William Penn Life, 1991 (26. évfolyam, 2-10. szám)
1991-04-01 / 4. szám
April 1991, William Penn Life, Page 3 Remembering Petőfi How one man realized his vision in both his art and his life The following address was delivered by Joseph P. Arvay, chairman of the William Penn Association Board of Directors, during the March 15th Commemoration held March 17, 1991, at the McKeesport (Pa.) Hungarian Social Club. By Joseph P. Arvay Chairman of the Board Honored guests, ladies and gentlemen: I am deeply honored to have been invited to speak to you on the anniversary of the "Revolution of 1848.” These few words of the man I am about to speak are not meant to condone or condemn his political or social views. I want to speak of this man as a poet, as an inspiration to the many freedom loving people of Hungary, and as an unsung hero of the Revolution. When a Hungarian is asked who, in his opinion, is the greatest poet his country has ever produced, he will most probably say Petőfi Sándor. Petőfi is known and respected wherever Hungarian is spoken. Besides his poetry, his larger-than-life personality contributed to the making of his image, for he perished during the time of the Revolution, fighting for the freedom of his people and for the most cherished ideals of "Romantic Europe.” He was a committed writer par excellence who led his people like a pillar of fire to freedom and independence. The image of Petőfi is still predomi- v nant in Hungary, and it is said the best poets of the country can aspire to nothing higher than to gain a place in the coveted ranks of his successors. Petőfi Sándor was born January 1, 1823, at Koskörös, a small place in the heart of the Hungarian Lowland, the Puszta, of lower middle-class parents. The young boy had an inborn irritation at the smallest sign that authority was attempting to intimidate him; he was a born rebel. His school career ended in 1839, by which time he had attended half a dozen schools in various parts of the country. He then joined the army and later a theater company. In other words, he was a social misfit who yet wanted to achieve social respectability by winning fame as an actor or a soldier. He also experimented with writing poetry. His first writing was a drinking song, "The Tippler (Borozo),” which was accepted for publication in 1842. There was no stopping Petőfi now, and by 1844, he had written enough poems to fill a volume. He submitted this volume of poems to Vörösmarty, the foremost poet of the country. Vörösmarty was pleasantly surprised, and on his advice, the first volume of Petőfi was published in 1844. Following this publication, he continued to build his reputation as a poet, but he also realized that he had a sense of mission and high calling. He began to write about his concern for the Hungarian nation. The following year and a half of his life to mid-1846 was filled with conflict, both with the outer world and himself. He began showing increasing concern over the fate of the Hungarian people and social conditions. In March of 1846, a group of young writers known as the "Society of Ten,” including Petőfi, were meeting. Their goals were literary, primarily the protection of rights against arbitrary publishers, but it was difficult to differentiate between a political and literary organization. Petőfi was one of their chief spokesmen. Hungary, in effect, had the beginnings of a youth movement. In August of 1846, Petőfi visited Szatmár, and he met and married Julia Szendrey. The insistance on the right of the people and the sacredness of freedom became a persistent theme in his poetry. • Poems from this period included "In the Name of the People,” "The Judgment” and "My First Vow.” It is interesting to note that Petőfi was on familiar terms or interacted with some of the greatest Europeans of the time: Kossuth, Teleki, Széchenyi, Liszt, Arany, Vörösmarty, Jókai and, later, Polish General Benn. Few writers can lay claim to such access in such important circles. Seldom has a writer been so close and played on such a grand stage of history, involving emperors, kings, princes, prime ministers and generals, amongst others. In the beginning of the critical year, 1848, he wrote "Puszta in Winter,” in which the final powerful image is of the crown falling from the king’s head into the snow. Petőfi relentlessly fought against social inequities; his poems became more and more radical. When the "God of Freedom” seemed to descend on Earth in the year 1848, Petőfi was happy and exuberent. Revolutions swept the continent: Paris, Italy, Germany and Vienna. On March 15, the situation in Hungary also reached its breaking point. Student demonstrations took place and demands were made for political changes, including freedom of the press, the administrative union of Hungary and Transylvania, and the abolition of class privileges. It befitted the occasion that the first product of the uncensored Hungarian press—seized "in the name of the people”—was a poem by Petőfi, "The National Song” ("Nemzeti Dal”), or, as some people identified it, "Talpra Magyar." This