Mihai Codreanu
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Mihai Codreanu (; July 25, 1876 – October 23, 1957) was a Romanian poet, particularly noted for his sonnets. A native and lifelong resident of
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 ...
, he published his first volume of verse in 1901, followed by another two years later that solidified his reputation. Aside from another book of sonnets in 1914 and two during the 1920s, he authored three highly successful translations of French plays. He also edited a series of newspapers and wrote widely for an array of literary reviews. Attracted to the stage from early on, he led and reformed the main theatre in his city for several years after World War I, and during the 1930s presided over the arts school in Iași. Beginning in 1905, he suffered from an eye disease that soon left him unable to read or write, tasks that he accomplished through intermediaries.


Biography


Origins and education

He was born 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 ...
. His father Mihail Costache Codreanu, a native of
Târgu Ocna Târgu Ocna (; hu, Aknavásár) is a town in Bacău County, Romania, situated on the left bank of the Trotuș River, an affluent of the Siret, and on a branch railway which crosses the Ghimeș Pass from Moldavia into Transylvania. Târgu Ocna is ...
, was a judge and a Latin teacher at the National College who died of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
in September 1877.Viorel Ilișoi
"Necunoscutul Mihai Codreanu (2)"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', May 6, 2014
His mother Natalia was born in 1843 to Dimitrie Mânzariu, who later changed the family name to ''Mârzescu''; she worked as an inspector at a maternity hospital. Her brother was Gheorghe Mârzescu, while Mihai's first cousin was
Gheorghe Gh. Mârzescu Gheorghe Gh. Mârzescu (also known as George G. Mârzescu; July 4, 1876 – May 12, 1926) was a Romanian lawyer, journalist and politician. A member of the National Liberal Party (PNL), he was Minister of Agriculture (1916–1918), Interior ...
.Viorel Ilișoi
"Necunoscutul Mihai Codreanu (3)"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', May 7, 2014
He attended secondary school from 1887 to 1894 in Iași,
Bacău Bacău ( , , ; hu, Bákó; la, Bacovia) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. At the 2016 national estimation it had a population of 196,883, making it the 12th largest city in Romania. The city is situated in the historical region of ...
and
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 ...
, and probably moved around schools due to poor conduct.Viorel Ilișoi
"Necunoscutul Mihai Codreanu (4)"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', May 13, 2014
Codreanu's poetic debut came in ''Lumea ilustrată'' magazine in 1891. From 1896 to 1900 he studied at the law faculty 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 Mih ...
, also taking courses in medicine, philosophy and philology. His thesis focused on the ''
patria potestas The ''pater familias'', also written as ''paterfamilias'' (plural ''patres familias''), was the head of a Roman family. The ''pater familias'' was the oldest living male in a household, and could legally exercise autocratic authority over his ext ...
'' in Roman and Romanian law. He studied
declamation Declamation (from the Latin: ''declamatio'') is an artistic form of public speaking. It is a dramatic oration designed to express through articulation, emphasis and gesture the full sense of the text being conveyed. History In Ancient Rome, decla ...
at the Iași Conservatory from 1897 to 1899. In the summer of 1899, after graduation but before receiving his diploma, he attended a theatrical performance by State Dragomir, and began whistling to express his disapproval. An outraged Dragomir demanded punishment; the school's leadership met to discuss its options, and resumed its investigation in autumn. Finally, the
Education Ministry An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
decided to withhold his diploma for two years.


