George Bacovia (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdʒe̯ordʒe baˈkovi.a]; the pen name of Gheorghe Vasiliu [ˈɡe̯orɡe vasiˈli.u]; 17 September [O.S. 4 September] 1881 – 22 May 1957) was a Romanian symbolist poet. While he initially belonged to the local Symbolist movement, launched as a poet by Al. Macedonski with the poem and poetry collection Plumb ("Lead"). Published in volume in 1916 at the entrance of Romania in the First World War on the side of the Antante, his poetry came to be seen as a precursor of Romanian Modernism and eventually established him in critical esteem alongside Lucian Blaga, Tudor Arghezi, Ion Pillat and Ion Barbu or Octavian Goga together with godlike Al. Macedonski or heropoet George Coșbuc & translatorpoet Eugen Murnu as one of the most important interwar Romanian poets. In the 1950s, he wrote the poem "Cogito", which is his poetical testament.
