János Arany first met Sándor Petőfi in 1847 and formed a close friendship with him.
NOT BSTOTAL BS
NOT BS — Verdict: True
Verified by Lenz ·
The Short Version
The claim is well supported by the historical record. Arany and Petőfi began corresponding in early 1847 and met in person in June 1847, so saying they first met in 1847 is accurate. Sources also consistently describe a close friendship that formed that same year.
Caveats
“Met” is slightly ambiguous: their first contact was by letter in February 1847, while their first face-to-face meeting was in June 1847.
The friendship was close but brief, ending with Petőfi’s death in 1849.
The relationship began through literary correspondence after Petőfi praised Arany’s work, especially Toldi.