Poetic debut and rising reputation

Codreanu took private lessons in dramatic arts with
Eugène Silvain Eugène-Charles-Joseph Silvain (17 June 1851 - 21 August 1930) was a French stage actor, pensionnaire of the Comédie française, sociétaire then dean of the compagny from 1878 to 1928. Biography He left the army to devote himself to opera ...
at Paris in 1900. While there, he saw a performance of ''
Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
'' and decided to write a translation after receiving written permission from
Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...
. Work on the project went slowly, but he published it in 1920 to great enthusiasm in the cultural milieu; the play premiered in Iași in 1928. Other translations, which sold widely, include
Jean Richepin Jean Richepin (; 4 February 1849 – 12 December 1926) was a French poet, novelist and dramatist. Biography Son of an army doctor, Jean Richepin was born 4 February 1849 at Médéa, French Algeria. At school and at the École Normale Supér ...
's ''La Martyre'' (1901) and Rostand's ''La Princesse lointaine'' (1903). Both translations were successfully staged for many years at the
Iași National Theatre The Iași National Theatre (or Vasile Alecsandri National Theater; in Romanian: Teatrul Național Vasile Alecsandri) in Iași, Romania, is the oldest national theatre and one of the most prestigious theatrical institutions in Romania. In 1956, it ...
. In spite of an adolescence spent dreaming of an actor's career, Codreanu's only role on stage came in 1912, when he appeared in his translation of ''La Martyre''.Viorel Ilișoi
"Necunoscutul Mihai Codreanu (5)"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', June 25, 2014
His first volume of poetry, ''Diafane'' ("Diaphanous Forms"), was published in 1901. He convinced
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 ...
to write a preface for the
Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poetry, French poet who also produced notable work as an essayist and art critic. His poems exhibit mastery in the handling of rhyme and rhythm, contain an exoticis ...
- and
Mihail Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active membe ...
-influenced verses. The resultant piece suggested that the young poet drop the imitation of Baudelaire and focus instead on Eminescu's style, which prompted Codreanu to drop the preface entirely. The contemporary press praised his uncluttered style and the classical beauty of his verses. ''Din când în când'' ("From Time to Time") was published in 1903; and when reviewing this work, critics began to regard him as an authentic poet rather than a novice. The volume, initially published at Iași, appeared two years later as part of the prestigious Bucharest-based ''Biblioteca pentru toți''. In 1905, he developed an incurable and hereditary eye disease that prevented him from reading and writing for the rest of his life; the sonnets that form his legacy were thought up and memorized, before he dictated them in final form. He wore dark glasses and often leaned on friends' shoulders when he walked; the disease progressed gradually, so that colors and light slowly disappeared and he was almost entirely blind in old age. He also lost his abundant hair early and took to wearing theatrical wigs. Later, the baldness was somewhat reversed, but as the newer hair was not as rich as the wigs, he invariably appeared in a beret. In 1914, he published ''Statui'' ("Statues"), a collection of 99 sonnets, several of which he had composed for the dedication ceremonies of statues in his city. The work was hugely successful, garnering praise from
Tudor Arghezi Tudor Arghezi (; 21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer, best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest, he explained that his pen name was related to ''Argesis'', th ...
,
Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...
and
Gala Galaction Gala Galaction (; the pen name of Grigore or Grigorie Pisculescu, (the quarter "Pantelimon" is presumed to preserve his memory) ; April 16, 1879—March 8, 1961) was a Romanian Orthodox clergyman and theologian, writer, journalist, left-wing ac ...
, as well as from his friends
Garabet Ibrăileanu Garabet Ibrăileanu (; May 23, 1871 – March 11, 1936) was a Romanian-Armenians in Romania, Armenian Literary criticism, literary critic and theorist, writer, translator, sociologist, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, University of Iași professor ...
and
Octav Botez Octav Botez (born Panaite-Octavian Botez; May 15, 1884–September 25, 1943) was a Romanian literary critic and historian. Born in Iași, his father Panait was a general in the Romanian Army, his mother was Smaranda (''née'' Nastasachi) and ...
, although
Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan (, last name also Sadoveanu-Andrei, first name also Isabella or Izabella; born Izabela Morțun, pen names I.Z.S.D. and Iz. Sd.;
was dismissive. He edited newspapers in his native city, including ''Noutatea și Propaganda'' (1897–1898), ''Liberalul'' (1904–1906) and the newly established ''Mișcarea'' (1909); not coincidentally, his cousin Mârzescu was director at ''Liberalul'' in the same period, and founded ''Mișcarea''. In 1908, he was among the founding members of the
Romanian Writers' Society The Romanian Writers' Society ( ro, Societatea Scriitorilor Români) was a professional association based in Bucharest, Romania, that aided the country's writers and promoted their interests. Founded in 1909, it operated for forty years before the e ...
. Magazines that published his work include ''Viața'', ''Evenimentul'', ''
Viața Românească ''Viața Românească'' (, "The Romanian Life") is a monthly literary magazine published in Romania. Formerly the platform of the left-wing traditionalist trend known as poporanism, it is now one of the Writers' Union of Romania's main venues. Th ...
'', ''
Flacăra ''Flacăra'' (Romanian for "The Flame") is a weekly literary magazine published in Bucharest, Romania. History and profile ''Flacăra'' was started in 1911. The first issue was published on 22 October 1911. The founder was Constantin Banu and ...
'', ''
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 ...
'', ''Adevărul literar și artistic'' and ''
Revista Fundațiilor Regale ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'' ("The Review of Royal Foundations") was a monthly literary, art and culture magazine published in Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern ...
''. ''Viața Românească'' was especially important in advancing his reputation, and his ''Statui'' appeared at its publishing house. A prolific writer, his articles ranged from filler articles about how to catch rats, to political and literary analyses and reflections on patriotism, education and morals. In 1914, he became a substitute professor at the conservatory, where he taught diction, expressive reading and criticism; he was full professor from 1920 to 1938. His mother died in January 1916. While Iași, where Mârzescu was serving as mayor, would soon become the temporary capital of
Romania during World War I The Kingdom of Romania was neutral for the first two years of World War I, entering on the side of the Allied powers from 27 August 1916 until Central Power occupation led to the Treaty of Bucharest in May 1918, before reentering the war on 10 ...
, Codreanu's poetry was untouched by the dramatic events taking place around him.Viorel Ilișoi
"Necunoscutul Mihai Codreanu (7)"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', July 3, 2014
Around this period, he lived in a small old apartment in the yard of what is now the Union Museum.


