( 15 January 1850-15 June 1889)

Mihai Eminescu was the most important Romantic writer in the history of the Romanian
literature. t that time he was calle! "Romanian poetry e#enin$ star%. Eminescu in his wor&
'rou$ht a new lan$ua$e an! always fresh. E(traor!inary is that he ne#er ha! to stru$$le to
own the Romanian !ialect 'ecause it was always at han! helpin$ him e#en in his impressi#e
artistic ima$es. )he secret of his entire charm consists in autochthon su'strate of his local
culture.
Eminescu was "the a'solute mo!el towar! which* without e(ception* all representati#es of
Romanian literature aspire! to+.
,ith the creati#e e(ploitation of fol&lore* Eminescu rises a$ain to the hi$hest le#el of ma$ic*
startin$ with -.rince /harmin$ in tears- an! reachin$ the -Re#iew- an! later the
incompara'le lo#e story of -/alin (file of the story) an! 0ucifer.
Eminescu1s philosophical comple( incursions support his poetry. !!ressin$ many
fun!amental issues relate! to the life an! !eath* lo#e* nature* $enesis an! the en! of the
worl!* or ci#ili2ation* the poet emphasi2es the stru$$les an! misfortunes of the $enius of
man* in a society totally forei$n to him.
3tartin$ from the con#entional style that the poets of that time $rew passin$ throu$h a
tur'ulent phase of romance* of affirmation* artistic effort le! Eminescu* maturin$ as to an
increasin$ concentration of !ense me!ia of e(pression* of which re$ionalisms !isappear*
!iminuti#es* an! ornamental epithets appear* $i#in$ way to the classic style of the purest
essence.
)he poet has !e#ote! a lar$e part !urin$ his stu!ies a'roa! for reasons of poetic thin&in$ an!
assimilation of famous ancient 4ree& an! 0atin5 .lato* ristotle* 6omer* .lutarch* 7#i!*
6orace. 8n turn* me!ie#al* Renaissance* /lassicism* Romanticism* 9aturalism an!
philosophical materialism of the last century.
6is lyrical speech re$isters echoes of all rea!in$s of :ant* 3chopenhauer* ;ante*
3ha&espeare* 3chiller* 9o#alis* 0amartine or <ictor 6u$o - all the influences of European
literature plan* 8n!ia (throu$h the Ri$-<e!a) an! =ni#ersal are similar in comple(ity to his
#ision .
Eminescu1s wor& re$ar!in$ nature an! lo#e shows two issues that can not 'e treate!
separately an! from the interwea#in$ of whom were 'orn the most 'eautiful poems.
Evening on the Hill
;reary the soun!s in the e#e
on the hill*
3heepfloc&s return* stars on
their way twin&le still*
,atersprin$s weep
murmurin$ clear* an! 8 see
=n!er a tree* lo#e* thou art
waitin$ for me.
6oly an! pure passes the
moon on the s&y*
Moist seem the stars 'orn
from the #ault clear an! hi$h*
0on$in$ thine eyes loo& from
afar to !i#ine*
6ea#in$ thy 'reast* pensi#e
thy hea! !oth recline.
)ire! with their toil* peasants
come 'ac& from the fiel!*
>rom the ol! church*
la'ourer? s comfort an! shiel!*
<oices of 'ells thrill the
whole s&y hi$h a'o#e@
3truc& is my heart* trem'lin$
an! 'urnin$ with lo#e
Sara pe deal
3ara pe !eal 'uciumul sunA cu
Bale*
)urmele-l urc* stele le scapArA-n
cale*
pele plCn$* clar i2#orCn! Dn
fCntCne@
3u' un salcCm* !ra$A* m-aEtepFi
tu pe mine.
0una pe cer trece-aEa sfCntA Ei
clarA*
7chii tAi mari cautA-n frun2a cea
rarA*
3telele nasc ume2i pe 'olta
seninA*
.ieptul !e !or* fruntea !e $Cn!uri
Fi-e plinA.
9ourii cur$* ra2e-a lor Eiruri
!espicA*
3treEine #echi casele-n lunA
ri!icA*
3cCrFCie-n #Cnt cumpAna !e la
fCntCnA*
<alea-i Dn fum* fluiere murmurA-
n stCnA.
Gi osteniFi oameni cu coasa-n
spinare
<in !e la cCmp@ toaca rAsunA mai
tare*
/lopotul #echi umple cu $lasul
lui sara*
3ufletul meu ar!e-n iu'ire ca
para.
)he lo#e 'etween Mihai Eminescu an! <eronica Micle remaine! as
testimony for the true #i'rations of the human soul throu$h the lo#e
letters 'etween the two. 6ere is an e(cerpt from a letter written 'y
Eminescu 1H1 years a$o5 "8 am !eeply sa! an! my life is so #oi! of Boys
that your letters an! your letters only 'rin$ me !ear comfort. 9ot writin$
anymore or writin$ rarer woul! hurt me more than if you !i!n%t lo#e me
,rite me 'ac& with the han!s 8 passionately &iss%.