Mihai Eminescu
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Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
Romantic
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
from
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
,
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
, and
journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
. Eminescu was an active member of the
Junimea ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost pers ...
literary society and worked as an editor for the newspaper ''
Timpul ''Timpul'' (Romanian for "The Time") is a literary magazine published in Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine t ...
'' ("The Time"), the official newspaper of the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
(1880–1918). His poetry was first published when he was 16 and he went to
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
,
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
to study when he was 19. The poet's
manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...
s, containing 46 volumes and approximately 14,000 pages, were offered by
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
as a gift to the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its byl ...
during the meeting that was held on 25 January 1902. Notable works include '' Luceafărul'' (''The Vesper/The Evening Star/The Lucifer/The Daystar''), ''Odă în metru antic'' (''Ode in Ancient Meter''), and the five ''Letters'' (''Epistles/Satires''). In his poems, he frequently used metaphysical, mythological and historical subjects. His father was Gheorghe Eminovici, an aristocrat from
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
, which was then part of the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
(while his grandfather came from
Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
). He crossed the border into Moldavia, settling in Ipotești, near the town of Botoșani. He married Raluca Iurașcu, an heiress of an old noble family. In a
Junimea ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost pers ...
register, Eminescu wrote down his birthday date as 22 December 1849, while in the documents of
Cernăuți Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
Gymnasium, where Eminescu studied, his birth date is 15 January 1850. Nevertheless,
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
, in his work ''Eminescu and His Poems'' (1889) quoted N. D. Giurescu's research and adopted his conclusion regarding the date and place of Mihai Eminescu's birth, as being 15 January 1850, in Botoșani. This date resulted from several sources, among which there was a file of notes on christenings from the archives of the Uspenia (Princely) Church of Botoșani; inside this file, the date of birth was "15 January 1850" and the date of christening was the 21st of the same month. The date of his birth was confirmed by the poet's elder sister, Aglae Drogli, who affirmed that the place of birth was the village of Ipotești,
Botoșani County Botoșani County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia (encompassing a few villages in neigbhouring Suceava County from Bukovina to the west as well), with the capital town ( ro, Oraș reședință de județ) at Botoșani. ...
.


Life


Early years

Mihail (as he appears in baptismal records) or Mihai (the more common form of the name that he used) was born in Botoșani,
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
. He spent his early childhood in Botoșani and Ipotești, in his parents family home. From 1858 to 1866 he attended school in
Cernăuți Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
. He finished 4th grade as the 5th of 82 students, after which he attended two years of '' gymnasium''. The first evidence of Eminescu as a writer is in 1866. In January of that year
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
teacher
Aron Pumnul Aron Pumnul (27 November 1818 – 12 January O.S. (24 January N.S.) 1866) was a Romanian philologist and teacher as well as a national and revolutionary activist in Transylvania and later in Bukovina (then in the Habsburg monarchy). He was t ...
died and his students in
Cernăuţi Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
published a pamphlet, ''Lăcrămioarele învățăceilor gimnaziaști'' (''The Tears of the Gymnasium Students'') in which a poem entitled ''La mormântul lui Aron Pumnul'' (''At the Grave of Aron Pumnul'') appears, signed "M. Eminovici". On 25 February his poem ''De-aș avea'' (''If I Had'') was published in
Iosif Vulcan Iosif Vulcan (March 31, 1841 – September 8, 1907) was an ethnic Romanian Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian magazine editor, poet, playwright, novelist and cultural figure. He founded the literary magazine ''Familia (literary magazine), Famil ...
'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 A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...
" ''Mihai Eminescu''. In 1867, he joined Iorgu Caragiale's troupe as a clerk and prompter; the next year he transferred to Mihai Pascaly's troupe. Both of these were among the leading Romanian theatrical troupes of their day, the latter including
Matei Millo Matei Millo (; November 24/25, 1814 – September 9, 1896) was a Moldavian, later Romanian stage actor and playwright. Born in Stolniceni-Prăjescu, Iași County, his grandfather was the poet Matei Milu; his parents were Vasile Millo and Zamfira ...
and . He soon settled in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, where at the end of November he became a clerk and copyist for the National Theater. Throughout this period, he continued to write and publish poems. He also paid his rent by translating hundreds of pages of a book by Heinrich Theodor Rötscher, 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. On 1 April 1869, he was one of the co-founders of the "Orient" literary circle, whose interests included the gathering of Romanian folklore and documents relating to Romanian literary history. On 29 June, various members of the "Orient" group were commissioned to go to different provinces. Eminescu was assigned
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
. That summer, he quite by chance ran into his brother Iorgu, a military officer, in
Cișmigiu Gardens The Cișmigiu Gardens or Cișmigiu Park ( ro, Grădinile Cișmigiu or Parcul Cișmigiu, links=) are a public park in the center of Bucharest, Romania, spanning areas on all sides of an artificial lake. The gardens' creation was an important mome ...
, but firmly rebuffed Iorgu's attempt to get him to renew his ties to his family. Still in the summer of 1869, he left Pascaly's troupe and traveled to Cernăuţi and Iaşi. He renewed ties to his family; his father promised him a regular allowance to pursue studies in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
in the fall. As always, he continued to write and publish poetry; notably, on the occasion of the death of the former ruler of
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
,
Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei Barbu Dimitrie Știrbei (), also written as ''Stirbey'', (17 August 1799 – April 13, 1869), a member of the Bibescu boyar family, was a hospodar (Prince of Wallachia) on two occasions, between 1848 and 1853, and between 1854 and 1856.I ...
, he published a leaflet, ''La moartea principelui Știrbei'' ("On the Death of Prince Știrbei").


