Endre Ady
Encyclopedia
Endre Ady was a Hungarian
poet
.
county (part of Austria-Hungary
at the time; now a village in Satu Mare County
, Romania
, called Adyfalva in Hungarian
and Ady Endre in Romanian
). He belonged to an impoverished Calvinist noble family. Endre was the second of three children, although the eldest of the three, a girl named Ilona had died at an early age.
Between 1892-1896, he attended a Protestant
school in Zilah
(today Zalău
, Romania
). Since 1957, in the front of the school, there is a statue of Ady Endre. In the newspaper "Szilágy" from Zalău, Ady Endre published his first poem on March 22, 1896.
Afterwards, he studied Law at the Reformed College
in Debrecen
. After finishing his studies, he became a journalist
, and published his first poems in a volume called Versek (Poems) in 1899. He soon became tired of Debrecen (the town later became the symbol of backwardness
in his poetry) and moved to Nagyvárad (today Oradea
, Romania
), a city with rich cultural life.
Working as a journalist and spending time with like-minded people broadened his horizons. He published a new collection of poems in 1903, but remained relatively unknown. The turning point came in August 1903 when he met Adél Brüll (Mrs. Diósi), a rich married woman who was living in Paris
but visited her home in Nagyvárad. Léda (as he called her in his poems) became his Muse; his love for her and his visit to Paris, where he followed her, helped him to develop his talent. He visited Paris seven times between 1904 and 1911. When he came back after his first visit (which lasted for a year), he began to work for the newspaper Budapesti Napló (Budapest Journal) where he published more than 500 articles and many poems.
Being interested in politics, he became a member of the radical group Huszadik Század (Twentieth Century). In 1906 he published his third book of poetry, Új versek (New Poems) – which is a landmark in literature, marking the birth of modern Hungarian poetry –, but it was his fourth collection, Vér és arany (Blood and Gold) which brought him real success and critical acclaim.
In 1906 Ady decided to leave the country. He went to Paris again. In 1907, he had to leave his job at the Budapesti Napló.
In 1908, the first issue of a new periodical called Nyugat
(The West) published a poem and an essay by Ady. He worked for this periodical for the rest of his life; from 1912 he was one of the editors. Also in 1908 in Nagyvárad he was one of the founders of a literary circle called A Holnap (The Tomorrow). The circle published an anthology
of some poems of Ady and others including Mihály Babits
, Gyula Juhász
and Béla Balázs
. The poems of this anthology met disapproval and lack of comprehension. Many people attacked the anthology for containing erotic poems, also, Ady was criticized for his unpatriotic feelings in his poem, in which he emphasized the contrast between the rich cultural life he longs for and the realities of the cruel Hungarian peasant world.
Ady disliked that his name was mentioned together with other poets, about whom he thought that they were jumping on his bandwagon. He wrote a short story (The duk-duk affair) in which he mocked those who are following the trend set by him.
The Nyugat is undoubtedly the most important periodical in the history of Hungarian literature. Ady was not only an editor of the paper, but also its symbol. Since the Nyugat did not deal with politics, it was not enough for Ady who was interested in politics, so he wrote for other newspapers too. He criticized heavily the political situation of the time. He did not like the nationalism of the leading parties, but also criticized the antinationalism of social democrats; knew how much Hungary was behind the more developed countries but clearly saw the faults of Western countries too.
From 1909 he often needed treatment in sanatoriums for his health which was undermined by syphilis. The political situation became critical, the workers were protesting against the government, Ady saw a revolution approaching. His personal life was also in a crisis, his affair with Léda became more and more a burden for him; with Ady becoming a famous poet Léda lost her leading role in the relationship. He broke up with her in April 1912.
In 1914 he met twenty-year-old Berta Boncza, with whom he had been corresponding since 1911. In 1915 they married without her father's permission. In his poems he called her Csinszka.
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
in 1914, Ady saw that war
was approaching. Everyone he knew was enthusiastic about the war, and he was left alone with his fears and worries about the future. He published his last book of poetry in 1918. He was already suffering from terminal illness when wrote his last poem, Üdvözlet a győzőnek (Greetings to the victorious). His syphilis had weakened his aorta to the degree that he might die at any moment from a massive hemorrhage. He was elected as president of the Vörösmarty
Academy, an organization of modern writers, but could not deliver his opening speech; he died in Budapest on 27 January 1919.
writing in an imitated folksy style yet lacking Petőfi's vision (and, mostly, talent) which was not able to renew itself. Ady was the first to break with the traditions and promote the new, modern style. Although he liked to see himself as a lonely, misunderstood revolutionary, in truth most of the poets of his generation took sides with him (and many of them imitated his style).
