Mihai Eminescu

Mihai Eminescu a.k.a. Mihail Eminovici (January 15 1850 - June 15 1889), late Romantic poet, probably the best-known Romanian poet. Famous poems include Luceaf?rul (Morning Star), Od? în metru antic (Ode in an antique meter), and the 5 Scrisori (Epistles).

Life

Family

His father was Gheorghe Eminovici from C?line?ti, at that time a village of the Austrian province, Bukovina. He crossed the border into Moldavia, establishing near the town of Boto?ani. He married Raluca Iur?scu, an heiress of an old aristocratic Moldavian family.

Related Topics:
C?line?ti - Austria - Bukovina - Moldavia - Boto?ani

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Early years

Mihail (as he appears in baptismal records) or Mihai (the more common form that he used) was born in Boto?ani, Moldavia, Romania. He spent his early childhood in Boto?ani and Ipote?ti, in his parents' family home. From 1858 to 1866 he attended school in Cern?u?i. He finished 4th grade as the 5th of 82 students, after which he attended two years of gymnasium.

Related Topics:
Boto?ani - Moldavia - Ipote?ti - 1858 - 1866 - Cern?u?i - Gymnasium

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The first evidence of Eminescu as a writer is in 1866. In January of that year Romanian teacher Aron Pumnul died and his students in Cern?u?i published a pamphlet, L?cr?mioarele înv???ceilor gimnazia?ti (Tears of the Gymnasium Students) in which appears a poem entitled La mormântul lui Aron Pumnul (The Grave of Aron Pumnul) signed "M. Eminoviciu". On February 25 his poem De-a? avea (If I had) was published in Iosif Vulcan's literary magazine Familia in Pest. This began a steady series of published poems (and the occasional translation from German). Also, it was Iosif Vulcan, who disliked the Slavic source suffix "-ici" of the young poet's last name, that chose for him the more apparent Romanian "nom de plume" Mihai Eminescu.

Related Topics:
1866 - Romanian - Aron Pumnul - Cern?u?i - Pest - German - Nom de plume

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In 1867 he joined the troupe of Iorgu Caragiale as clerk and prompter; the next year he transferred to the troupe of Mihai Pascaly. Both of these were among the leading Romanian theatrical troupes of their day, the latter including Matei Millo and Fanny Tardini-Vl?dicescu. He soon settled in Bucharest, where at the end of November he became a clerk and copyist for the National Theater. Through this period, he continued to write and publish poems. He also paid his rent by translating hundreds of pages of a book by Enric Theodor Rotscher, although this never resulted in a completed work. Also at this time he began his novel Geniu pustiu (Wasted Genius), published posthumously in 1904 in an unfinished form.

Related Topics:
1867 - Iorgu Caragiale - Mihai Pascaly - Matei Millo - Fanny Tardini-Vl?dicescu - Bucharest - National Theater - Enric Theodor Rotscher

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On April 1 1869 he was a co-founder of the "Orient" literary circle, whose interests included the gathering of Romanian folklore, and documents relating to Romanian literary history. On June 29, various members of the "Orient" group were commissioned to go to different provinces. Eminescu was assigned Moldova. That summer, he quite by chance ran into his brother Iorgu, a military officer, in Ci?migiu Gardens, but firmly rebuffed Iorgu's attempt to get him to renew ties to his family.

Related Topics:
April 1 - June 29 - Moldova - Ci?migiu Gardens

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Still in summer 1869, he left Pascaly's troupe and traveled to Cern?u?i and Ia?i. He renewed ties to his family; his father promised him a regular allowance to pursue studies in Vienna in the fall. As always, he continued to write and publish poetry; notably, on the occasion of the death of the former ruler of Muntenia, Barbu Dimitrie ?tirbei, he published a leaflet, La moartea principelui ?tirbei.

