Language and Literature paper by Hargitai, Péter
Florida International University

Sándor Kányádi’s Romantic Renaissance: Beyond Shelley, Petőfi and Contemporary Populist Poetry

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Abstract (max. 250 words):
The paper will explore in what sense Kányádi’s verse signals a revival of romanticism espoused by the romantic poets Percy Shelley, Sándor Petőfi, and contemporary populist poetry. While focusing on a comparative study of the subject matter, style, and craft of Kányádi’s “new” romanticism within the scope of the tradition, the study will demonstrate how the Hungarian poet’s pioneering voice may be regarded as a forerunner to contemporary American populist poetry. The proposed primary texts for the investigation include a new translation by Paul Sohar, In Contemporary Tense (Iniquity Press / Irodalmi Jelen, 2013), The Norton Anthology of Literature (W.W. Norton Vol. II, Fourth Edition, 1979), Petőfi Sándor’s Összes Költeményei (Szépirodalmi Könyvkiadó, 1960) and The Oxford Handbook of Modern and Contemporary American Poetry (Oxford University Press, 2011).


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Peter Hargitai is an award-winning translator, poet and novelist, who publishes regularly in both English and Hungarian, He is an Associate of the Academy of American Poets and member of the Hungarian Writers Union. He is a retired Senior Lecturer in English from Florida International University.