3 Influential Hungarian Poets To Get Inspiration
Despite their decreasing popularity, poems are still extremely influential in terms of how we understand and express our love. In fact, they are still so strong that most contemporary songs and movies couldn’t exist without them. Undoubtedly, there is a reason for that. Compared to how we express ourselves nowadays, old fashion poems are the products of delicacy, elegance and long hours of thinking. For that reason, it is always beneficial to look back and check how poets expressed themselves. In our case, we’ll be looking at the most influential Hungarian poets for you to get inspiration from.
1) Attila József
Attila József was one of the greatest Hungarian poets of the 20th century. Although he began his career quite early, his fame as a poet came after his death. During his lifetime, he dedicated himself finding beauty and harmony in life. This search led to many beautifully written poems such as “Óda”.
Oh how much I love you, who’ve given
speech to both the universes:
the heart’s caves, its trickweaving deepenings,
sly involute lonelinesses -
and starry heaven.
As water glides from its own thunderous fall
you fly from me and we are cleft and parted,
whilst I, among the mountains of my life, still call,
still kneel, and sing, and raise the echo with my cry,
slamming against the earth and sky,
that I love you, step-nurse, mother-hearted!
— Translated to English by Ozsváth Zsuzsanna
2) Ady Endre
Ady Endre is another famous Hungarian poet from the 20th century. Similar to Attila József, he also began his career quite early just before he reached 20. What makes him different than others is that he broke from the traditional folksy style of Hungarian poems and developed a new style. Apart from being a great poet, he was originally a journalist. Social progress, being alone, and Hungarian identity were some of the topics he wrote about. Let’s look at a short quotation from his masterpiece, Szeretném, ha szeretnének (I want to be loved):
In all self-torture, in every song,
I want to be loved, to belong.
Belong to somebody,
Belong to somebody.
Translate to English by Zollman Peter
3) Miklós Radnóti
Despite the difficulties he faced during his lifetime because of his Jewish identity, Miklós Radnóti did not only write beautiful poems but also influenced Hungarian literature such that he is considered one of the greatest Hungarian poets of 20 century alongside the other two poets we mentioned. Here is a poem he wrote for his wife:
Jealous interrogations: tell me; speak.
Do you still love me? Will you on that peak
of my past youth become my future wife?
-But now I fall awake to real life
and know that’s what you are: wife, friend of years,
-just far away. Beyond three wild frontiers.
And Fall comes. Will it also leave with me?
Kisses are sharper in the memory.
— Source: Poetry Foundation
If there is any Hungarian poet who inspires you, please share the name with us in the comments.
By Utku Bozdağ
xoxo
