot by the Germans.

In 1945 Tadeusz Różewicz disclosed himself to the Liquidation Commission. A few years later, he was awarded the Polish Army Medal. and in 1974 he was honored with the Cross of the Home Army, which was awarded to him in London.

After the war, he initially lived in Częstochowa, where he continued to create and contribute to the local cultural community, including writing for the literary magazine "Odrodzenie." In the editorial office of this magazine he met Julian Przyboś, who saw great talent in Różewicz and persuaded him to move to Cracow. In Cracow, Różewicz passed his high school diploma, after which he began studying art history at Jagiellonian University (he ultimately did not complete it). He actively participated in the intellectual and literary life of Krakow at the time.

Różewicz's subsequent volumes published after the war - Niepokój and Czerwona rękawiczka - reverberated loudly. The young poet's poems were highly regarded by Leopold Staff and Czeslaw Milosz, among others. It was at this time that one of Różewicz's most famous poems, Ocalony (The Saved), was written.

In subsequent years, Różewicz attempted to emigrate from Poland, including asking Julian Przyboś for help in going to Paris. However, these plans could not be realized. The poet spent a short period only in Hungary. He returned to Poland in the early 1950s and settled in Gliwice, where he suffered poverty. During this period, many of the poet's works were subjected to criticism. In the early 1950s, his two sons were born.

After the death of Joseph Stalin and the events of 1956, critics began to appreciate Różewicz's poems for the poet's take on the theme of the pursuit of liberation.

In subsequent years, Różewicz turned to drama. Fascinated by the achievements of the creators of the theater of the absurd, Samuel Beckett or Eugène Ionesco, he created one of the most important dramatic works in the history of Polish literature - Cartoteka. The play, written in 1960, is often considered one of the first examples of theater of the absurd in Polish literature.

In his later period, Różewicz often experimented with form, mixing genres, combining poetry with drama and prose. One of the most important examples of this literary strategy is Preparing for an Author's Evening.

In 1964, the poet was listed as one of the signatories of a letter Polish writers issued in protest against "List 34." The letter, which Różewicz signed (called "Counter-letter 600"), expressed opposition to what was described as a campaign in the Western press to denigrate People's Poland. Many of the writers whose names were mentioned in the letter, however, claimed that its contents had been changed after their signatures had been affixed, and that it was thus forged. In the following years, Różewicz was the target of attacks by various literati, including Przyboś.

From 1968 until his death, the poet lived in Wrocław.

In the following years, he produced collections of poetry and dramas. Różewicz's best-known dramatic works from his later years include Odejście głodomora (1977) and Do piachu (1979). In the early 1990s, Różewicz created a modernized version of his most famous dramatic work, The Scattered Cartoon, in which he included additional scenes relating to the reality of the time.

Różewicz was a member of the Polish Writers' Association. He was the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Silesius Poetry Prize awarded in Wroclaw for achievements in Central European literature. In 2000, he was awarded the Nike Literary Prize for his volume of poetry Matka odchodzi.
Died in April 2014 in Wroclaw. His ashes were deposited in the cemetery at the Evangelical Church of Our Savior in Karpacz.

The works of Tadeusz Różewicz have been translated into 49 languages.