Lucian Blaga (May 9 1895 - May 6 1961) Romanian poet, playwright, and philosopher.

His life and work

A commanding personality of the culture of the inter-bellic period, Lucian Blaga, a Romanian philosopher, author, university professor, and diplomat, is noted in the respective period for elements of originality which bring him universal regard. He was born on May 9, 1865 in Lancram, near Alba Iulia, Romania, into a family of priests. His childhood was in his own confession, "under the sign of the incredible absence of word", the future poet - who would later describe himself as "mute as a swan" - not beginning to speak until four years of age.

His first classes were at Sebeş (1902-1906), followed by the "Andrei Şaguna" school in Braşov (1906-1914), where a relative of his, Iosif Blaga, was a professor, the author of the first Romanian treatise on the theory of drama. In the year of the outbreak of the first world war, he began theological studies at Sibiu, where he obtained a degree in 1917. From 1917 to 1920, he attended courses at the University of Vienna, where he studied philosophy and obtained his doctorate.

Upton returning to re-unified Romania, he contributed to the Romanian press in Transylvania, being the editor of the magazines Culture in Cluj and The Banat in Lugoj.

In 1926, he became involved in Romanian diplomacy, occupying successives posts at Romania's legations in Warsaw, Prague, Lisbon, Bern, and Vienna. He was chosen as a member of the Romanian Academy in 1937. His acceptance speech was entitled Elogiul satului românesc (The Eulogy of the Romanian Village).

In 1939, he became professor of cultural philosophy at the University of Cluj, temporarily located in Sibiu in the years following the Dictate of Vienna. In Sibiu he edited, beginning in 1943, the magazine Saeculum, which was published annually.

From 1948, he worked for the branch department (Cluj) of the History Institute of the Romanian Academy.

He died on May 6, 1961, and is buried in Lancram, Romania.

Written Works

• Poetry

Poemele luminii (1919); Pasii profetului (1921); In marea trecere (1924); Lauda somnului (1929); La cumpana aperlor (1933); La curtile dorului (1938); Nebanuitele trepte (1943), Poezii (1962) - published posthumously.

• Drama

Zamolxe, mister pagin (1921); Daria; Fapta; Ivanca; Invierea (1925); Mesterul Manole (1927); Cruciada copiilor (1930); Arca lui Noe (1944), Anton Pann (1964) - published posthumously.

• Philosophy

His philosophical work is grouped in three trilogies: a cunoasterii (knowledge) (1943), a culturii (culture) (1944), a valorilor (values) (1946). His fourth, cosmologica (cosmology), remained in the project stage.

The maxims of Lucian Blaga are grouped in the volumes Pietre pentru templul meu, Discobolul, and Elanul insulei.

• Novels

Cantecul si hronicul varstelor, Luntrea lui Charon