''The Levant'' () is a 1990
epic poem
In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard to ...
by the Romanian writer
Mircea Cărtărescu
Mircea Cărtărescu (; born 1 June 1956) is a Romanian novelist, poet, short-story writer, literary critic, and essayist.
Biography
Born in Bucharest in 1956, he attended Cantemir Vodă National College during the early 1970s. During his sc ...
. Consisting of twelve
canto
The canto () is a principal form of division in medieval and modern long poetry.
Etymology and equivalent terms
The word ''canto'' is derived from the Italian word for "song" or "singing", which comes from the Latin ''cantus'', "song", from th ...
s in verse, the narrative begins in the early 19th century, and follows a band of
Wallachian adventurers and pirates, who return to their native land in an attempt to overthrow an oppressor. Cărtărescu uses the poem to highlight oriental influences in Romanian culture.
See also
*
1990 in poetry
*
Romanian literature
Romanian literature () is the entirety of literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language or by any authors native to Romania.
Early Romanian literature inc ...
References
External links
''The Levant''at the publisher's website
1990 poetry books
1990 poems
Epic poems
Epic poems in Romanian
Works by Mircea Cărtărescu
Romanian poems
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