MIHAI EMINESCU • Chronology / Life, Creation, Cultural Context

• As attested by his manuscripts, this is the year of the first variants of the future poem Luceafărul (Hyperion). • Vasile Alecsandri – Despot-Vodă , Bucharest • Ion Luca Caragiale – Conu Leonida fată  cu reactiunea (Mister Leonida faces the reactionaries) • Birth of the poet Tudor Arghezi (d. 1967). • Birth of the writer Mihail Sadoveanu (d. 1961). • 1881. In Leipzig, issuing of the volume Poezii românesti (Romanian poems), translated into German by Carmen Sylva, edited and revised by Mite Kremnitz. 18 of Eminescu's poems are included in this volume. • I.L. Caragiale leaves Timpul, to be soon followed by Ioan Slavici, so that elaboration of the whole newspaper remains on the shoulders of Eminescu. • January. Convorbiri literare publishes the first part of Ion Creangă 's Amintiri din copilărie (Childhood memories); in April, the second part will follow. • February. Veronica Micle publishes in Convorbiri the lyrical descriptive poem Lac-oglindă (Mirror-lake), elogized by the press of the time. • March, 14. The Parliament votes Romania's transformation into a kingdom. • April. In Convorbiri, Eminescu publishes Scrisoarea I (The First Epistle) and Scrisoarea II (The Second Epistle); in May, Scrisoarea III (The Third Epistle) will be also issued. • May, 10. Prince Carol is crowned as King of Romania in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Bucharest. • June, 19. Arriving in Bucharest for medical attendance, old Eminovici visits the poet. • July, 3. Veronica Micle publishes in Familia the poem entitled Soarta mea (My destiny). • Eminescu publishes Scrisoarea IV (The Fourth Epistle) in Convorbiri. • Excepted the period in which he'll come up again to the projected marriage to Veronica, from 1881 on Eminescu will live in the house of Slavici as a lodger. • Ioan Slavici – Novele din popor (Popular short stories), Bucharest, Socec Publishing House • Death of the poet Cezar Bolliac (b. 1813) • Birth of the poet George Bacovia (d. 1957) • Birth, in the village of Liveni (Botosani), of the composer, violonist, piano player, conductor and professor George Enescu (d. 1955) • 1882. No poem published by Eminescu this year. The articles he is writing in Timpul are more and more vehemently criticizing the political situation in the country, attacking mainly the demagogy of the liberal administration. Restructuring of Timpul's editorial staff – a measure by which the main Conservative representatives tried to attenuate Eminescu's intransigent criticism – has not reached its scope, the poet's writings remaining equally passionate. • February. Reconciliation between the poet and Veronica, who visits him in Bucharest. In the letters he writes to her, Eminescu admits his intention of having his poems gathered in a volume that should be entitled Lumină de lună (Moonlight); however, the project will remain unfulfilled. • February, 27. First night, in Brasov, of Ciprian Porumbescu's operetta Crai Nou (New Moon). • Convorbiri literare publishes the third part of Creangă's Amintiri din copilărie. [next]

RO / MIHAI EMINESCU • Viaţa, context/ Cronologie