The body of works of Gyula Illyés combines popular, national, and universal interests. Most of Illyés's readers and critics share the opinion that his life and works serve as a distinct reflection of the social and political changes in Hungary for much of the twentieth century. Obsessed in his writings with the future of the Hungarian nation, Illyés incorporated throughout his works the plight of the peasantry as a thematic concern. He believed that literature was an essential means to educate people and to bring about constructive change for the betterment of humanity.

Illyés was born on 2 November 1902 in Rácegrespuszta to Janos and Ida (Kallay) Illyés. He spent his early childhood among the agricultural laborers of the puszta (prairie). One of his grandfathers was a shepherd, the other a craftsman. His father worked for a nobleman...