Verstan és versirás

Genetic History and Interpretations of Attila József ’s Verstan és Versirás

Abstract

Attila József ’s manuscript Verstan és Versirás is one of the few surviving autobiographically inspired writings by the poet. These fall into two main categories: curriculum vitaes intended mainly for official purposes, and confessions about life experiences and catharses composed in a subjective tone. Texts of this latter category can further be distuinguished by their intended purpose: on the one hand, there are essays meant for publication and concerned with the psychological background of the creative process and the personality of the poet; and on the other, texts occasioned by psychoanalytical therapy aimed at self-healing. However, there are some texts that require further analysis before they can be subsumed into any one of these categories, and their date of composition is likewise uncertain. The work entitled Verstan és Versirás is one such text. Its genetic history has not been clarified satisfactorily, the text variants which have been published are inaccurate, and it has received scant critical reception.

My paper is therefore an attempt at summarising the text’s publication and reception history, and to shed light on the circumstances of its creation. In my opinion, this work is not only an important document of the last years of Attila József, but also possesses a significant, ntrinsic artistic value. I trust that the publication of the exact text and its genetic history will constitute a suitable starting point both for further analysis, and for explorations concerning its relevance to the poetic oeuvre.