Such situations constituted the chief opportunity for poetic expression in a small community, and for quite some time it was only within his immediate environment within the town of Nagyszalonta that Arany was considered a creative artist (until news of the widespread recognition he had gained with his success in the competition into which he had submitted Toldi reached there). Nevertheless, very little has been written about this everyday and cheerful side of Arany, even though the poet, avoiding his home town, took on similar roles in Nagykőrös as well, despite already enjoying national renown. These situations were therefore hardly alien to him. This presentation aims to show the significance of these poetic displays at social occasions, also focusing on what types of poems Arany improvised at that time, and how he incorporated the expected reactions of his audience at such events into these texts.

Age: 14-18 year
Presented by: Müpa Budapest