Rejected Addresses; Or, The New Theatrum Poetarum

"Rejected Addresses; Or, The New Theatrum Poetarum" by James Smith is a collection of comical poems and parodies from the 1800s. The story paints a funny picture of London's Drury Lane Theatre reopening, with the author pretending to be different famous poets and creating silly addresses for the event; these poems make fun of the writing styles and common subjects of the time. Beginning with the explanation for why the poems were written, the collection recreates and pokes fun at a contest for the best poem to read at the theater's opening. The initial poems playfully question the importance and strangeness of the competition, displaying different fake submissions from competing poets. One memorable poem exaggerates a past fire accident at Drury Lane in great detail, and other poems share thoughts on theater culture and its supporters; each poem uniquely shifts in attitude and style, representing the signature elements of the poets being made fun of, and also proves the Smith brother's talent for comedy.