Alexandru Macedonski

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Alexandru Macedonski : biography

March 14, 1854 – November 24, 1920

("August Night"), outlines a monistic belief probably inspired by Rosicrucianism, stressing the unity between soul and matter and depicting Macedonski’s own journey into a transcendental space.Krasztev, "From a Deadlocked Present…", p.43 Following the examples of Baudelaire’s Les paradis artificiels, but also echoing his readings from Paul Verlaine and Théophile Gautier, Macedonski left poems dealing with narcotics and substance abuse, at least some of which reflected his personal experience with nicotine and possibly other unnamed drugs. Also at that stage, Macedonski also began publishing the "instrumentalist" series of his Symbolist poems. This form of experimental poem was influenced by the theories of René GhilCălinescu, p.525; Vianu, Vol.II, p.366, 413-415 and verified through his encounter with Remy de Gourmont’s views.Vianu, Vol.II, p.413-415 In parallel, it reaffirmed Macedonski’s personal view that music and the spoken word were intimately related (a perspective notably attested by his 1906 interview with Jules Combarieu). Romanian critic Petre Răileanu theorized that such elements evidenced Macedonski’s transition to "metaliterature". On a different level, they echoed an older influence, that of Gottfried August Bürger.

Excelsior

Despite having stated his interest in innovation, Macedonski generally displayed a more conventional style in his Excelsior volume. It included Noaptea de mai, which Vianu sees as "one of the [vernacular’s] most beautiful poems" and as evidence of "a clear joy, without any torment whatsoever".Vianu, Vol.II, p.408 A celebration of spring partly evoking folkloric themes, it was made famous by the recurring refrain, Veniţi: privighetoarea cântă şi liliacul e-nflorit ("Come along: the nightingale is singing and the lilac is in blossom").Anghelescu, p.20-21 Like Noaptea de mai, Lewki (named after and dedicated to the Snake Island), depicts intense joy, completed in this case by what Vianu calls "the restorative touch of nature." The series also returned to Levant settings and Islamic imagery, particularly in Acşam dovalar (named after the Turkish version of Witr). Also noted within the volume is his short "Modern Psalms" series, including the piece Iertare ("Forgiveness"), which is addressed to God:

Iertare! Sunt ca orice om M-am îndoit de-a ta putere, Am râs de sfintele mistere Ce sunt în fiecare-atom… Iertare! Sunt ca orice om.Călinescu, p.526

Forgiveness! I’m like any man I have been doubting your power I derided the sacred mysteries That lie within each of the atoms… Forgiveness! I’m like any man.

Excelsior also included Noaptea de ianuarie ("January Night"), which encapsulates one of his best-known political statements.Anghelescu, p.21-22; Ornea, p.263; Vianu, Vol.II, p.368 Anghelescu reads it as a "meditation on disillusionment that culminates in a vitality-laden exhortation of action."Anghelescu, p.19 Its anti-bourgeois attitude, literary historian Z. Ornea argues, was one of the meeting points between Macedonski and Junimism.Ornea, p.263 In what is seen as its most acid section, the text notably reads:

M-am născut în nişte zile când tâmpita burghezime Din tejghea făcând tribună, legiune de coţcari, Pune-o talpă noroioasă pe popor şi boierime, Zile când se-mparte ţara în călăi şi în victime Şi când steagul libertăţii e purtat de cârciumari.Anghelescu, p.21; Vianu, Vol.II, p.368

I was born into days when the moronic bourgeoisie Turning counters into rostrums, a legion of knaves, Places a muddy sole on the people and the boyars, Days when the country is divided into hangmen and victims And when the flag of liberty is carried by publicans.

At the same time as being engaged in his most violent polemics, Macedonski produced meditative and serene poems, which were later judged to be among his best. Noaptea de decemvrie is the synthesis of his main themes and influences, rated by commentators as his "masterpiece".Călinescu, p.527; Vianu, Vol.II, p.410 Partly based on an earlier poem (Meka, named after the Arab city),Anghelescu, p.25 it tells the story of an emir, who, left unsatisfied by the shallow and opulent life he leads in Baghdad, decides to leave on pilgrimage. While critics agree that it is to be read as an allegory of Macedonski’s biography, the ironic text does not make it clear whether the emir actually reaches his target, nor if the central metaphor of Mecca as a mirage means that the goal is not worth sacrificing for.Anghelescu, p.25-26, 30-31; Perpessicius, p.63; Sandqvist, p.201 While Mircea Anghelescu comments that Macedonski illustrates "unusual tension" by rigorously amplifying references to the color red, seen as a symbol of suffering,Anghelescu, p.26 Călinescu notes that the sequence of lyrics has a studied "delirious" element, and illustrates this with the quote: