This day is special every year. It encourages us to take a moment, and think about the beauty of our language – one that’s difficult to learn, and that’s told to be one of the most amazing ones all over the world. Some say it has a typical ring to it that makes it impossible to mix with other languages and with its many synonymous and assonant words, it has many nuances to catch feelings and instantaneous beauty of things.

Since 1964, this date is a celebration of poetry. A lot of cultural programs are organized around it - reciter competitions, book launches and global art performances. To get a hint about the complexity of our language, listen to Imre Bencze’s Édes, ékes apanyelvünk (Our sweet, eloquent father-language):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT4CKxZWpeg

Attila József was a great Hungarian poet of the twentieth century. His poems had been translated into many languages and he is taught in world literature classes around the globe. During the communist era of the 1950s, he was hailed as Hungary's great proletarian poet – now, after the centenary of his birth, his life, personality, and works are being re-evaluated. His statue sits right next to the Parliament, watching the river – as a referral to one of his most popular poems, At the Danube. Reading his poems this day is essential, but Budapest has a lot more to offer around the 11^th of April.

photo: www.versek-fotoval.network.hu

As time goes by, we need to find ways to keep our literary heritage fresh and interesting. When it comes to poetry, the easiest way to do it is to mix it with music – so it’s easier for young people to welcome. Slam poetry is a way to do so – keeping the text of the poems and putting them to melodies is a popular mixture. Last year’s slam poetry night at Corvintető was a hit, so it’ll be held this year as well, and a lot of great Hungarian singers choose to sing works by poets like Attila József, Miklós Radnóti or Árpád Tóth.

If you’re interested in how music can be the spine of poetry, but you’d stick to English, Palace of Arts offers the perfect program for you: on the 11^th of April, a group of talented Hungarian musicians are placing the sonnets and songs of William Shakespeare in a modern musical context. It is a performance that’s a mistake to miss – I’ve seen and heard them several times, but each performance is unique, and the way they use Shakespeare’s language with jazzy, experimental, yet traditional music is fascinating. The original texts of the sonnets are projected in the background – both in Hungarian and English -, and some of the songs are accompanied by short films as well. Shakespeare’s work has a lot in common with Hungarian poets of his era - double and multiple meanings used as a vivid instrument of poetic expression can be found in love song of Hungarian renessaince poetry as well. The group of musicians chose the monogram W.H. as a name for their project. It refers to Mr. W. H. to whom Shakespeare dedicated his sonnets published in printed form.

11^th of April is a day to celebrate Hungarian poetry. No matter which program you choose, take your time to read a poem, keep your ears and eyes open, because this is a day when poetry could come towards you – in the form of a song, a lost note in the bus stop, or as an amazing concert in the evening.