Famous Hungarian Poets

Hungarian Jewish poet and SOE member Hannah Szenes went down in history for voluntarily parachuting into occupied Europe during World War II to assist the Allied forces and the armed resistance against the Nazis. Captured at the Hungarian border, she was eventually tortured and executed by a firing squad.

Hungarian poet and revolutionary Sándor Petőfi is remembered as one of the pillars of the 1848 Hungarian Revolution, and his song Talpra Magyar became an anthem of the revolution. While he was initially part of the army, ill health got him dismissed soon. He also penned the epic fairy tale János vitéz.

Known for his short stories and plays reflecting the life in Budapest, author Ferenc Molnár never identified with any particular literary movement. His best-known works include the short story anthology Muzsika and the novel The Paul Street Boys. Initially an aspiring lawyer, he later worked as a war correspondent.

A descendant of a Hungarian noble family, Sándor Márai grew up to become a celebrated journalist. He was the first to review the works of Franz Kafka. He neither liked the Nazis nor the Communists. His best-known works include the novel Embers, which was later made into a stage play.

Best known for his performance as Saul Ausländer in the Academy Award-winning movie Son of Saul, Hungarian actor Geza Rohrig grew up in foster care and was initially interested in music. He is also a talented poet, who has dealt with themes such as the Holocaust in his works.

One of the greatest 20th-century Hungarian poets, Attila József was a washerwoman’s son and had begun writing poems since age 17 but soared to fame only after his death. He was also a co-founder of the literary journal Szép Szó, or Beautiful Word. He later showed signs of mental illnesses.

Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy was the first to state the concept of six degrees of separation, in his short story Chains. Initially a journalist, he later mastered the short story format and also penned novels such as Voyage to Faremido. He also wrote the script for the film The Stork Caliph.

Endre Ady was a Hungarian poet and journalist. Widely regarded as the 20th century's greatest Hungarian poet, Ady is credited with introducing a new, modern style of poetry, breaking away from the folksy style of Sándor Petőfi, which was widely followed by Hungarian poets at that time. In 1947, a postage stamp featuring Ady's likeness was issued by Hungary. 

Regarded as one of the greatest 20th-century Hungarian poets, Miklos Radnoti initially worked in his family textile business and then switched to literature, writing for various little magazines. Sent to a forced labor camp, he was eventually murdered by the Hungarian Guards and dumped in a mass grave during the Holocaust.

Hungarian poet Janos Arany is regarded by many as the Shakespeare of ballads. Best known for his iconic epic poem Toldi, which was part of a trilogy, he had also been associated with the Hungarian Academy. He had initially been part of the Hungarian Revolution and later also taught for a while.

Hungarian author Béla Balázs, known for his Symbolist poems, also made pathbreaking studies in formalist film theory. He later established the Film Studies Institute of Hungary and also contributed to films such as The 3 Penny Opera. The Béla Balázs Prize, named after him, now honors talented cinematographers.

Hungarian author Dezső Kosztolányi brought in futurism to Hungarian literature and wrote everything from plays to plays. Known for his novels such as Skylark and The Golden Kite, he also translated works of legends such as Shakespeare and Rilke. He was a lifelong journalist, too.

Though born into a noble family, Mihály Vörösmarty had to face poverty from an early age and also sustained by tutoring. A trained lawyer, he later devoted himself to reforming Hungarian literature by removing all its classical influences. The play Csongor és Tünde remains one of his best-known works.

Miklós Zrínyi was an able military leader of Hungary, who was determined to drive the Turks out of his country. He also authored Hungary’s first epic poem, The Peril of Sziget. Unfortunately, he was killed by a wild boar during a hunting expedition, though rumors suggest he was assassinated.

Hungarian-born poet, writer and translator, György Faludy first came to fame with his erotic translation of the Ballads of Villon, raising official eyebrows with his next publication, collection of poems called A pompeji strázsan. However, his most notable work, My Happy Days in Hell, a memoir of time spent at labor camp, was published much later, earning him eternal fame.  

Best remembered as the author of the Hungarian national anthem, Ferenc Kölcsey was orphaned and even lost an eye in childhood. Though a trained lawyer, he later focused on reviving Hungarian literature. He had also been part of the Hungarian Diet, as a prominent liberal leader.

