PETQFI, pe'te-ff, SANDOR (ALEXANDER) (1822-49). The national poet of Hungary, born at Kis-K.8/.6s, in the County of Pesth, December 31, 1822. His father was a butcher and a small landowner in Little Cumania, and bore the name of Petrovics—a name indicating a Slavic origin. ]n 1838 his father was impoverished by an over flow of the Danube, which destroyed Id; little estate; and it was only by the help of kinsmen that he was able to rear his son for a profession. Pettiti was sent to the lyceum of the town of Schemnitz. Ile ran away with a band of German strollers, and again from school at nedenburg, this time enlisting as a common soldier. After two years in the army, a physician brought about his discharge, and he went home. He afterwards went to Pripa, to complete his education. In 1842 he left PSpa to join a troop of comedians, but lie soon parted from them. He made his way to Pressburg, and afterwards to Pesth, where he got some employment as a translator from the English and the French. Going to Debreczin, he made another venture as an actor, playing the part of Othello. but again failed. At last he had the good fortune to be invited to contribute to a newspaper at Pesth. On his arrival at that city he exchanged the name of l'etrovies for Peta, and it was not long before he became famous as a lyric poet.
Pet6fi introduced himself to Viirtismarty, then the poet of Hungary, who received the shabby stranger coldly, but when he had listened to his verses he exclaimed. "Hungary never had such lyrics; you must be eared for." And from that time he treated Petiifi as a son. Pettifi was al most at once received into the literary national circle, at the expense of which was published his Bersek, which appeared in 1844. This was rap idly followed by other volumes, which won bound less popularity. In March, 1848, he was the leader in the first movement of the Hungarian revolution at Pesth, and he became, by speech and pen. the advocate of the independence of Ilungary. II is poem, Talpra, Magyar! ( Up, :Magyars!), like later stirring lyrics, excited great patriotic enthusiasm. Ile enlisted in the National Army, and in the beginning of 1849 he was appointed adjutant and secretary to General Bens. Pettifi was at the battle of Schiisshurg (Segesvfir), fought only 31, 1849, in which Bern's army was overwhelmed. Ile was never heard of after that day. It is believed that he was killed by a Cossack in the flight, and that his body, so mangled as to escape recognition, was buried with the multitude of Magyar dead left upon the field. His countrymen at first be
lieved that he was not dead, but a prisoner in an Austrian dungeon. In 1877 a rumor gained cur rency that Pettifi was still living as a Russian prisoner in one of the mines of Siberia. and the Austrian Government was forced by public opin ion to institute official inquiries in order to prove the groundlessness of the report. On Octo ber IS, 18S2, a monument to the poet was veiled in Square at Budapest, and the house in which he was born at Kis-Kiirtis was purchased with the intent. to preserve it. He left a widow and one son.
Peta is the greatest literary genius of Hun gary, and he ranks, by common critical consent, among the greatest lyric poets of the last cen tury. The most beautiful of his poems are his impassioned shorter lyrics, of which he pub lished several eollections, under the titles Cy press Learns on Etelka's Grace: Pearls of Lore; Starless Nights; Clouds. The most cele brated of his narrative poems—also the longest —are: .Linos, the Ilero Istok, the Fool. His earliest work was The Wine-Drinkers, published in 1842; his latest, Thr Assessor of the Judgment ,Seat, which appeared in 1849. Pettiti translated Shakespeare's Corio/anus in 1848. A volume, containing a poem entitled The dpostie, was sup pressed by the Austrian Government after the pacification of Hungary. Pettifi published a novel, The Hangman's Ropr, which failed, like his play Tiger and Hyena, and he wrote several volumes of tales. criticisms, and sketches of travel; he also translated largely from English and French into Magyar.
A selection from Ids earlier pieces, translated into German, was published in 1845; and several volumes of translations from his writings have since appeared in Germany. II is poems have also been translated, in part, into French, Flemish. Polish, Danish, and Italian; and an English version. comprising his finest poems. was pub lished in London in 1866 by Sir John Bowring. A critical edition of his works is in prepara tion by A. Hams, who has already published a number of volumes. Consult: Fischer. Pettifis Leben 'mind Werke (Leipzig, 1889) ; Bubenik, .4. Pettifi, nine .'/:i:zc seines Lebens mind Diehtens (Vienna, 1882) ; and the biographies in Magyar bv Zilahy (Pest, 1864) and A. Vutkovies (Press burg, 1883).