1870s

From October 1869 to 1872 Eminescu studied in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
. Not fulfilling the requirements to become a university student (as he did not have a baccalaureate degree), he attended lectures as a so-called "extraordinary auditor" at the Faculty of Philosophy and Law. He was active in student life, befriended
Ioan Slavici Ioan Slavici (; 18 January 1848 – 17 August 1925) was a Romanians, Romanian writer and journalist from Hungary, later from Romania. He made his debut in ''Convorbiri literare'' ("Literary Conversations") (1871), with the comedy ''Fata de biră ...
, and came to know Vienna through
Veronica Micle Veronica Micle (born Ana Câmpeanu; 22 April 1850 – 3 August 1889) was an Imperial Austrian-born Romanian poet, whose work was influenced by Romanticism. She is best known for her love affair with the poet Mihai Eminescu, one of the most im ...
; he became a contributor to ''
Convorbiri Literare ''Convorbiri Literare'' ( Romanian: ''Literary Talks'') is a Romanian literary magazine published in Romania. It is among the most important journals of the nineteenth-century Romania. History and profile ''Convorbiri Literare'' was founded by ...
'' (''Literary Conversations''), edited by ''
Junimea ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost pers ...
'' (''The Youth''). The leaders of this cultural organisation,
Petre P. Carp Petre P. Carp (; also Petrache Carp, Francized ''Pierre Carp'', Ioana Pârvulescu"O adresă high-life", in ''România Literară'', Nr. 25/2010 occasionally ''Comte Carpe''; 28 Mircea Dumitriu"Petre P. Carp – un suflet, un caracter, o idee", in ...
,
Vasile Pogor Vasile V. Pogor ( Francized ''Basile Pogor''; August 20, 1833 – March 20, 1906) was a Moldavian, later Romanian poet, philosopher, translator and liberal conservative politician, one of the founders of ''Junimea'' literary society. Raised in t ...
,
Theodor Rosetti Theodor Rosetti (5 May 1837, Iași or Solești, Moldavia – 17 July 1923, Bucharest, Romania) was a Romanian writer, journalist and politician who served as Prime Minister of Romania between 23 March 1888 and 22 March 1889. 1837 bir ...
,
Iacob Negruzzi Iacob C. Negruzzi (December 31, 1842 – January 6, 1932) was a Moldavian, later Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Iași, he was the son of Constantin Negruzzi and his wife Maria (''née'' Gane). Living in Berlin between 1853 and 1863, he at ...
and
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
, exercised their political and cultural influence over Eminescu for the rest of his life. Impressed by one of Eminescu's poems, ''Venere şi Madonă'' (''Venus and Madonna''),
Iacob Negruzzi Iacob C. Negruzzi (December 31, 1842 – January 6, 1932) was a Moldavian, later Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Iași, he was the son of Constantin Negruzzi and his wife Maria (''née'' Gane). Living in Berlin between 1853 and 1863, he at ...
, the editor of ''Convorbiri Literare'', traveled to Vienna to meet him. Negruzzi would later write how he could pick Eminescu out of a crowd of young people in a Viennese café by his "romantic" appearance: long hair and gaze lost in thoughts. In 1870 Eminescu wrote three articles under the pseudonym "Varro" in ''Federaţiunea'' in Pest, on the situation of Romanians and other minorities in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. He then became a journalist for the newspaper '' Albina'' (''The Bee'') in Pest. From 1872 to 1874 he continued as a student in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, thanks to a stipend offered by ''Junimea''. From 1874 to 1877, he worked as director of the Central Library in
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
, substitute teacher, school inspector for the counties of Iași and
Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate ...
, and editor of the newspaper ''Curierul de Iași'' (''The Courier of Iaşi''), all thanks to his friendship with
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
, the leader of
Junimea ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost pers ...
and rector of the
University of Iași The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University ( Romanian: ''Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza"''; acronym: UAIC) is a public university located in Iași, Romania. Founded by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, under whom the former Academia M ...
. He continued to publish in ''Convorbiri Literare''. He also was a good friend of Ion Creangă, a writer, whom he convinced to become a writer and introduced to the ''Junimea'' literary club. In 1877 he moved to
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, where until 1883 he was first journalist, then (1880) editor-in-chief of the newspaper ''
Timpul ''Timpul'' (Romanian for "The Time") is a literary magazine published in Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine t ...
'' (''The Time''). During this time he wrote ''Scrisorile'', ''Luceafărul'', ''Odă în metru antic'' etc. Most of his notable 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 Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
to Russia in exchange for Northern
Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
, a former Ottoman province on the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
.


