The page of Csokonai Vitéz Mihály, English biography
Biography
Mihály Csokonai Vitéz(1773-1805)
1773 (17th November) born in Debrecen
1780-1795 studies at the Protestant College, Debrecen
1785 discovered as a child prodigy; first poems on public life
1792 encouraged by Kazinczy; reads Rousseau, Voltaire, Gessnert and Pope; establishes a workshop at college for reading Western authors; translates Italian poets
1793 offers his play for the theatre in Pest; translates Mozart’s „free mason’s” Magic Flute as „The Whistle of the Witch”; poems appear anonymously in Magyar Múzsa (Hungarian Muse)
1794 writes philosophical poems, translates Holbach; teaches a poetry class, his free spirit results in conflicts with the leaders of the college
1795 dismissed without a certificate; probably witnesses the execution of the Jacobinite Martinovics and his friends; starts to study Law at Sárospatak
1796 seeks patrons in vain in Parliament in Pozsony; can publish poetry only in his own “poetry journal”, Diétai Magyar Múzsa (Hungarian Muse at the Parliament)
1797 meets Julianna Vajda, his “Lilla”, but the rich girl gets married (1798)
1799 deputy teacher in the Protestant School at Csurgó; his plays are performed
1800 his contract as a teacher comes to an end; returns to Debrecen; collects subscribers for his book
1801 meets Kazinczy, then released from prison; travels to Pest to study Hydro-Engineering
1802 his flat in Debrecen is consumed by fire; has another attack of tuberculosis
1804 called to Nagyvárad to write farewell poems for Mrs. Rhédey Lajos; contracts a lung inflammation at the funeral
1805 dies in Debrecen (28th January)