On July 31, 1849, the Hungarian patriotic poet Petofi died while fighting the Russian army in the bloody battle of Sykesburg. He was only 26 years old.
Life is precious
Love is more valuable
If it’s for freedom
Both can be thrown away
"Life is precious, love is even more valuable, and both can be thrown away for the sake of freedom." When people mention this poem, which has been widely recited around the world for more than a hundred years, people will think of its author, the Hungarian poet Petofi. However, under the special political atmosphere in China in the 1960s, "Petofi Club" once again became an ominous term. If we look back at history objectively, we can know that the great Hungarian poet was a heroic fighter in the European Revolution of 1848 who was deeply concerned and praised by Marx and Engels. His poems also left a profound legacy for oppressed nations around the world. precious literary heritage.
■Growing up in the environment of the struggle for national freedom and singing for love
On January 1, 1823, Petofi Sandor was born on the Danube River under the rule of the Austrian Empire In a small Hungarian town on the Avd Plain, his father was a poor Slavic butcher and his mother was a Magyar serf. According to the laws of the time, his family was at the bottom of society.
Some of the ancestors of Hungary come from the tribes of the Xiongnu who migrated westward during the Han Dynasty in China. Hungary is characterized by the fierce collision of Eastern and Western cultures and occupies a special position in European history. Due to long-term discrimination and oppression from surrounding ethnic groups, Hungarians have been adept at using poetry as a clarion call to encourage their nation to fight for nearly a thousand years. In modern times, a large number of outstanding patriotic poets have emerged. After the 17th century, Hungary had been under the rule of the Austrian Empire and lost its independent status. Uprisings for freedom continued one after another.
Living in such an environment, Petofi was willing to listen to the elders telling the legend of the uprising led by the national hero Huss when he was a boy. In a small hotel, he and his companions talked about the story of the Hungarian nation's struggle for independence, which left a deep mark on his young mind. This "free forum" atmosphere also greatly promoted the development and progress of Petofi's language. When he was very young, he could talk freely in Hungarian and Slovak, and he also had a certain foundation in Latin.
In 1835, Petofi, a 12-year-old poor boy, had the opportunity to study in Osaide. In three years, he showed his intelligence and talents. In addition to completing the school's required courses, he also organized a progressive student group. Read and study the history of the French Revolution and the works of Hungarian classical writers. In 1838, Petofi wrote his debut satirical poem "Farewell". This poem inherits and carries forward the tradition of Hungarian classical poetry, and initially embodies the popular characteristics of poetic language that he has followed throughout his life. He also served in the military, worked as a homeless actor, and served as an assistant editor of "Pace Fashion News". His rich social experience deepened the source of his creation.
In September 1846, 23-year-old Petofi met Sendele Yulia, the daughter of Count Ilnots, at a dance. The purity and frankness of this beautiful girl with a slender figure and light blue eyes made the young poet fall in love at first sight. However, the earl, who owned a large amount of land and estates, refused to marry his daughter to a poor poet like Petofi. In the face of resistance, Petofi's feelings for Yulia could not be suppressed. Within half a year, he sent out love poems one after another, such as "To Yulia", "I am a person with love", "You Love" "It's spring", "The desolate autumn wind whispers in the woods", "Give me twenty kisses at once", etc. The treasures in these lyric poems encouraged Yulia to break through the shackles of her father and family, and entered the wedding hall with Petofi a year later.
At this moment, the revolutionary torrent has surged across Europe, and the Hungarian people’s uprising is also like surging lava. Petofi's honeymoon was filled with joy and melancholy. Unwilling to mediocrely indulge in his private life, he wrote the famous motto poem "Freedom and Love": "Life is precious, love is more expensive..." This masterpiece has been a moving poem that inspires the world's progressive youth for hundreds of years. .
■Use poetry as a clarion call and fight for national independence with passion
In the spring of 1848, the national and class contradictions in Hungary under Austrian rule had reached a fever pitch. Petofi witnessed the people being invaded and enslaved, and shouted loudly: "Are we going to be slaves from generation to generation? Are we never going to have freedom and equality?" The poet began to closely connect his ideals with revolution, determined to He relied on the poor people to fight and wrote a series of concise poems as a clarion call to encourage people to move towards the national democratic revolution.
On March 14, he and other uprising leaders discussed the uprising in a cafe in Pest and adopted the "Twelve Points" political program aimed at implementing bourgeois reforms. That night, Petofi wrote the uprising message "Song of the Nation":
Rise up, Hungarians, the motherland is calling!
It’s time, do it now, it’s not too late!
Would you rather be a free man or a slave?
It’s up to you to choose, that’s the problem!
In the early morning of the 15th, the "Pest March Uprising" that shocked the world began. More than 10,000 insurgents gathered in front of the Ethnographic Museum. Petofi recited his "Song of the Nation" in public. The rebels quickly occupied Budapest and made it the center of the European revolution at that time. In April of the following year, the Hungarian Parliament also passed the Declaration of Independence and established the Republic of Korea. Engels once pointed out: “Hungary is the only country that has completely abolished the feudal obligations of the peasants both legally and practically since the March Revolution.
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