One of the best-known figures of Hungarian literature, poet, author, and translator Ferenc Kazinczy made significant contribution to the development of the Hungarian language. A qualified lawyer and a civil servant, he was once also imprisoned for political conspiracy.  He also co-founded the Hungarian Academy.

Initially a secondary school teacher, Mihály Babits later taught Hungarian literature at the University of Budapest but was removed due to his pacifist views. He then devoted his life to writing and penned everything from poems to novels and short stories. Halálfiai remains one of his best-known works.

One of the greatest Hungarian lyric poets ever, Bálint Balassi was born into an affluent Protestant family and had an active military life, fighting the Turks. Apart from patriotic songs and hymns, he had also penned love poems. He died due to a severe cannonball wound at the siege of Esztergom-Víziváros.

Though a qualified lawyer, Imre Madách gained fame as a poet and author. The 15-act play The Tragedy of Man, compared to the works of Faust and Milton, was not only his best-known work but also a significant addition to Hungarian literature. He was also a politician and an MP.

Known for his works such as the novel People of the Puszta and the poem One Sentence on Tyranny, Hungarian author and poet Gyula Illyés primarily wrote on the socio-political issues of his country. He was also named to the parliament and had established the Smallholders’ Party.

Hungarian poet Sándor Weöres got his first poems published in his early teens and then worked as a librarian and a freelance author. The Kossuth Prize winner is best remembered for his works such as Psyché and The Tower of Silence. Many of his poems were later turned into musical pieces.

Remembered as the first writer from the Hungarian working class, Lajos Kassák traveled all over Europe on foot in his 20s. A man who was influenced by several avant-garde movements, he later penned his iconic 8-volume memoir, A Man’s Life, of which the later chapters were deleted for going against communism.

The first Hungarian poet to work with classical themes and meters, Dániel Berzsenyi initially worked on a farm and led an isolated life, till he was discovered by author Ferenc Kazinczy. He quit writing after his only volume of poems was bitterly criticized and he was labeled as a person who copied Horatius.

A major figure of the Enlightenment in Hungary, Mihály Csokonai Vitéz was initially a professor of poetry but later lost his job due to conduct issues. He then became a wandering poet, immortalizing his lady love Lilla, through his poems. He died poor, in his native town, at age 31.

Regarded as one of the greatest poets of his time, Sándor Csoóri initially quit studies due to health issues and started contributing to journals instead. He was later barred from award ceremonies for being critical of the dictatorial regime of the Rákosi era through his writings.

Though born to affluent parents, Tibor Déry later joined the Communist Party. Sentenced to a 9-year imprisonment for his association with the Hungarian Revolution, he was eventually granted amnesty after 6 years. Known for his Surrealist and avant-garde plays and poems, he also penned the controversial novel Lia.

A significant pillar of Hungarian poetry, Geza Szocs was known for his disregard for conventions. He also worked as journalist in Geneva and later served as Hungary’s Secretary of State for Culture and the president of the Hungarian PEN Club. He died of COVID-19 complications in 2020.

Though a qualified lawyer, József Katona later gained fame as one of Hungary’s most renowned playwrights. His historical tragedy Bánk bán, which was his entry for a contest, was chiefly ignored, and this made him turn to law and work as an attorney general. The tragedy eventually gained popularity after his death.  

Though born into a Hungarian aristocratic family, Gyula Cseszneky de Milvány faced poverty after World War II. Encouraged to be a priest, he later joined the military and worked as an aide-de-camp to Tomislav II of Croatia. An anti-Nazi conspirator, he later died in exile in Brazil. He was also a fine poet.

Known for his patriotic poems, János Batsányi was stripped of his job of a treasury clerk and thrown into jail for his association with the conspiracy of Ignác Martinovics. A supporter of Napoleon, he was interned in Austria after Napoleon’s fall. On the Changes in France remains his best-known work.

While he was initially part of a technical course, Hungarian poet Gyula Kodolányi later switched to arts and began his career as an editor. A Fulbright scholar, he taught in the US. He later won the prestigious Kossuth Prize and also served as a Hungarian State Secretary.

A historian and a poet, János Majláth is best known for his translation of Magyar folk tales into German. Initially home-schooled, he later studied philosophy and law and worked in public service, a job he obtained through his minister father. He worked and lived in Pest, Vienna, and Munich.