Related Topics:
Ia?i - Vienna - Muntenia - Barbu Dimitrie ?tirbei

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Junimea

From October 1869 to 1872 he studied in Vienna. He was counted as an "extraordinary auditor" at the Faculty of Philosophy and Law. He was active in student life, befriended Ioan Slavici, and came to know Vienna through Veronica Micle; he became a contributor to Convorbiri literare (Literary Conversations), edited by Junimea (from Romanian june -"young"). The leaders of this cultural organisation, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti, Iacob Negruzzi and Titu Maiorescu, exercised their political and cultural influence over Eminescu for the rest of his life. Impressed by one of Eminescu's poems, Venere si Madon?, Iacob Negruzzi, the editor of Convorbiri literare, traveled to Vienna to meet him. Negruzzi would later write how he identified Eminescu out of a crowd of young people in a Viennese café by his "romantic" appearance: long hair and gaze lost in thoughts.

Related Topics:
1869 - 1872 - Vienna - Ioan Slavici - Veronica Micle - Convorbiri literare - Junimea - Petre P. Carp - Vasile Pogor - Theodor Rosetti - Iacob Negruzzi - Titu Maiorescu

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In 1870 Eminescu wrote three articles under the pseudonym "Varro" in Federa?iunea in Pest, on the situation of Romanians and other minorities in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He then became a journalist for the newspaper Albina in Pest. From 1872 to 1874 he continued as a student in Berlin, thanks to a stipend offered by Junimea.

Related Topics:
Pest - Austro-Hungarian Empire - Albina - 1872 - 1874 - Berlin - Junimea

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From 1874 to 1877 he worked as director of the Central Library in Ia?i, substitute teacher, school inspector for the counties of Ia?i and Vaslui, and editor of the newspaper Curierul de Ia?i (The Courier of Ia?i), all thanks to his friendship with Titu Maiorescu, the leader of Junimea and rector of the University of Ia?i. He continued to publish in Convorbiri literare. He became a good friend of Ion Creang?, whom he convinced to become a writer and introduced to the Junimea literary club.

Related Topics:
1874 - 1877 - Ia?i - Vaslui - Titu Maiorescu - Junimea - Ion Creang?

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In 1877 he moved to Bucharest, where until 1883 he was first editor, then (1880) editor-in-chief of the newspaper Timpul (The Time). During this time he wrote Scrisorile, Luceaf?rul, Od? în metru antic etc. Most of his famous editorial pieces belong to this period, when Romania was fighting the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 and throughout the diplomatic race that eventually brought about the international recognition of Romanian independence, but under the condition of bestowing Romanian citizenship to all subjects of Jewish faith. Eminescu opposed this and another clause of the Treaty of Berlin: Romania's having to give southern Bessarabia to Russia in exchange for Dobrudja, a former Ottoman province on the Black Sea.

Related Topics:
1877 - Bucharest - 1883 - 1880 - Timpul - Romania - Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 - Treaty of Berlin - Bessarabia - Dobrudja - Black Sea

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In June 1883, the poet fell seriously ill, and was interned in the hospital of Dr. ?u?u. In December 1883, his volume Poesii appeared, with selection of poems and with a preface by Titu Maiorescu.

Related Topics:
1883 - Titu Maiorescu

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Years of illness

In his last years, he suffered from manic-depressive psychosis. In 1883, in Romania, he was diagnosed with syphilis and George C?linescu wrote in the poet's biography that he had the illness since he was 20; however, a separate diagnosis done in Vienna, also from 1883, mentioned his depression but did not mention syphilis. In 1884, he returned to Romania and appeared generally healthy. Starting in 1886, he received a few injections with mercury, which was at that time the usual treatment for syphilis.

Related Topics:
Manic-depressive psychosis - Syphilis - George C?linescu - 1884 - 1886 - Mercury

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Eminescu died in hospital June 15, 1889. His autopsy was poorly conducted, so the matter of his precise cause of death is unlikely to be definitively settled. He is buried in Bucharest at Bellu cemetery.

Related Topics:
June 15 - 1889 - Bellu

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