Later life and death

The 1880s were a time of crisis and deterioration in the poet's life, culminating with his death in 1889. The details of this are still debated. From 1883 – when Eminescu's personal crisis and his more problematic health issues became evident – until 1886, the poet was treated in Austria and Italy, by specialists that managed to get him on his feet, as testified by his good friend, writer
Ioan Slavici Ioan Slavici (; 18 January 1848 – 17 August 1925) was a Romanians, Romanian writer and journalist from Hungary, later from Romania. He made his debut in ''Convorbiri literare'' ("Literary Conversations") (1871), with the comedy ''Fata de biră ...
. In 1886, Eminescu suffered a
nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
and was treated by Romanian doctors, in particular Julian Bogdan and Panait Zosin. Immediately diagnosed with syphilis, after being hospitalized in a nervous diseases hospice within the
Neamț Monastery The Neamț Monastery ( ro, Mănăstirea Neamț) is a Romanian Orthodox religious settlement, one of the oldest and most important of its kind in Romania. It was built in the 15th century, and it is an example of medieval Moldavian architecture. ...
, the poet was treated with
mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...
. Firstly, massages in Botoșani, applied by Dr. Itszak, and then in Bucharest at Dr.
Alexandru A. Suțu Alexandru A. Suțu (November 30, 1837–September 1919) was a Wallachian-born Romanian psychiatrist. Biography Origins and activity at Mărcuța He was born in Bucharest into the aristocratic Soutzos family; his father Alexandru Sutzu was hig ...
's sanatorium, where between February–June 1889 he was injected with
mercuric chloride Mercury(II) chloride (or mercury bichloride, mercury dichloride), historically also known as sulema or corrosive sublimate, is the inorganic chemical compound of mercury and chlorine with the formula HgCl2. It is white crystalline solid and is a ...
. Professor Doctor Irinel Popescu, corresponding member of the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its byl ...
and president of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Romania, states that Eminescu died because of mercury poisoning. He also says that the poet was "treated" by a group of incompetent doctors and held in misery, which also shortened his life. Mercury was prohibited as treatment of syphilis in Western Europe in the 19th century, because of its adverse effects. Mihai Eminescu died at 4 am, on 15 June 1889 at the Caritas Institute, a
sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
run by Dr. Suțu and located on Plantelor Street
Sector 2 Sector 2 ( ro, Sectorul 2) is an administrative unit of Bucharest. Demographics Sector 2 is the city's most multicultural sector. In particular, it contains Romania's largest community of Chinese people, who mainly live in the districts of C ...
,
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
. Eminescu's last wish was a glass of milk, which the attending doctor slipped through the metallic peephole of the "cell" where he spent the last hours of his life. In response to this favor he was said to have whispered, "I'm crumbled". The next day, on 16 June 1889 he was officially declared deceased and legal papers to that effect were prepared by doctors Suțu and Petrescu, who submitted the official report. This paperwork is seen as ambiguous, because the poet's
cause of death In law, medicine, and statistics, cause of death is an official determination of conditions resulting in a human's death, which may be recorded on a death certificate. A cause of death is determined by a medical examiner. The cause of death is ...
is not clearly stated and there was no indication of any other underlying condition that may have so suddenly resulted in his death. In fact both the poet's medical file and autopsy report indicate symptoms of a mental and not physical disorder. Moreover, at the
autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...
performed by Dr. Tomescu and then by Dr. Marinescu from the laboratory at
Babeș-Bolyai University The Babeș-Bolyai University ( ro, Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai , hu, Babeș-Bolyai Tudományegyetem, commonly known as UBB) is a public research university located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. UBB has a long academic tradition, started by Universitas ...
, the brain could not be studied, because a nurse inadvertently forgot it on an open window, where it quickly decomposed. One of the first hypotheses that disagreed with the
post mortem An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any dis ...
findings for Eminescu's cause of death was printed on 28 June 1926 in an article from the newspaper ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbrev ...
''. This article forwards the hypothesis that Eminescu died after another patient, Petre Poenaru, former headmaster in
Craiova Craiova (, also , ), is Romania's 6th Cities in Romania, largest city and capital of Dolj County, and situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximatel ...
, hit him in the head with a board. Dr. Vineș, the physician assigned to Eminescu at Caritas argued at that time that the poet's death was the result of an infection secondary to his head injury. Specifically, he says that the head wound was infected, turning into an
erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...
, which then spread to the face,
neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...
,
upper limb The upper limbs or upper extremities are the forelimbs of an upright-postured tetrapod vertebrate, extending from the scapulae and clavicles down to and including the digits, including all the musculatures and ligaments involved with the shoulde ...
s,
thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...
, and
abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the torso. ...
. In the same report, cited by Nicolae Georgescu in his work, ''Eminescu târziu'', Vineș states that "''Eminescu's death was not due to head trauma occurred 25 days earlier and which had healed completely, but was the consequence of an older
endocarditis Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves. Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or the ...
(diagnosed by late professor N. Tomescu)''". Contemporary specialists, primarily physicians who have dealt with the Eminescu case, reject both hypotheses on the cause of death of the poet. According to them, the poet died of cardio-respiratory arrest caused by
mercury poisoning Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to exposure to mercury. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashe ...
. Eminescu was wrongly diagnosed and treated, aiming his removal from public life, as some eminescologists claim. Eminescu was diagnosed since 1886 by Dr. Julian Bogdan from
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
as syphilitic, paralytic and on the verge of
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
due to alcohol abuse and syphilitic
gummas A gumma (plural gummata or gummas) is a soft, non-cancerous growth resulting from the tertiary stage of syphilis (and yaws). It is a form of granuloma. Gummas are most commonly found in the liver (''gumma hepatis''), but can also be found in br ...
emerged on the brain. The same diagnosis is given by Dr. Panait Zosin, who consulted Eminescu on 6 November 1886 and wrote that patient Eminescu suffered from a "mental alienation", caused by the emergence of
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...
and worsened by alcoholism. Further research showed that the poet was not suffering from syphilis.


