As down-to-earth common sense a poet as Petőfi: his national poems also quickly became folk songs and popular.

Both poets tended to emulate the rhythm of folk songs in their poems, which served the Nationalist cause in the popular common sense way.

One of his most famous poems, "Riadó" i.e. 'Alarm', was published in Kossuth's newspaper on 21 December 1848 while the Austrian troops were already closing in on Pest-Buda.

It was also published on flyers, separately, and it quickly propagated amongst soldiers and the people as a sort of a march of the revolution quite as Petőfi's poems would.

Its lightning may the dawn of freedom be painting, And the purple of tyrant species into blood bath sinking.