Tudor Arghezi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tudor Arghezi
Born	(1880-05-21)21 May 1880 Bucharest, Romania
Died	14 July 1967(1967-07-14) (aged 87) Bucharest
Pen name	Ion Theo
Occupation	Poet, novelist, short story writer, journalist, essayist
Period	1896–1967
Genre	Lyric poetry, fiction, satire, children's literature
Literary movement	Symbolism Poporanism
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Tudor Arghezi (born May 21, 1880 – died July 14, 1967) was a famous Romanian writer. He is best known for his special poems and books for children. He was born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest. He once said that his pen name (writing name) came from Argesis, which is the Latin name for the Argeș River.

Tudor Arghezi's Life Story

Growing Up and Starting to Write

Tudor Arghezi finished high school in 1891. He started working to pay for his studies. In 1896, he published his first poems in a magazine called Liga Ortodoxă. He used the name Ion Theo.

A famous poet named Alexandru Macedonski, who was a leader of Romanian Symbolism, praised the young Arghezi. He said Arghezi was very brave and wrote in a new way, different from older poetry.

Arghezi admired Symbolism, which was a style of art and writing. He wrote articles about it. In 1904, he started his own magazine, Linia Dreaptă, with his friend Vasile Demetrius. It only had five issues. Arghezi, Gala Galaction, and Demetrius were very close friends.

Time as a Monk and Travel Abroad

For four years, Arghezi was an Orthodox monk at Cernica Monastery. In 1905, he traveled to Paris and then to Fribourg, Switzerland. He wrote poems there and studied at the local university. He didn't like the strong focus on the Roman Catholic faith there, so he moved to Geneva. In Geneva, he worked in a jewelry shop.

In 1907, there was a big peasants' revolt in Romania. Arghezi was known for criticizing how the government treated the peasants. Swiss officials watched him closely. A local newspaper even said his mail was opened, which caused a scandal. The news of the revolt deeply affected Arghezi. Later, he wrote a whole book about it called 1907-Peizaje ("Landscapes of 1907"). He said it showed the difference between the people and a harsh government.

Returning to Romania and Early Fame

Arghezi came back to Romania in 1910. He published many works in different magazines. He wrote lots of poems, political articles, and strong opinions. This made him well-known in the art, political, and writing worlds. One of his first important poems was Rugă de seară ("Evening Prayer").

He also became an important art critic. He defended Ștefan Luchian, a painter who was very sick. Luchian was accused of fraud because people thought he couldn't paint anymore.

Arghezi often visited the Kübler Café in Bucharest. Many artists and thinkers gathered there. This group included writers like Ion Minulescu and Liviu Rebreanu, and painters like Iosif Iser. He was also friends with Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești, who supported artists.

When World War I started, Arghezi wrote against Romania joining the war on the side of the Entente. He wanted Bessarabia to unite with Romania. He did not like the idea of being allies with Imperial Russia. In 1915, he wrote about the terrible nature of war and how weapons were made to destroy people.

During German Occupation and Prison Time

Later, Arghezi worked with the German authorities who took over parts of Romania in late 1916. He wrote articles for a German-backed newspaper. Many other thinkers also worked with the Germans during this time.

After the war, he was arrested with eleven other writers and journalists. They were accused of "working with the enemy" because they had been against the Entente. Arghezi was sent to Văcărești facility. He wrote letters asking to be released because his son, Eli Lotar, had gone missing. Even though they had different political views, Nicolae Iorga, a famous historian, asked for Arghezi to be freed. Arghezi was released in late 1919. He thanked Iorga but continued to disagree with him on some topics.

Writing Between the World Wars

In 1927, Arghezi published his first book of poems, Cuvinte Potrivite ("Fitting Words"). A critic called him "our greatest poet since Eminescu".

Arghezi also ran a funny newspaper called Bilete de Papagal. In 1928, he published his first prose book, Icoane de Lemn ("Wooden Icons"). In 1932, he released Flori de Mucigai ("Flowers of Mildew") and Poarta Neagră ("The Black Gate"). These poetry collections were inspired by his time in prison, a new topic for Romanian poetry. They were also influenced by poets like Charles Baudelaire.

He also started writing his popular poems and stories for children. Some of his most famous children's works are Cartea cu Jucării ("The Toy-Laden Book"), Cântec de Adormit Mitzura ("A Song to Get Mitzura to Sleep"), Buruieni ("Weeds"), and the very popular Zdreanță ("Rag"), which is about a lovable dog.