Works

Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
, the Romanian historian, considers Eminescu the godfather of the modern Romanian language, in the same way that Shakespeare is seen to have directly influenced the English language. He is unanimously celebrated as the greatest and most representative Romanian poet. ''Poems and Prose of Mihai Eminescu'' (editor: , publisher: The Center for Romanian Studies, Iași, Oxford, and Portland, 2000, ) contains a selection of English-language renditions of Eminescu's poems and prose.


Poetry

His poems span a large range of themes, from nature and love to hate and social commentary. His childhood years were evoked in his later poetry with deep nostalgia. Eminescu's poems have been translated in over 60 languages. His life, work and poetry strongly influenced the
Romanian culture The culture of Romania is an umbrella term used to encapsulate the ideas, customs and social behaviours of the people of Romania that developed due to the country's distinct geopolitical history and evolution. It is theorized and speculated that ...
and his poems are widely studied in Romanian public schools. His most notable poems are: * ', first poem of Mihai Eminescu * '' Ce-ți doresc eu ție, dulce Românie'' * '' Somnoroase păsărele'' * '' Pe lângă plopii fără soț'' * ''
Doina The doina () is a Romanian musical tune style, possibly with Middle Eastern roots, customary in Romanian peasant music, as well as in Lăutărească. It was also adopted into klezmer music. Similar tunes are found throughout Eastern Europe an ...
'' (the name is a traditional type of Romanian song), 1884 * ''Lacul'' (''The Lake''), 1876 * '' Luceafărul'' (''The Vesper''), 1883 * ''Floare albastră'' (''Blue Flower''), 1884 * ''Dorința'' (''Desire''), 1884 * ''Sara pe deal'' (''Evening on the Hill''), 1885 * ''O, rămai'' (''Oh, Linger On''), 1884 * ''Epigonii'' (''Epigones''), 1884 * ''Scrisori'' (''Letters'' or "Epistles-Satires") * ''Și dacă'' (''And if...''), 1883 * ''Odă în metru antic'' (''Ode in Ancient Meter''), 1883 * ''Mai am un singur dor'' (''I Have Yet One Desire''), 1883 * ''Glossă'' (''Gloss''), 1883 * ''La Steaua'' (''To The Star''), 1886 * ''Memento mori'', 1872 * ''Povestea magului călător în stele''


Prose

* '' Sarmanul Dionis'' (''Poor Dionis''), 1872 * ''Cezara'', 1876 * ''Avatarii Faraonului Tla'', postum * '' Geniu pustiu'' (''Deserted genius''), novel, posthumous


Presence in English language anthologies

* ''Testament – Anthology of Modern Romanian Verse / Testament – Antologie de Poezie Română Modernă – Bilingual Edition English & Romanian'' – Daniel Ioniță (editor and translator) with Eva Foster and Daniel Reynaud –
Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...
Publishing 2012 and 2015 (second edition) – *''Testament – Anthology of Romanian Verse – American Edition -'' monolingual English language edition – Daniel Ioniță (editor and principal translator) with Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud and Rochelle Bews – Australian-Romanian Academy for Culture – 2017 – *''The Bessarabia of My Soul / Basarabia Sufletului Meu -'' a collection of poetry from the Republic of Moldova – bilingual English/Romanian – Daniel Ioniță and Maria Tonu (editors), with Eva Foster, Daniel Reynaud and Rochelle Bews – MediaTon, Toronto, Canada – 2018 – *T''estment – 400 Years of Romanian Poetry – 400 de ani de poezie românească'' – bilingual edition – Daniel Ioniță (editor and principal translator) with
Daniel Reynaud Daniel Reynaud (born 27 August 1958) is an Australian historian whose work on Australian war cinema and on Australian World War I soldiers and religion has challenged aspects of the Anzac legend, Australia’s most important national mythology ...
, Adriana Paul & Eva Foster – Editura Minerva, 2019 – *''Romanian Poetry from its Origins to the Present'' – bilingual edition English/Romanian – Daniel Ioniță (editor and principal translator) with
Daniel Reynaud Daniel Reynaud (born 27 August 1958) is an Australian historian whose work on Australian war cinema and on Australian World War I soldiers and religion has challenged aspects of the Anzac legend, Australia’s most important national mythology ...
, Adriana Paul and Eva Foster – Australian-Romanian Academy Publishing – 2020 – ;


