Biography I. M. Rașcu

1 biography

1.1 origins , years
1.2 versuri și proză
1.3 1920s
1.4 Îndreptar
1.5 later life

biography
origins , years

rașcu s maternal great-grandfather french upper class tailor frédéric ortgies (described in 1 of rașcu s poems having rosy , melancholy face ). picardy, settled in moldavia before 1859 merger romania. ortgies daughter, eugenia, married ioan tudor curius (1816–1898), actor , french-language teacher wallachia, had played minor part in 1848 upheaval before settling wife in iași. daughter, clelia (1865–1950), rașcu s mother. father, born in odobești, worked art , calligraphy teacher. couple had 3 daughters, of whom clelia (1897–1944) went on marry university of iași physician emil hurmuzache; , son, gheorghe, made living teacher of geography.

also iași native, ion rașcu raised romanian orthodox, later in life returned religion of french forefathers, joining roman catholic church. in catholic circles, remembered 1 of our great converts , on par missionary vladimir ghika , author mariu theodorian-carada. argued literary historian paul cernat, evidenced propensity toward alternative spirituality , tense relationship dominant orthodox religion , found among symbolists turned theosophy, heresy, or occult practices. rașcu entirely committed new faith: described critic george călinescu catholic of fanatical correctness , discretion , , great suaveness , , philologist adrian marino 1 suggested sorts of anachronisms , fervent , fanatical , distinguished , of entirely westernized urbanity . remembered withdrawals mystical contemplation, , adhering austere dress code in daily life.

rașcu attended primary , secondary school in iași, living family on outskirts of city. himself recounted in later years, monotonous atmosphere of moldavian fin de siècle, sentiment happen in world @ large , made mark on him: perhaps waited age weight less on us, shake more violently. rașcu debuted in 1905 in student review spre lumină. contributions poem, expressing rașcu s sadness on recent death of father, conventional sonnet, , brief overview of aromanian folkloric laments. sent additional pieces popular magazine duminica, using pen names i. cimbru-frăgar, i. ieronim, i. rașcu-ieronim, i. ieronim-cimbru, , variations of these. evandru, contributed political newspaper opinia, owned alexandru bădărău. graduating national high school in 1909, took diploma in letters university of iași.

versuri și proză

rașcu s debut symbolist promoter came in 1911, when founded @ iași review versuri ( verse ). reappearing versuri și proză ( verse , prose ) 1912 1916, moldavia s longest-lived symbolist magazine. rașcu, chief editor, signed contributions pseudonyms, introducing himself m. zopir, i.m.r., ev., or e. seconded alfred hefter-hidalgo, group s theoretician , staff critic.

heavily influenced symbolist critic ovid densusianu, versuri și proză quite successful in attracting other symbolist authors: mihail cruceanu, n. davidescu, benjamin fondane, al. t. stamatiad, ion minulescu, claudia millian, nicolae budurescu, eugeniu sperantia, tudor arghezi, adrian maniu, barbu solacolu, mihail codreanu, dragoș protopopescu, constantin t. stoika, perpessicius, felix aderca, alexandru vițianu, , (with selections influential plumb) george bacovia. more senior symbolists such densusianu , alexandru macedonski present, generic modernists hortensia papadat-bengescu, cezar petrescu, f. brunea-fox, , vasile demetrius.

iași being city of traditionalist tastes, , center ruralizing poporanist movement, symbolist activation caused stir. additional mark of rebellion, densusianu invited rașcu in iași, gave public lecture against poporanist tenets. magazine s printing shop put out copies of rașcu s own poetry, sub cupole de vis ( under domes of reverie ). in closing months of 1912, rașcu , hefter-hidalgo contributed simbolul, symbolist review put out in bucharest tristan tzara. rașcu popularized work of french poets , novelists, beginning translations of albert samain s polyphème , marcel schwob s la croisade des infants. hefter-hidalgo, romanian jewish ethnicity underlined tolerant , non-traditional character of versuri și proză, introduced public remy de gourmont, stuart merrill, gustave kahn, , erotic works of pierre louÿs.

the poporanist reaction bordered on censorship. among rival literary columnists, august scriban referred rașcu ruddy, long-haired , repulsive , while gheorghe bogdan-duică dismissed versuri și proză insolence of impotent . after public readings rașcu , codreanu s poetry, unknown authors resorted putting out parody of versuri și proză, so-called verse netherworld . according călinescu, these parodists talentless , showed common sense .

in actuality, versuri și proză not entirely opposed traditionalist literature. according cernat, should read non-exclusive publication, in gradual—and discreet—evolution modernism. dedicated special issues poporanists such garabet ibrăileanu, mihail sadoveanu, , octav băncilă, , more mainstream 2 other iași reviews (eugen relgis fronda, isac ludo s absolutio). @ times, opposition explicit. writing versuri și proză in 1914, hefter-hidalgo ridiculed more radical, post-symbolist, movements, reference futurism or simultanism, explored possibility of staging in iași expressionist work of frank wedekind. hefter , rașcu both set out distinguish between decadent movement , symbolism. hefter acknowledged traditionalist dislike decadent themes , surfacing in symbolism, contended symbolist art fundamentally new, idealistic, , infinitely beautiful. part, rașcu objected saw exaggerated poporanism, noting sickness of decadence not bad, since: not sick things repugnant.

marginally affiliated densusianu s vieața nouă circle before 1915, rașcu had work published in various other symbolist periodicals in capital city, bucharest. work taken noua revistă română, avântul, farul, , stamatiad s grădina hesperidelor. visited , studied in france during 1912 , 1914, returned romania employment substitute teacher of french in iași, brăila, tecuci, , bârlad. second volume, poem orașele dezamăgite ( jaded cities ), came out in iași in 1914.

