Maiorescu, Titu (1840–1917)

Romanian critic and politician. Maiorescu was one of the first to foster literary criticism in Romania. In 1864, he convened the first meeting of the literary circle Junimea (‘youth’), which attracted such writers as Mihail Eminescu and Ion Luca Caragiale. He founded its review Convorbiri literare/Literary Discussions in 1867. In his studies, he advocated a national verse based on popular poetry, and denounced foreign, particularly French, influences in Romanian culture.