Savoir-faire. Sonorité et métier poétique dans le trajet postural de Mircea Cărtărescu

Abstract

During a forty years-long literary career, Mircea Cărtărescu composes his authorial identity through a few – and almost emblematic – textual self-figurations: singular self in a fluctuating and fragile relationship with the world; reflexive creator highlighting the hyper-investment in the infinite powers of literature; intratextual identity tormented by doubt, even if he already possesses, at least in the last decade, the signs of a growing national and international success. By choosing three moments from the poetic career of Mircea Cărtărescu (his first poetry book, Headlights, Shop Windows, Photos, 1980; the skilful replay of Balkan epos The Levant, 1990; and his most recent poetry book, Never cry for help, 2020), the article aims to identify some visible and resistant postural representations in Cărtărescu's poetic discourse, gathered around a specific postural image: the poet as craftsman and connoisseur, acknowledging his everlasting ‘love for poetry’ (through a post-romantic and simultaneously postmodern heritage) and constantly proving his mastery.