James Smith

Rejected Addresses; Or, The New Theatrum Poetarum

"Rejected Addresses; Or, The New Theatrum Poetarum" by James Smith and Horace Smith is a collection of parodies published in 1812. The book contains twenty-one good-natured pastiches of contemporary poets and prose writers, framed as failed entries for a competition to write an opening address for London's rebuilt Drury Lane Theatre. Each piece mimics a different author's distinctive style, targeting literary figures like Byron, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Scott. The work became an immediate popular success and inspired numerous imitations.