Romanian culture

Eminescu was only 20 when
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
, the top literary critic in Romania, dubbed him "a real poet", in an essay where only a handful of the Romanian poets of the time were spared Maiorescu's harsh criticism. In the following decade, Eminescu's notability as a poet grew continually thanks to (1) the way he managed to enrich the literary language with words and phrases from all Romanian regions, from old texts, and with new words that he coined from his wide philosophical readings; (2) the use of bold metaphors, much too rare in earlier Romanian poetry; (3) last but not least, he was arguably the first Romanian writer who published in all Romanian provinces and was constantly interested in the problems of Romanians everywhere. He defined himself as a Romantic, in a poem addressed ''To My Critics'' (''Criticilor mei''), and this designation, his untimely death as well as his bohemian lifestyle (he never pursued a degree, a position, a wife or fortune) had him associated with the Romantic figure of the
genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
. As early as the late 1880s, Eminescu had a group of faithful followers. His 1883 poem ''Luceafărul'' was so notable that a new literary review took its name after it. The most realistic psychological analysis of Eminescu was written by I. L. Caragiale, who, after the poet's death published three short articles on this subject: ''In Nirvana'', ''Irony'' and ''Two notes''. Caragiale stated that Eminescu's characteristic feature was the fact that "he had an excessively unique nature". Eminescu's life was a continuous oscillation between
introvert The traits of extraversion (also spelled extroversion Retrieved 2018-02-21.) and introversion are a central dimension in some human personality theories. The terms ''introversion'' and ''extraversion'' were introduced into psychology by Carl J ...
and extrovert attitudes. The portrait that
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
made in the study ''Eminescu and poems'' emphasizes Eminescu's
introvert The traits of extraversion (also spelled extroversion Retrieved 2018-02-21.) and introversion are a central dimension in some human personality theories. The terms ''introversion'' and ''extraversion'' were introduced into psychology by Carl J ...
dominant traits.
Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 15 February 1840 – 18 June 1917) was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the ''Junimea'' Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of ...
promoted the image of a dreamer who was far away from reality, who did not suffer because of the material conditions that he lived in, regardless of all the ironies and eulogies of his neighbour, his main characteristic was "abstract serenity". In reality, just as one can discover from his poems and letters and just as Caragiale remembered, Eminescu was seldom influenced by boisterous
subconscious In psychology, the subconscious is the part of the mind that is not currently of focal awareness. Scholarly use of the term The word ''subconscious'' represents an anglicized version of the French ''subconscient'' as coined in 1889 by the psycho ...
motivations. Eminescu's life was but an overlap of different-sized cycles, made of sudden bursts that were nurtured by dreams and crises due to the impact with reality. The cycles could last from a few hours or days to weeks or months, depending on the importance of events, or could even last longer, when they were linked to the events that significantly marked his life, such as his relation with Veronica, his political activity during his years as a student, or the fact that he attended the gatherings at the ''
Junimea ''Junimea'' was a Romanian literary society founded in Iași in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi. The foremost pers ...
'' society or the articles he published in the newspaper ''
Timpul ''Timpul'' (Romanian for "The Time") is a literary magazine published in Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine t ...
''. He used to have a unique manner of describing his own crisis of jealousy.