Theatre director

From 1919 to 1923, Codreanu headed the Iași National Theatre, taking over from his friend
Mihail Sadoveanu Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; November 5, 1880 – October 19, 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting head of state for the communis ...
. Following the creation of
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
, he saw the theatre's mission as the propagation of a national culture in an enlarged state where part of the population had only tenuous links to the national consciousness. After sending his troupe of actors on an extended tour throughout the
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 ...
region, he accepted an invitation from
Tiberiu Brediceanu Tiberiu Brediceanu (April 2, 1877 – December 19, 1968) was a Romanian composer and a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy. Biography Born in Lugoj, Romania, to Coriolan Brediceanu, Tiberiu Brediceanu studied music in Lugoj (1884 ...
to have the actors perform in
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, newly emerged from Austro-Hungarian rule. They also reached
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 upp ...
, the capital of formerly Austrian
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 ...
, where they helped inaugurate a national theatre. Additionally, Codreanu reformed the way the theatre operated: instead of having plays rotate after four or five shows, he kept only the best parts of the repertoire and divided the troupe in two (one for comedy and drama, the other for tragedy). In his second year as director, the theatre turned a profit for the first time. As a result, actors and playwrights became much better paid and their professions rose in prestige. He also obtained funds for repairing the building, badly worn out during the war. Codreanu served as general inspector of theatres in 1924, and returned to head the theatre on an interim basis from January to November 1928.Viorel Ilișoi
"Necunoscutul Mihai Codreanu (8)"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', July 31, 2014
Meanwhile, he wrote ''Cântecul deșertăciunii'' ("The Song of Vanity", 1921), praised by Ibrăileanu but scorned by Lovinescu. In the event, he went on to become the second winner of an annual national prize for poetry in 1925. In 1927, Sadoveanu persuaded him and
Păstorel Teodoreanu Păstorel Teodoreanu, or just Păstorel (born Alexandru Osvald (Al. O.) Teodoreanu; July 30, 1894 – March 17, 1964), was a Romanian humorist, poet and gastronome, the brother of novelist Ionel Teodoreanu and brother in law of writer Ștefana Ve ...
to join the Cantemir Lodge of the Romanian Freemasonry; the three were also linked through membership in the ''Viața Românească'' circle. After the review moved to Bucharest, its place in the cultural life of Iași was taken in 1936 by ''Însemnări ieșene'', which he co-directed with Sadoveanu from 1937. His last volume of original sonnets was the 1929 ''Turnul de fildeș'' ("The Ivory Tower") and in 1939, he published ''Statui. Sonete și evadări din sonet'' ("Statues. Sonnets and Escapes from the Sonnet"), which collected his prior work while adding a few new sonnets. He was the conservatory's acting rector in 1932, and held the post in his own right from 1933 to 1939, once again showing his skills as an administrator.


