Summary. The article deals with the literary, journalistic and political contribution of AdrianPăunescu. Our approach is structured in five chapters and constitutes a presentation of the poet’s literary and publicistic life and activity, as well as his social and political involvement in the Romanianlandscape. The article attempts to demarcate the poetic creation in the context of two great politicalperiods, shaped in the poet’s literary direction according to the moment of ideological change and theacquisition of freedom of speech, with the Revolution of December 1989. The development of poeticcreation is examined in terms of the political influences of the communist regime, censorship and freedom of expression. We devote a separate chapter to the period when Adrian Păunescu founded the“Cenacle Flacăra”, a young and unconventional cultural movement. We will bring some informationabout the poet’s activity on the political scene in relation to the existing political regime.Key words. Adrian Păunescu, poet, cenacle, censorship, journalist, politics, regime.