In 1933-1934, he wrote two funny, critical books: Tablete din Țara de Kuty, povestiri swiftiene ("Tablets from the Land of Kuty. Swiftian Stories") and Cimitirul Buna-Vestire ("Buna-Vestire Cemetery"). He also wrote a long novel about a mother's love, Ochii Maicii Domnului ("Our Lord's Mother's Eyes").

Arghezi often went to art shows in the 1920s. He helped painters like Oscar Han and Nicolae Tonitza become famous.

Challenges and Controversies

In 1934, his poems were strongly criticized by Nicolae Iorga. Arghezi also faced attacks from some right-wing newspapers. They said his works were bad and that his Jewish editors had a negative influence. Arghezi replied with humor, saying he had "never ever read Gândirea, not even when I was contributing articles to it."

Later in his life, Arghezi said that many cultural groups, including universities, the police, and even his close friends, were against his writing.

His political views were complicated. He worked with left-wing magazines but also supported King Carol II.

World War II and Imprisonment

In 1939, Arghezi became very ill with a mysterious pain. Doctors, including famous ones like George Emil Palade, found that a tumor was pressing on his nerve. He had radiation therapy and slowly got better.

During World War II, Arghezi wrote for a newspaper called Informația Zilei. In 1943, he wrote strong criticisms of the Romanian government and its leader, Ion Antonescu. He also criticized Romania's alliance with Nazi Germany. On September 30, 1943, Arghezi caused a big stir when he published his strongest attack against the German ambassador, Manfred Freiherr von Killinger. The article, Baroane ("Baron!"), accused Germany of taking Romania's resources.

The authorities took away all copies of the newspaper. Arghezi was put in a prison camp near Târgu Jiu without a trial. Other important political leaders were also there. He was freed in 1944, just days after the government changed.

Arghezi and the Communist Government

Arghezi had a difficult relationship with the new Communist government. At first, he received some awards. But then he criticized government control over the media. In 1948, he was called a "decadent poet." Articles in the Communist Party's newspaper said his work was "pathological."

Arghezi had to stay out of public life. He lived at his house in Văcărești, which he called Mărțișor. He earned money by selling cherries from his garden.

However, after 1952, the Communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej gained more power. Arghezi was seen as important for the country's culture. He was visited by a Communist official and was later honored again.

He received many awards and titles. Arghezi became a member of the Romanian Academy in 1955. He was celebrated as a national poet on his 80th and 85th birthdays. He adapted his writing to fit the new government's ideas, like in his poem Cântare Omului ("Ode to Mankind"). In 1965, he won the Herder Prize, an international award.

Arghezi's mysterious illness returned in 1955. Doctors found a chronic infection from an old surgery. He was treated and recovered.

Tudor Arghezi died in 1967 and was buried in his garden next to his wife, Paraschiva, who had died the year before. His funeral was a very big event, organized by Communist Party officials. His home is now a museum. His daughter, Mitzura, managed it until her death in 2015. Arghezi and Paraschiva also had a son named Iosif, known as Baruțu.

Tudor Arghezi's Amazing Work

Arghezi is one of the most important Romanian writers from the time between the two World Wars. He is also a major poet of the 20th century. He used words in a fresh and unique way, mixing old styles with new ideas. He wrote many poems, novels, essays, newspaper articles, translations, and letters.

His writing changed Romanian poetry. He created new ways to write poems and new types of prose (regular writing), like the "poetic novel." He was very good at using strong and short phrases that made people think. His writings are full of surprising ideas and deep thoughts about life and religion. A critic named George Călinescu said that humor was a big part of Arghezi's poetry and stories.

Arghezi brought back a style called the grotesque, which uses strange or ugly things in art. He also experimented with the rhythm and sound of poetry. In many of his poems, he used slang (informal words) and special language. This created a unique feeling, like the works of older writers. He used words that were intentionally ugly or about decay to push the boundaries of poetic language. This was a main idea in his book Cuvinte Potrivite.

But Arghezi also wrote about family life, childhood, and small, cozy places in great detail. At a time when many writers thought it was impossible to truly communicate, Arghezi believed strongly in the power of words to share ideas and feelings. He was called "a fighting poet" because he both attacked and was attacked by others.

Even with his connection to the Communist government, Arghezi is still seen as a very important writer. His works have been a key part of Romanian literature textbooks for many years.

English Anthologies with Arghezi's Work

• 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 – MinervaPublishing 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
• Born in Utopia - An anthology of Modern and Contemporary Romanian Poetry - Carmen Firan and Paul Doru Mugur (editors) with Edward Foster - Talisman House Publishers - 2006

Images for kids

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  Arghezi postage stamp from 1980

See also

In Spanish: Tudor Arghezi para niños