The romatic character of Miklós Radnóti's love poetry

Abstract

Mikl6s Radn6ti* may be best defined as a modem poet whose cultural and psychological roots are deeply embedded in the soil of 19th century romanticism. He exemplifies the image of an authentic idealist faced by a reality which is simultaneously the source of inspiration and the cause of his obsessive search for an alternative level of being. He himself provides his own definition, based on the identification of the man with the poet. His own nature is poetic and there is nothing else for him to do than to produce verse. The act of being and the act of writing are immediately understood as variants of one unique phenomenon. It is only through poetry that he can come to terms both with himself and with the outer world. There may be existential reasons to account for such an attitude, but needless to say, the historical environment in which he found himself must have presented such a vision as inevitable. His fundamental statements about life can be traced back to some of the more essential aspects of 19th century pessimism. Life itself is an imposition and man has no choice but to accept it. Departing from principles which are typically romantic, he gradually develops traits which are subtly identifiable as existentialist. Sentiment, however, is the only means whereby to detect the real essence of existence, since reason has been easily overwhelmed by facts. His rebellion is defeatist, paradoxically sterile and fruitful: like Attila J6zsef whom he evokes in The First Eclogue, he reacts