A precocious talent, although still “rough”, Arghezi made his poetic debut in 1896, while still a teenager, under the pseudonym Ion Theo, in a magazine edited by Alexandru Macedonski. During those years he was influenced by the symbolism and the first signs of the literary avant-garde, which would give a distinctive and lasting stamp to his style. In a surprising change of course, Arghezi he would spend no less than five years in the Cernica Monastery. Later he gave up the desire to become a monk.
In 1905 he traveled to Paris and then to Germany and Switzerland, continued to work and write poetry, and for a short time made a living as a jeweler’s apprentice. He also visited Italy, only to return to Romania in 1910 and begin a successful career as a poet and journalist, publishing his works in magazines such as Viata Romaneasca, Theater, Facla, and others. Not only were his articles and poetry interesting; what was surprisingly original and influential was his talent as a writer of caustic and harsh pamphlets, often vulgar and scandalous. This activity earned him countless enemies, but also a large number of admirers. He also became known as a competent art critic.
More or less close to writers like Ion Minulescu, Liviu Rebreanu, Victor Eftimiu or Eugen Lovinescu, he was also friends with painters like Iosif Iser, Steriadi and many others.
Arghezi He was already known as a good poet and fierce journalist, but his real success would only begin after the First World War.
In 1927, after a long period of work, he was able to publish his book of poetry, “Cuvinte potrivite“, and he also founded his little newspaper,”Papagal ticketBoth works would play a key role in the history of Romanian literature and journalism.
That was just the beginning, over the next few years, Tudor Arghezi publish several volumes of poetry and prose, articles, reviews, children’s books, magazines, etc. His volumes of poetry were surprisingly successful from the start, with titles such as “Flori de mucigai“,”Poarta neagra“,”Versuri by Seara“To the surprise of his generation, the poet also proved to be a very good author of novels, and published several, the most successful.”Cimitirul Buna -Dress“, a strange and very poetic composition.
During World War II, he was arrested once again (he had already been imprisoned during the first war together with other writers, for his alleged support of the Germans), this time due to a pamphlet addressed to the German ambassador von Kilinger. The poet would spend a year in a prison camp in Tg Jiu, between 1943 and 1944.
The radical change in the attitude of the authorities towards him came in 1952, when the poet was slowly “reinserted” into mainstream literature, after having made a pact and was able to start publishing in communist magazines and newspapers, and even writing pamphlets. much more to the liking of the new regime. Many accused him of making a pact with the devil, others that he did it for convenience, and he had no shame in attacking his former friends.
Once again he began to publish his new and old works, although often the censorship had something to say; He received awards and distinctions and was celebrated as a national poet. He began to earn a good deal of money from his articles and poems, and did not hesitate to continue to write propaganda pamphlets, often shocking, attacking everything that was against the New Order. Many were disappointed, others hated it. However, most would remember the true poet, journalist and writer, who had to make this commitment to survive as an artist and as a human being.
Tudor Arghezi He died on July 14, 1967, in Bucharest, and was buried in the courtyard of his house in Str Martisor, today a museum of memory, one of the best in Bucharest.