Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER, by JAMES SMITH (1775-1839)


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I've seen (lucky me!) what you all want to see
Last Line: With huzza for the great alexander!
Subject(s): Alexander I, Czar Of Russia (1777-1825); Singing & Singers


I'VE seen (lucky me!) what you all want to see --
Good people, give ear to my sonnet --
I've gazed in the Ring on the Muscovy King,
And I've peeped at the Oldenburg bonnet;
At his sister's approach to get into her coach,
Her brother steps forward to hand her,
What ecstacies throb in the hearts of the mob,
With huzza for the great Alexander!

On bracelet and seal behold his profile
At the shop too of Laurie and Whittle,
Nat Lee, hold your prate, Alexander the Great
Is now Alexander the Little!
In Lord William's dell, near the Pulteney hotel,
What multitudes every day wander!
They scamper like imps to indulge in a glimpse
Of the mighty renowned Alexander.

Poor Madame De Stael is quite pushed to the wall,
Chasse'd by the Czar and the Duchess,
And since his retreat, even Louis dix-huit.
Must walk on oblivion's crutches.
Clerks run from their quills, harberdashers their tills,
John Bull is a great goosey gander;
Even Kean is forgot, we are all on the trot
For a gaze upon great Alexander.

"Have you seen him's" the talk, Piccadilly's the walk,
I suppose since it is so, it must be,
And nobody thinks of that musical sphinx
Catalani, or great Doctor Busby.
Anxiety burns every bosom by turns
To flirt with this royal Philander,
And happy the wight who can utter at night --
"This morning I saw Alexander."

He dresses with taste, he is small in the waist,
I beheld him with Blucher and Platoff,
The Hetman appears with his cap on his ears,
But the Emperor rides with his hat off:
He sits on his throne with a leg in each zone,
No monarch on earth can be grander;
Half an hour after dark, the rails of the Park
Are scaled to behold Alexander.

When the town was illumed, how his residence bloomed,
With Lamps to the balcony fitted.
I'm told his Cossacks made eleven attacks
To drink up the oil ere they lit it!
The Chronicle says that he laces in stays --
Perhaps this is nothing but slander;
Since his stay is not long I will shorten my song
With huzza for the great Alexander!





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