Did you know that even true stories begin with… once upon a time? About Mihai Eminescu it is said that he was the unmatched poet, a genius of verse, journalist, prose writer, and a lover of theater, nature, and folklore. His name appears in textbooks and speeches, but beyond the solemn image lies a young man with many passions.
Mihai Eminovici was born on a cold winter day, January 15, 1850. He was the son of Gheorghe and Raluca, parents who had eleven children.
Mihai grew up surrounded by nature. He loved running through forests, stopping near springs and listening to the sound of water, without knowing that, years later, these memories would turn into immortal verses.
When he had to leave home, his path led him to Cernăuți, where he began attending the German High School. Mihai loved history and literature, but mathematics gave him trouble. A great sports enthusiast, he ran on the football field and was an excellent swimmer.
At only 16 years old, Mihai gathered the courage to send some of his poems to the magazine Familia, edited by Iosif Vulcan. It was a bold gesture for a teenager. Vulcan was so impressed that he decided to change the name under which the author signed his work. Thus, Mihai Eminescu was born.
It was not long before Mihai Eminescu discovered a new passion that would captivate him completely: the theater. The world of the stage, the lights, the lines, and the emotion of performances fascinated him. He grew close to the actors of a theater troupe, followed them, helped them, and soon began accompanying them on tours across the country. Thus began his career as a prompter and copyist.
Concerned about his son’s future, Gheorghe Eminovici decided that Mihai needed serious studies and sent him to Vienna to study philosophy. The city was full of new ideas, vast libraries, and cafés where people discussed art, politics, and literature. Eminescu adapted immediately. Whenever he received money from home, he did not hesitate: he ran to secondhand bookshops and bought books—many books. Then he would get coffee and lock himself in his room, where he could spend days on end reading without stopping.
During this period, life also brought him his great love: Veronica Micle. She was a charming, delicate woman, passionate about music and poetry. However, their love was never fully fulfilled. When they met, Veronica was already married to Professor Ștefan Micle.
Meanwhile, back home in Iași, several people passionate about culture and literature were laying the foundations of a society that would change the world of Romanian writing. Junimea aimed to discover and support Romanian writers. Leading the group was Titu Maiorescu, a severe but fair critic. When he first read Eminescu’s poems, he immediately knew he was facing someone special:
“At last, I have found a poet!”
The days were exhausting: Mihai chased news, wrote articles, corrected texts. The nights, however, belonged to poetry. He wrote late into the night, with a mind full of thoughts and a heavy heart. Material hardships weighed on him, longing for Veronica gave him no peace, and nonstop work drained his strength. Gradually, his health began to deteriorate, and he was admitted to a sanatorium in Vienna.
During this period, the only volume published during his lifetime appeared, titled Poesii, a book that would make him immortal.
In 1889, at only 39 years old, he passed away in Bucharest, without anyone being able to say with certainty what caused his death.
The world of Mihai Eminescu’s poetry is deep and fascinating. His most famous poem, Luceafărul (The Evening Star), was recognized by the World Records Academy as the longest love poem in the world, with 98 stanzas.
Eminescu was not only a poet. He also wrote prose. Moreover, he was a patriot and a passionate journalist, the author of hundreds of articles on history, culture, education, religion, economy, and politics, in which he firmly defended his ideas. Through his writing, he remains the most important Romanian poet.