stirring poem played a part in the Hungarian Revolution similar to that of the Marseillaise in France. It demanded a clear cut choice in black and white alternatives between freedom and slavery. No other poem has ever had such political significance in Hungarian history. The events of March 15 placed Petőfi at the center of public interest. He became not only "the national poet” incarnate but a national hero. His voice seemed to represent all the people. In those eventful days, literature was intermingled with politics and history, not only in Petöfi’s poetry but in everything that was written and published. Petőfi, as always, was in the vanguard of the opinion forces. When he offered himself as a candidate for the diet in his native constituency, he was rejected. His failure caused him much soul searching and bitterness. This was further aggravated when the social revolution was suddenly transformed into a war of defense. The Austrian armed forces began their campaign against Hungary to restore "law and order.” Petőfi retired from public life for a short period. Certain events in the Revolution gave rise to optimism. The Honvéd army successfully defended the country. General Jellacic was routed and his army was put into retreat. Petőfi was annoyed that military success was not followed up by appropriate measures, and in the autumn, he himself enlisted in the army. He left behind his young wife who was expecting their child in three months. The vision that he so vividly described in his poems was coming true, his years were about to come to an untimely end. Petőfi was ready to die in that final battle for world freedom. He was as good as his word. In the battle of Segesvár in 1849, where Petőfi was serving as aide-de-camp to General Benn, the Tsarist calvary which outnumbered General Benn’s troops six-toone, massacred the Honvéd army. Petőfi was last seen alive in the afternoon of July 31. Petöfi’s body was never recovered. Witnesses claim to have seen a white shirted figure standing up against the charging Cossacks with a sword and collapsing after being pierced by a lance. The slender figure was thought to be the poet. The exact details of his death may never be known, although circumstantial evidence has been scrutinized over and over again. With Petöfi’s life and works, a people of a country acquired an identity and a new destiny. Previously they were used by a ruling system as peasant labor. Probably every language has a writer who more than anyone makes the speakers of the community proud to know that tongue. In Hungarian, this man is beyond all doubt Petőfi. I consider myself fortunate to have learned as a child the language in which he wrote, although I was born thousands of miles from the Puszta. Chills run up and down my spine and my proud Hungarian heritage comes to the fore when I hear those first words of that great poem, "Talpra magyar hív a haza.” Itt az idő most vagy soha. The time has come for me to end this address and to thank you once again for the invitation. Thank you. Workshop to teach effective methods of lobbying for Hungarian human rights ADA, OH — A workshop for college age students and young adults interested in becoming more active in the human rights struggles of Hungarians throughout Eastern Europe will be held in early June in Chicago. Leading the workshop will be instructors who have both practical experience and a clear understanding of what needs to be done in the Eastern European human rights struggle. They will include people with elective political experience, lobbying careers, and involvement with the media and academic work. The workshop staff currently includes Bernard Hanley, Ildikó Bodoni, László Hamos, Andrew Ludanyi, Kay Scrimger, László Latkoczy and Peter Ujvagi. All will share their political knowhow and skills. The workshop will provide students with practical information on the most effective ways of contacting and influencing public officials and the mass media. There also will be discussion of the American political landscape. Further information about the workshop—including the exact location and the cost of accommodations, if any—will be sent only to those who express a sincere interest in the program. For more information, complete the registration form below and mail it, along with the registration fee of $25 per person, to the address listed. The workshop will be limited to 20 students. The workshop is being sponsored by the William Penn Association, Hungarian Communion of Friends (Magyar Barati Közösség), Hungarian Reformed Federation of America and Hungarian Human Rights Foundation. Human Rights Lobby Workshop June 1991 — Chicago, Illinois Sponsored by the William Penn Association, Hungarian Communion of Friends, Hungarian Reformed Federation of America and Hungarian Human Rights Foundation. REGISTRATION FORM NAME: AGE: ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIP: TELEPHONE: REGISTRATION FEE - $25 per person. Complete this form and send it, along with your registration fee, to: HUMAN RIGHTS WORKSHOP P.O.BOX 112, ADA, OH 45810