His first two books of poetry did not show anything new; he was still under the influence of 19th century poets such as Petőfi or János Vajda. The first elements of his own style appeared not in his poems but in his essays and other writings.
Ady was undoubtedly influenced by the works of Baudelaire
and Verlaine
. He often uses Symbolism
, his recurring themes are God, Hungary, and fight for survival. Other themes are present only in certain periods of his life (money, God, life and death, Léda).
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Biography
Ady was born in Érmindszent, SzilágySzilágy
Szilágy is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in north-western Romania. The capital of the county was Zilah .-Geography:...
county (part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
at the time; now a village in Satu Mare County
Satu Mare County
Satu Mare County is a county of Romania. The capital city is Satu Mare. Besides Romanians , Satu Mare features a significant ethnic minority of Hungarians .-Demographics:...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, called Adyfalva in Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and Ady Endre in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
). He belonged to an impoverished Calvinist noble family. Endre was the second of three children, although the eldest of the three, a girl named Ilona had died at an early age.
Between 1892-1896, he attended a Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
school in Zilah
Zalau
Zalău is the seat of Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2004, its estimated population was 62,900.- Ancient times :Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", 8 kilometers away from the historical landmark of Porolissum, a well-preserved Roman Castrum with an imposing fortress,...
(today Zalău
Zalau
Zalău is the seat of Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2004, its estimated population was 62,900.- Ancient times :Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", 8 kilometers away from the historical landmark of Porolissum, a well-preserved Roman Castrum with an imposing fortress,...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
). Since 1957, in the front of the school, there is a statue of Ady Endre. In the newspaper "Szilágy" from Zalău, Ady Endre published his first poem on March 22, 1896.
Afterwards, he studied Law at the Reformed College
University of Debrecen
The University of Debrecen is a university located in Debrecen, Hungary. It is the oldest continuously operating institution of higher education in Hungary .-History:...
in Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
. After finishing his studies, he became a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and published his first poems in a volume called Versek (Poems) in 1899. He soon became tired of Debrecen (the town later became the symbol of backwardness
Backwardness
An economically backward economy is defined as one which makes less progress than normal. USSR leader Gorbachev once said “If you don’t move forward, sooner or later you begin to move backward.” The backwardness model is a theory of economic growth created by Alexander Gerschenkron...
in his poetry) and moved to Nagyvárad (today Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
), a city with rich cultural life.
Working as a journalist and spending time with like-minded people broadened his horizons. He published a new collection of poems in 1903, but remained relatively unknown. The turning point came in August 1903 when he met Adél Brüll (Mrs. Diósi), a rich married woman who was living in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
but visited her home in Nagyvárad. Léda (as he called her in his poems) became his Muse; his love for her and his visit to Paris, where he followed her, helped him to develop his talent. He visited Paris seven times between 1904 and 1911. When he came back after his first visit (which lasted for a year), he began to work for the newspaper Budapesti Napló (Budapest Journal) where he published more than 500 articles and many poems.
Being interested in politics, he became a member of the radical group Huszadik Század (Twentieth Century). In 1906 he published his third book of poetry, Új versek (New Poems) – which is a landmark in literature, marking the birth of modern Hungarian poetry –, but it was his fourth collection, Vér és arany (Blood and Gold) which brought him real success and critical acclaim.
In 1906 Ady decided to leave the country. He went to Paris again. In 1907, he had to leave his job at the Budapesti Napló.
In 1908, the first issue of a new periodical called Nyugat
Nyugat
Nyugat , was the most influential Hungarian literary journal in the first half of the 20th century. Writers and poets from that era are referred to as "1st/2nd/3rd generation of the NYUGAT"....
(The West) published a poem and an essay by Ady. He worked for this periodical for the rest of his life; from 1912 he was one of the editors. Also in 1908 in Nagyvárad he was one of the founders of a literary circle called A Holnap (The Tomorrow). The circle published an anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of some poems of Ady and others including Mihály Babits
Mihály Babits
Mihály Babits was a Hungarian poet, writer and translator.- Biography :...