National poet

Eminescu was soon proclaimed Romania's
national poet A national poet or national bard is a poet held by tradition and popular acclaim to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of a particular national culture. The national poet as culture hero is a long-standing symbo ...
, not because he wrote in an age of national revival, but rather because he was received as an author of paramount significance by Romanians in all provinces. Even today, he is considered the national poet of Romania, Moldova, and of the Romanians who live in
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
( ro, Bucovina).


Iconography

Eminescu is omnipresent in today's Romania. His statues are everywhere; his face was on the 1000- lei
banknote A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable instrument, negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes w ...
s issued in 1991, 1992, and 1998, and is on the 500-lei banknote issued in 2005 as the highest-denominated Romanian banknote (see
Romanian leu The Romanian leu (, plural lei ; ISO code: RON; numeric code: 946) is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 (, singular: ), a word that means "money" in Romanian. Etymology The name of the currency means "lion", and is derive ...
);
Eminescu's Linden Tree Eminescu's Linden Tree ( ro, Teiul lui Eminescu) is a 500-year-old silver lime (''Tilia tomentosa Moench'') in Copou Park, Iași, Romania. Mihai Eminescu reportedly wrote some of his best works underneath this lime, rendering the tree one of Ro ...
is one of the country's most famous natural landmarks, while many schools and other institutions are named after him. The anniversaries of his birth and death are celebrated each year in many Romanian cities, and they became national celebrations in 1989 (the centennial of his death) and 2000 (150 years after his birth, proclaimed Eminescu's Year in Romania). Several young Romanian writers provoked a huge scandal when they wrote about ''their'' demystified idea of Eminescu and went so far as to reject the "official" interpretation of his work.


International legacy

A monument jointly dedicated to Eminescu and
Allama Iqbal Sir Muhammad Iqbal ( ur, ; 9 November 187721 April 1938), was a South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...
was erected in
Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
, Pakistan on 15 January 2004, commemorating Pakistani-Romanian ties, as well as the dialogue between civilizations which is possible through the cross-cultural appreciation of their poetic legacies. Composer
Rodica Sutzu Rodica Lucia Sutzu (15 April 1913 - 8 May 1979) was a Romanian composer and pianist who studied with Nadia Boulanger and served as the Romanian Radio piano soloist for almost 20 years. Sutzu was born in Iași to Elena Jules Cazaban and Rudolf Sut ...
used Eminescu's text for her song “Gazel, opus 15.” In 2004, the Mihai Eminescu Statue was erected in
Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...
, Canada. On April 8, 2008, a crater on the planet Mercury was named for him. A boulevard passing by the Romanian embassy in
Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
, Bulgaria is named after Eminescu. In 2021, the Dutch artist Kasper Peters performs a theater show entitled "Eminescu", dedicated to the poet. File:Statuia lui Mihai Eminescu din Iasi.jpg, Mihai Eminescu statue,
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
File:Tratament Tei Eminescu Iasi 2.jpg,
Eminescu's Linden Tree Eminescu's Linden Tree ( ro, Teiul lui Eminescu) is a 500-year-old silver lime (''Tilia tomentosa Moench'') in Copou Park, Iași, Romania. Mihai Eminescu reportedly wrote some of his best works underneath this lime, rendering the tree one of Ro ...
, Copou Park, Iași File:Lui Mihai Eminescu, 1932, Oscar Han, Constanța, Romania.jpg, Mihai Eminescu, monument by
Oscar Han Oscar Han (December 3, 1891 in Bucharest – February 14, 1976 in Bucharest) was a Romanian sculptor and writer. A student of Dimitrie Paciurea at the Academy of Arts in Bucharest, he was a member of ''the Group of Four'' together with painters ...
,
Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...
File:Mihai Eminescu Chisinau.JPG, Mihai Eminescu statue,
Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...
, Moldova File:Mihai Eminescu, monument in Chisinau, Rep. of Moldova.JPG, Mihai Eminescu, monument by
Tudor Cataraga Tudor Cataraga (born 4 August 1956 in Seliște – 27 December 2010) was a sculptor from the Republic of Moldova. Biography From 1981 to 1984, Cataraga was a student in the sculpture department at the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts. As a gra ...
, Chișinău, Moldova File:Mihai Eminescu, Recanati.jpg, Mihai Eminescu plaque,
Recanati Recanati () is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Macerata, in the Marche region of Italy. Recanati was founded around 1150 AD from three pre-existing castles. In 1290 it proclaimed itself an independent republic and, in the 15th century, ...
, Italy


