ETHOS, ETHICS AND AESTHETICS IN ADRIAN PĂUNESCU‘ S POEMS (I)

Abstract

The poetic speech of Adrian Păunescu, a social "luminary of poetry" from
the period of the totalitarian regime, knows multiple contrasting perspectives
depending on his degree of political involvement, from the adulation of the
totalitarian regime and pact with it, to the revolt against the system and censorship
of the poet, which influences the aesthetics of his work. The present work aims at
identifying the center of tension in Adrian Păunescu's poetry by analyzing the
patriotism of his work before and after the communist regime. The premises of the
present paper highlight the social pressure and the political and historical context,
based on the ethical claim of the creation and the identification with the victim status
of the poet. The work highlights the changes suffered by Adrian Păunescu's
patriotism depending on the era, but also the conjunctural changes of the poetic
discourse. The poet, who was constantly politically engaged, appealed to the
nation's history and used patriotism to benefit from the opportunities of the
totalitarian regime.