Mihály Tompa (September 28, 1817 – July 30, 1868), was a Hungarian lyric

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

minister and

corresponding member The corresponding member is one of the possible membership types in some organizations, especially in the learned societies and scientific academies. This title existed or exist in the Soviet Union, GDR, Polish People's Republic, Czechoslovak S ...

of the

Hungarian Academy of Sciences The Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( , MTA) is Hungary’s foremost and most prestigious learned society. Its headquarters are located along the banks of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. The Academy's primar ...

. Together with

János Arany János Arany (; archaic English: John Arany; 2 March 1817 – 22 October 1882) was a Hungarian poet, writer, translator and journalist. He is often said to be the "Shakespeare of ballads" – he wrote more than 102 ballads that have been transl ...

and

Sándor Petőfi Sándor Petőfi ( []; né Petrovics; ; ; 1 January 1823 – most likely 31 July 1849) was a Hungarian poet and Classical Liberalism, liberal revolutionary. He is considered Hungary's national poet, and was one of the key figures of the Hungari ...

they formed the triumvirate of young great poets of the Hungarian folk-national literature of the 19th century.

Life

He studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

Sárospatak Sárospatak (; ; Serbian language, Serbian: Муд Стреам; Slovak language, Slovakian: ''Šarišský Potok, Blatný Potok)'' History The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Sárospatak was granted town status in 1201 by Emeric ...

, and subsequently at

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

; and, after many vicissitudes, at the age of thirty he accepted the post of

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

minister in Beje, a small village in his native county, whence, in two years, he removed to Kelemér, and four years later to Hanva, in the county of Borsod, where he remained till his death. At the age of four-and-twenty Tompa published his first poems in the ''Athenaeum'', which soon procured for him a high reputation. His first volume, ''Népregék, népmondák'' ("Folk-Legends and Folk-Tales"), in 1846, met with great success, and the same may be said of the first volume of his ''Poems'' in 1847. He took part in the

Hungarian Revolution of 1848 The Hungarian Revolution of 1848, also known in Hungary as Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many Revolutions of 1848, European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in ...

, acting as field chaplain to the volunteers of his county and seeing several battles; but the unfortunate close of that heroic struggle silenced his poetic vein for a considerable time, and when in 1852 and 1853 he gave vent to his patriotic grief in some masterly allegories on the state of oppressed Hungary, he was twice arrested by the Austrian authorities. He married Emilia Zsoldos in 1849. After being released he published his ''Virágregék'' ("Legends of Flowers"), a collection of poems showing great imagination and love of nature. Soon after this he became oppressed with melancholy and abandoned this branch of poetry. He published three volumes of sermons, which, says his biographer, Károly Szász, Protestant bishop of Budapest, are among the best in

Hungarian literature Hungarian literature is the body of written works primarily produced in Hungarian,

, and will favourably compare with those of

Robertson Robertson may refer to: People * Robertson (surname) (includes a list of people with this name) * Robertson (given name) * Clan Robertson, a Scottish clan * Robertson, stage name of Belgian magician Étienne-Gaspard Robert (1763–1837) Plac ...

Monod Monod is a French-language surname of Swiss origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolphe Monod (1802–1856), French Protestant churchman; brother of Frédéric Monod. * Frédéric Monod (1794–1863), French Protestant pastor. * G ...

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. His collected poetical works were published at Budapest in 1870, and again in 1885.

Personal life

He married Emília Soldos(1 April 1831, Runya,

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

(today

Rumince Rumince () is a village and municipality in the Rimavská Sobota District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

) - 28 January 1867, Hanva,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

(today

Chanava Chanava (earlier ''Hanava, Hanva''; ) is a village and municipality in the Rimavská Sobota District of the Banská Bystrica Region of southern Slovakia. History In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1266 as ''Honua'' (1295 ' ...

). They had together two sons: * Kálmán (10 Mar 1850, Kelemér,

- ?) * Géza (13 Jan 1853, Kelemér,

- ?)

References

;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tompa, Mihaly 1817 births 1868 deaths People from Rimavská Sobota 19th-century Hungarian poets Hungarian male poets Lyric poets 19th-century Hungarian male writers