Political views

Due to his conservative
nationalistic Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: T ...
views, Eminescu was easily adopted as an icon by the Romanian right. After a decade when Eminescu's works were criticized as "mystic" and "bourgeois", Romanian Communists ended by adopting Eminescu as ''the'' major Romanian poet. What opened the door for this thaw was the poem ''Împărat și proletar'' (''Emperor and
proletarian The proletariat (; ) is the social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose only possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work). A member of such a class is a proletarian. Marxist philoso ...
'') that Eminescu wrote under the influence of the 1870–1871 events in France, and which ended in a Schopenhauerian critique of human life. An expurgated version only showed the stanzas that could present Eminescu as a poet interested in the fate of proletarians. It has also been revealed that Eminescu demanded strong anti-Jewish legislation on the German model, saying, among other things, that "the Jew does not deserve any rights anywhere in Europe because he is not working." This was not, however, an unusual stance to take in the cultural and literary milieu of his age.


See also

*
Mihai Eminescu National Theater Mihai Eminescu National Theater (Romanian: Teatrul Național „Mihai Eminescu”) is a historical and architectural monument built in neoclassical architecture, neoclassical style located in Central Chișinău, Republic of Moldova. Originally const ...


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

*
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...
, ''La vie d'Eminescu'', Bucarest: Univers, 1989, 439 p. * Marin Bucur (ed.), ''Caietele Mihai Eminescu'', București, Editura Eminescu, 1972 * Murărașu, Dumitru (1983), ''Mihai Eminescu. Viața și Opera'', Bucharest: Eminescu. * Petrescu, Ioana Em. (1972), ''Eminescu. Modele cosmologice și viziune poetică'', Bucharest: Minerva. * Dumitrescu-Bușulenga, Zoe (1986), ''Eminescu și romantismul german'', Bucharest: Eminescu. * Bhose, Amita (1978), ''Eminescu şi India'', Iași: Junimea. * Ițu, Mircia (1995), ''Indianismul lui Eminescu'', Brașov: Orientul Latin. * Vianu, Tudor (1930), ''Poezia lui Eminescu'', Bucharest: Cartea Românească. * Negoițescu, Ion (1970), ''Poezia lui Eminescu'', Iași: Junimea. * Simion, Eugen (1964), ''Proza lui Eminescu'', Bucharest: Editura pentru literatură.


External links

*
Gabriel's website – Works both in English and original

Translated poems by Peter Mamara

Mihai Eminescu. 10 poems in English translations by Octavian Cocoş (audio)
* * *
Romanian Poetry – Mihai Eminescu (English)Romanian Poetry – Mihai Eminescu (Romanian)Mihai Eminescu Poesii
(bilingual pages English Romanian)
Mihai Eminescu poetry
(with English translations of some of his poems)
Year 2000: "Mihai Eminescu Year"
(includes bio, poems, critiques, etc.)
The Mihai Eminescu Trust
A recent collection sparks debate over Romania's "national poet" by Emilia Stere

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061230132248/http://eminescu.petar.ro/opera_completa/index.html Mihai Eminescu: Complete works (in Romanian)br>Mihai Eminescu : poezii biografie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eminescu, Mihai 1850 births 1889 deaths People from Botoșani People of the Principality of Moldavia Romanian male poets Romanian essayists Romanian nationalists Romanian folklorists Romanian male short story writers Romanian short story writers Junimists Romantic poets Romanian-language poets 19th-century Romanian poets Male essayists 19th-century short story writers 19th-century male writers 19th-century essayists Members of the Romanian Academy elected posthumously Burials at Bellu Cemetery