Mihaly Tompa

Background

He studied law and theology in Sárospatak, and subsequently at Budapest.

Education

He studied law and theology in Saros-Patak, and subsequently at Budapest; and, after many vicissitudes, at the age of thirty he accepted the post of Protestant minister in Beje, a small village in his native county, whence, in two years, he removed to Kelemer, and four years later to Hanva, in the county of Borsod, where he remained till his death in t868. At the age of four-and-twenty Tompa published his first poems in the Athenaeum, which soon procured for him a high reputation.

Career

After many vicissitudes, at the age of thirty he accepted the post of Protestant minister in Beje, a small village in his native county, whence, in two years, he removed to Kelemer, and four years later to Hanva, in the county of Borsod, where he remained till his death in t868. 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. In 1848 he took part in the War of Independence, 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.

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, and will favourably compare with those of Robertson, Monod or Parker. His collected poetical works were published at Budapest in 1870, and again in 1885.

Achievements

• Together with János Arany and Sándor Petőfi they formed the triumvirate of young great poets of the Hungarian folk-national literature of the 19th century.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Egyhazi Beszedek (1864)

    (This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)

  • Tampa Mihály Papi Dolgozatai. Füzet 1,2 (Hungarian Edition)

    (This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before ...)

Membership

He was a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Connections

He married Emília Soldos. They had together two sons.

Wife:

Emília Soldos

Son:

Kálmán Tompa

Son:

Gejza Tompa