, Gyula Juhász
Gyula Juhász
Gyula Juhász was a Hungarian poet, who was awarded the Baumgarten Prize.His first poems were published in in 1899. Between 1902 and 1906 he was a student of the University of Budapest, where he met Mihály Babits and Dezső Kosztolányi....
and Béla Balázs
Béla Balázs
----Béla Balázs , born Herbert Bauer, was a Hungarian-Jewish film critic, aesthete, writer and poet....
. The poems of this anthology met disapproval and lack of comprehension. Many people attacked the anthology for containing erotic poems, also, Ady was criticized for his unpatriotic feelings in his poem, in which he emphasized the contrast between the rich cultural life he longs for and the realities of the cruel Hungarian peasant world.
Ady disliked that his name was mentioned together with other poets, about whom he thought that they were jumping on his bandwagon. He wrote a short story (The duk-duk affair) in which he mocked those who are following the trend set by him.
The Nyugat is undoubtedly the most important periodical in the history of Hungarian literature. Ady was not only an editor of the paper, but also its symbol. Since the Nyugat did not deal with politics, it was not enough for Ady who was interested in politics, so he wrote for other newspapers too. He criticized heavily the political situation of the time. He did not like the nationalism of the leading parties, but also criticized the antinationalism of social democrats; knew how much Hungary was behind the more developed countries but clearly saw the faults of Western countries too.
From 1909 he often needed treatment in sanatoriums for his health which was undermined by syphilis. The political situation became critical, the workers were protesting against the government, Ady saw a revolution approaching. His personal life was also in a crisis, his affair with Léda became more and more a burden for him; with Ady becoming a famous poet Léda lost her leading role in the relationship. He broke up with her in April 1912.
In 1914 he met twenty-year-old Berta Boncza, with whom he had been corresponding since 1911. In 1915 they married without her father's permission. In his poems he called her Csinszka.
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
in 1914, Ady saw that war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was approaching. Everyone he knew was enthusiastic about the war, and he was left alone with his fears and worries about the future. He published his last book of poetry in 1918. He was already suffering from terminal illness when wrote his last poem, Üdvözlet a győzőnek (Greetings to the victorious). His syphilis had weakened his aorta to the degree that he might die at any moment from a massive hemorrhage. He was elected as president of the Vörösmarty
Mihály Vörösmarty
Mihály Vörösmarty was an important Hungarian poet and dramatist.He was born at Puszta-Nyék , of a noble Roman Catholic family. His father was a steward of the Nádasdys. Mihály was educated at Székesfehérvár by the Cistercians and at Pest by the Piarists...
Academy, an organization of modern writers, but could not deliver his opening speech; he died in Budapest on 27 January 1919.
Poetry
In the beginning of the 20th century Hungarian poets were claiming to follow in the footsteps of Sándor PetőfiSándor Petofi
Sándor Petőfi , was a Hungarian poet and liberal revolutionary. He is considered as Hungary's national poet and he was one of the key figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848...
writing in an imitated folksy style yet lacking Petőfi's vision (and, mostly, talent) which was not able to renew itself. Ady was the first to break with the traditions and promote the new, modern style. Although he liked to see himself as a lonely, misunderstood revolutionary, in truth most of the poets of his generation took sides with him (and many of them imitated his style).
His first two books of poetry did not show anything new; he was still under the influence of 19th century poets such as Petőfi or János Vajda. The first elements of his own style appeared not in his poems but in his essays and other writings.
Ady was undoubtedly influenced by the works of Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the nineteenth century...
and Verlaine
Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.-Early life:...
. He often uses Symbolism
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
, his recurring themes are God, Hungary, and fight for survival. Other themes are present only in certain periods of his life (money, God, life and death, Léda).
Works
- Versek ("Poems", 1899)
- Még egyszer ("Once Again", 1903)
- Új versek ("New Poems", 1906)
- Vér és arany ("Blood and Gold", 1907)
- Illés szekerén ("On Elijah's Chariot", 1909)
- Szeretném, ha szeretnének ("I'd Love to Be Loved" 1910)
- A Minden-Titkok versei ("The Poems of All Secrets", 1911)
- A menekülő Élet ("The Fleeing Life", 1912)
- Margita élni akar ("Margita Wants to Live", 1912)
- A magunk szerelme ("Our Own Love", 1913)
- Ki látott engem? ("Who Have Seen Me?", 1914)
- A halottak élén ("Leading the Dead", 1918)
- Az utolsó hajók ("The Last Ships", 1923)