Sweet Hours (ePub)

Carmen Sylva, the literary pseudonym of Queen Elisabeth of Romania (1843-1916), was a luminary of European letters during her lifetime. Born Princess Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise of Wied, she married King Carol I of Romania and became queen in 1881. Despite her aristocratic duties, she prolifically engaged in writing, transposing her heightened sensibilities and the multicultural influences of her upbringing into her celebrated works. 'Sweet Hours' is but one testament to her literary craftsmanship, reflecting the intimate and lyrical qualities that characterize Sylva's style. High romanticism infused with a sense of nationalism is evident in her prose and poetry, where she often explores the themes of love, nature, and the agonies of the human spirit. Her writings, though steeped in the sentimental and occasionally archaic, exuded a modern flair for social issues, echoing the voice she wielded as a patron of the arts and advocate for women's education and welfare. She also translated the works of others, thereby enriching Romanian literature. The wide linguistic proficiency of Sylva is seen in her multilingual publications, ranging from German, French, English, to Romanian. The Queen's personal tragedies, including the loss of her only child, reverberate through her writing, allowing her to establish a deep connection with a readership that spanned beyond the borders of her adopted country. Her legacy as a pioneering figure in Romanian culture and as an emblematic female author of the 19th century continues to inspire and be studied by literary scholars today.