Mature years and legacy

In 1942, he was elected a 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 ...
, from which he was purged by the new
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
in 1948. Near the end of his life, he published ''Sonete'' ("Sonnets"), a volume of selected sonnets, with the help of Teodoreanu. In the intervening decades since his last original book in 1939, his writing was confined to magazines. His distinctions included:
House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern (german: Hausorden von Hohenzollern or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various ...
, first class (1914); ''chevalier'' of the ''
Ordre des Palmes Académiques A suite, in Western classical music and jazz, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes and grew in scope to comprise up to five dances, sometimes with ...
'' (1921); the ''
Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
'' (1929) and the Order of Labor, first class (1956).Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', vol. I, p. 359. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. He died in 1957, and was buried in
Eternitatea cemetery Eternitatea is the biggest cemetery in Iași, Romania. Notable interments * Vasile Adamachi, philanthropist * Petre Andrei, sociologist and politician * Dimitrie Anghel, poet and writer * Alexandru Bădărău, politician, academic, and journa ...
.Voicu, p. 7 Codreanu's first marriage, in April 1906, was to Sofia Betina Veker, who also served as secretary and caregiver. She died in 1946, and the 70-year-old widower quickly married Ecaterina Hare, a 35-year-old native of Bravicea in
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 ...
who had worked as his housekeeper since age 19. Arriving illiterate in his home, she managed to complete fourth grade, with a low passing score, in 1940. In addition to caring for her aged husband, she kept his personal objects in their original state after he died. He is rumored to have fathered a love child, but this individual, who became a university professor, denied the story his entire life.Viorel Ilișoi
"Necunoscutul Mihai Codreanu (6)"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', June 26, 2014
From 1934, until his death, Codreanu lived in a house called Vila Sonet, built on land donated to him the year before by the Iași authorities in recognition of his achievements. (Sadoveanu sold rather than build a house on an adjacent plot he was given, saying he did not wish to live in Codreanu's backyard.) Since 1970, the house has been a museum almost entirely preserved as it was during his lifetime, including his personal library, office, dining room and bedroom. Codreanu walked around with a cane; the one kept in the museum was reportedly used during his Masonic initiation, and conceals a 70-cm blade of
Toledo steel Toledo steel, historically known for being unusually hard, is from Toledo, Spain, which has been a traditional sword-making, metal-working center since about the Roman period, and came to the attention of Rome when used by Hannibal in the Punic W ...
that he used to defend himself from drunkards and the jealous husbands of the women who thronged around him. Once, it was stolen while he was with a prostitute in a brothel, but it was later recovered. Beatrice Panțiru
"Bastonul cu stilet Toledo al sonetistului Mihai Codreanu"
''Historia'', January 14, 2015


Bibliography

*''Puterea părintească în dreptul roman și român'' (doctoral thesis), Iași, 1900 *''Diafane'', Iași, 1901 *''Din când în când. Poezii (1901–1903)'', Iași, 1903 *''Martira'' (verse drama in five acts), translated from
Jean Richepin Jean Richepin (; 4 February 1849 – 12 December 1926) was a French poet, novelist and dramatist. Biography Son of an army doctor, Jean Richepin was born 4 February 1849 at Médéa, French Algeria. At school and at the École Normale Supér ...
, Bucharest, 1903 *''Prințesa-ndepărtată'' (verse play in four acts), translated from
Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...
, Bucharest, 1903 *''Statui. Sonete'', Iași, 1914 *''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (heroic comedy in five verse acts), translated from Edmond Rostand, Iași, 1920 *''Cântecul deșertăciunii'', Iași, 1921 *''Turnul de fildeș'', Bucharest, 1929 *''Statui. Sonete și evadări din sonet'', Bucharest, 1939 *''Sonete'', Bucharest, 1957


Notes


References


"Nostalgii ieșene: Mihai Codreanu – amurgul solitarului"
in ''Constelații ieșene'', year III, nr. 3-4 (11–12), October–December 2008, p. 5–7 {{DEFAULTSORT:Codreanu, Mihail 1876 births 1957 deaths Writers from Iași Alexandru Ioan Cuza University alumni Sonneteers Romanian newspaper editors Romanian magazine editors Romanian translators Romanian Freemasons Romanian theatre managers and producers Rectors of universities in Romania Corresponding members of the Romanian Academy Chevaliers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Recipients of the Legion of Honour Blind people from Romania Burials at Eternitatea cemetery Romanian male poets 20th-century Romanian poets 20th-century translators 20th-century Romanian male writers