Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1993. [Vol. 1.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 21)
STUDIES - Lehel Vadon: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Hungary
belonged to the "Holy Trinity of American poetry." "He consciously trained himself to attain the highest artistic standards possible and as an erudite, yet impressionable poet with supreme acquisitive and elaborative skills always strove to enhance form with color". 5 According to Csukássi a lack of humor and vitality along with the limited creative force and the relatively low number of artistic innovations in Longfellow's poetry were the author's Achilles heels. The aesthetician critic and one of Longfellow's first translators Tamás Szana held a similar opinion. 6 Emil Ábrányi, the noted literary translator and poet considered Longfellow not as the poet of genius but of talent "who not only made a mark for himself in American poetry but demanded a dominant position in European literature as well". Longfellow's tranquil creative process reminded him of the Hungarian poet, János Arany. 7 The poet and translator János Dömötör appreciated Longfellow's translatory skills and respected his efforts to integrate the motives of European poetry into America's cultural heritage. According to him Longfellow was the most popular foreign poet in Hungary in the 1870s whose most of his poetry was traslated into Hungarian, and widely and enthusiastically read by the Hungarian reading public. Dömötör considered Zsigmond Acs, Károly Szász, Béla Szász, Zsigmond Lőrinczy /Lehr/ and József Lévai as the most successful interpreters of Longfellow's works and encouraged them to continue transplanting his words into Hungarian. 8 József Prém also acknowledged Longfellow's translating achievements and highly praised his unique and often intranslatable poetic language, his noble attitude, lucid thinking and gentle spirit. He highlighted the dignified, profound and sincere morality of Longfellow's poetry that was devoid of humor, witticism or any traces of piquancy. 9 5 József Csukássi, "Longfellow Wadsworth Henry. II.," Fővárosi Lapok, 13 (1869): pp. 48. 6 (SZ.T.) (Tamás Szana), "Az észak-amerikai költészet. II.," Fővárosi Lapok, 199 (1869): pp. 748—785. — The same article: (Tamás Szana), "Az Észak-Amerikai költészet," Figyelő, 46 (1875): pp. 545—548.; Figyelő47 (1875): pp. 557—559. 7 Emil Ábrányi, "Longfellow Henrik," Ország-Világ, 22 (1871): pp. 254—256. 8 (D. J.) (János Bömötör), "Longfellow," Vasárnapi Újság, 21 (1876): pp. 321—322. 9 József Prém, "Longfellow," Képes Világ; XI (1871): pp. 247—248. 131