years. Zrinyi possessed a certain austere dignity. He did not regard fine, grandiloquent language of great importance in poetry, and his strength lay chiefly in composition and character drawing. He was a great general who employed his master-hand in carrying out great plans and in the wise government of his men.
Gyöngyössi, on the other hand, was a poet of the Ovidian order, full of softness and melody. His technique is highly developed, and in descriptive and lyric poetry his style is remarkably pleasing.
Another elaborate allegorical work by him is entitled The Phoenix that Sprang to New Life from his Ashes, or the Memory of John Kemény. It also treats of a stirring historical episode, and is no mere adventure of love. Charles X. of Sweden invaded Poland and asked the help of the Prince of Transylvania. The Prince consented and one of the heroes in his army was John Kemény, a Transylvanian magnate. But the war was brought to a sudden end by a great catastrophe. The Poles were helped by the Tartars, who decoyed the Hungarian army further and further, until at length, having received reinforcements, they were able to take most of the Hungarians prisoners. Among them was John Kemény. A Tartar prison meant slavery, and that became the fate of the unfortunate captives.
In the first part of the poem, Gyöngyössi's theme is the suffering of his hero, while in the second he relates how Kemény was delivered, became Prince of Transylvania, and married Anne Lónyay, to whom he wrote touching letters from his prison.
