Mihail Zamphirescu (1838 (or 1839) – June 15, 1878) was a

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...

n, later

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n poet. He was born in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, but little is known about his early life. His father was probably named Zamfir, and he attended

Saint Sava College Saint Sava College was one of the earliest academic institutions in Wallachia, Romania. It was the predecessor to both Saint Sava National College and the University of Bucharest. History It was the continuator of the Princely Academy from Buchare ...

. He may have studied literature and philosophy at the universities of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

(with the help of

Ion Heliade Rădulescu Ion Heliade Rădulescu or Ion Heliade (also known as ''Eliade'' or ''Eliade Rădulescu''; ; 6 January 1802 – 27 April 1872) was a Wallachian, later Romanian academic, Romanticism, Romantic and Classicism, Classicist poet, essayist, memoi ...

, according to some sources), but this appears unlikely, and no corroborating documentation exists. He spent nearly his entire adult life as a clerk in the administrative headquarters for Bucharest's hospitals, and died in a sanatorium. Zamphirescu wrote for the newspapers ''România'' and ''Dâmbovița'', and for the magazines ''Buciumul'', ''Revista Carpaților'', ''Revista contimporană'' and ''Foaia Societății pentru învățătura poporului român''. He published three books: ''Aurora'', a small poetry volume (1858); ''Muza de la Borta Rece'', a theatrical improvisation and parody of '' Junimism'' (1873); and ''Cântece și plângeri'', a collection of verses (1874). He left behind two unfinished poems (''Nebuniada'' and ''Bătălia de la Teișani'') and a rhyming dictionary.Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', vol. II, p. 866. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zamphirescu, Mihail 1830s births 1878 deaths 19th-century people from the Principality of Wallachia Writers from Bucharest Romanian male poets Romanian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Romanian poets 19th-century Romanian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century male writers