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1. Keywords: Octavian Goga, poet, politician, prime-minister
Octavian Goga, poet, publisher and politician was born on 20 of march 1881, in Rasinarii Sibiului, in
the family of the priest Iosif Goga and his wife Aurelia. Both parents had inclinations toward writting,
keeping the poetic cult of Mihai Eminescu and George Cosbuc inside their family.
George Calinescu sais in his „History of Romanian Literature from the beginning until present” (1941)
that „ after Eminescu and Macedonski, Goga is the first big poet writter from the modern era, destined
to get inside the soul of the readers with his simple poetic style, a national poet and pure as Eminescu.”
Since his childhood, Octavian Goga has identified himself with the rural area, accepting his aspirations :
„ From my beginnings I’ve found myself in a rural setting which I’ve longed to explore along with my
parents, the scholars. I wasn’t a villager, but I understood it’s pains and I have merged with all of them.”
After his first classes he took in his home-town, Octavian Goga attended the Hungarian middleschool
and high-school in Sibiu (1890-1899) and then he transferred, because of a national conflict, to the
Romanian high-school of Brasov where he took the BAC in 1900.His college studies were at the
Faculty of Literature and Philosophy at University of Budapest (1900-1904). After his studies in
Budapest he went to the University of Berlin.
He made his debut in high-school in the „Tribuna” magazine, with his „Atunci si acum” poem, and then
after he contributed with „Familia”, „Romania ilustrata” and „Tribuna literara”. In his college years at
Budapest, he was part of the Student Academic Society „Petru Maior”. Here, in 1902, together with Al.
Ciura and Octavian Taslauanu, he edited the „Luceafarul” magazine, where he published most of his
poetry that will be later found in his first volume of poetry, „Poezii” (1905), which was very
appreciated, becoming the „best literary event” of the year.Between the poems that were part of his
debut volume you can find „Rugaciune”, „Plugarii”, „Noi” and „Oltul”. On 21 of March 1906, The
Romanian Academy gave him the „Nasturel-Herescu” Award.
He continued to publish his next volumes: „Ne cheama pamantul” (1909). „Din umbra zidurilor” (1913)
and „Cantece fara tara” (1916). His work, in which he gathered conferences and memories, entitled
„Precursori” (1930) is another one of the works that made his presence in literature memorable.
He also wrote theatre, like „Domnul notar” (1914), a 3 acts drama which debuted on 14 February on the
stage of the National theatre of Bucharest, and „Mesterul Manole” (1928) which was acted on the same
stage.
Militating for the national liberation of the Romanians in Transylvania, Octavian Goga pursued an
important political activity within the Romanian National Party.
He founded the "Our Country" magazine as a publication for the people of Astra (1907). The increasing
struggle of the poet for the national and social rights of the Transylvanian Romanians attracted the arrest
and the first press process (1911), which resulted in the conviction and detention in Seghedin (1912)
where he was visited by I.L. Caragiale.
Romania's entry into the First World War (1916) led the Transylvanian poet, the poet of our "passion",
to join himself in 1917 as a soldier on the front of Dobrogea. He edited the newspaper "Romania"
(1917-1918), along with several writers, such as Mihail Sadoveanu, Alexandru Vlahuţă, Lucian Blaga,
in the refuge from Iaşi. He was entrusted with a series of diplomatic missions in Paris and London,
working in the framework of the Romanian National Council, in order to determine the great powers to
recognize the accomplishment of the Romanian state unity.
The Great National Assembly in Alba Iulia decides on 1 December 1918 the Union of Transylvania with
Romania, the news being received with great enthusiasm and joy in the heart by the Romanians across
the border and the members of the Council of Paris. Octavian Goga, still in Paris, was elected a member
of the Transylvanian Conducting Council.
Octavian Goga died on May 6, 1938, in Ciucea, after a cerebral stroke three days before, in the castle
garden
Authors: students of group 8116
Dragonu Razvan-Valentin
Toma Andrei