1920s

after outbreak of world war i, , during 2 years of romanian neutrality, versuri și proză affiliated pro-entente , francophile movement, obtaining acceptance cultural mainstream. after war s end, in 1919, rașcu received full teaching position @ unirea high school in focșani. while there, founded , led student literary society, named in honor of grigore alexandrescu, , put out yearbook, noted reviews of 19th-century romantic poetry , encouragement of intellectual debates between students. gândirea magazine condoned efforts in respect, while noting rașcu , students made habit of trekking through less visited parts of vrancea county, following in footsteps of mountaineer bucura dumbravă. according linguist iorgu iordan, tireless , selfless work , more admirable considering focșani not quite lover of art , literature . in addition such contributions, rașcu himself published own textbook , chrestomathy of romanian literature.

according virgil huzum, poet , unirea graduate, school remember rașcu justified pride. nevertheless, rașcu not happy teaching in focșani: iordan writes, sternness not received students, and, when grading system challenged superiors, resigned position altogether. eventually, relocated bucharest, where, 1923 1933, taught @ Șincai lyceum, , presided on students society study of romanian literature.

returning france 1924 visit, rașcu remained there on extended study trip, 1925 1929, , resident scholar of nicolae iorga s romanian school in fontenay-aux-roses. attended college of sorbonne, specializing in comparative literature , attending courses of fernand baldensperger , paul hazard. main interest mihai eminescu, romania s national poet, analyzed in comparison french writers of day. inventoried such literary sources @ national library, frequented on regular basis. while rașcu still abroad, fellow writer al. lascarov-moldovanu put out selection of poetry, 1927 neliniști ( unrests ).

rașcu s time in france evidenced commitment catholicism. 9 days in august 1929, secluded himself @ original trappist monastery, abbey of la trappe, in effort escape encroachment of modernity. in france, rașcu experienced not catholic fervor, but, according own account, personal miracle: claimed statue of saint thérèse of lisieux smiled upon him in ville-d avray.

Îndreptar

returning public life in 1930, rașcu launched magazine Îndreptar ( rectifier ) assistance old symbolist friends cruceanu , sperantia, , additional huzum , mia frollo. there published splinters incomplete christian novel, articles of literary history—sometimes i.m.r., evandru. review hotly criticized gândirea ideologist nichifor crainic, wrote off attempts revive symbolism. exaggerated francophilia , crainic claimed, clashed day s agenda, involved searching our [romanian] selves @ deepest level . although orthodox theologian, crainic still admired rașcu s faith , fine spiritual evolution .

at Îndreptar , elsewhere, rașcu published finds on eminescu, hypothesizing latter s sources of inspiration in modern french literature (particularly lamartine , gautier). these studies earned him accolades specialty press, attacked philologist vladimir streinu. according streinu, rașcu s anthill of references managed show coincidences between eminescu s poetry , work of various french authors.

rașcu refocused on teaching career, and, in 1933, published pamphlet cum se dezorganizează învățământul ( how breaking education apart ). in 1934, account of pilgrimage shrine of saint thérèse in lisieux published in bucharest, followed in 1935 poetry selection vibrări ( vibrations ). year, issued monograph eminescu s view of catholicism (eminescu și catolicismul). shows rașcu being troubled eminescu s orthodox background, , meant theoretical salvation.

later life

in 1936, cluj review gând românesc put out volume rașcu s literary study, comparing work of eminescu , vasile alecsandri (as eminescu și alecsandri). essay convingeri literare ( literary convictions ) came out in 1937. rașcu had moved teaching position @ mihai viteazul national college, and, in 1938, put out second romanian literary textbook, alte opere din literatura română. work pitted rașcu against former employer iorga, hypotheses , impressions on sources of romantic literature not credit. in review of book, iorga complained rașcu had displayed harsh professorial attitude toward own research.

rașcu returned poetry in 1939, renunțările luminoase ( luminous renunciations ). in 1943, @ height of world war ii, editura cugetarea put out setea liniștei eterne ( thirsting eternal serenity ), detailed time @ la trappe.

rașcu survived postwar imposition of communist regime, faded obscurity. leonte răutu, communist official in charge of cultural affairs, wrote him off in 1949 inconsequential figure in romanian literature. returned spotlight in late 1960s, when helped researcher mihail straje document pseudonymous work of himself , other symbolists (such hefter-hidalgo, păstorel teodoreanu, , barbu solacolu). @ time, critical review of rașcu s work published constantin ciopraga in magazine cronica.

his own amintiri și medalioane literare ( literary memoirs , medallions ), comprising short biographies of friends, published in 1967, same year definitive poeme ( poems ). in correspondence publisher teodor vârgolici, published, @ editura minerva, rașcu s crowning critical study, 1969 eminescu și cultura franceză ( eminescu , french culture ). died in bucharest in late 1971.