author
Attila József
1905–1937
A major voice in 20th-century Hungarian poetry, he turned hardship, political unrest, and intense self-scrutiny into poems of unusual clarity and force. Though little celebrated during his lifetime, his work later became central to Hungary’s literary tradition and reached readers far beyond it.
1 Audiobook
Nem én kiáltok
by Attila József
About the author
Born in Budapest in 1905, Attila József grew up in severe poverty, and the losses he faced early in life left a deep mark on his writing. He began publishing young, studied in several European cities, and developed a style that could be direct and plainspoken one moment, then philosophical and emotionally piercing the next.
His poetry brought together personal struggle, social anger, and a searching intelligence. He was drawn at times to left-wing politics and is widely regarded as one of the most important Hungarian poets of the 20th century, even though broader recognition came largely after his death.
József died in 1937 at the age of thirty-two. His poems remain known for their honesty, musical power, and the way they hold tenderness and despair in the same breath.