Reign of Alexander I

Reign of Alexander I is named as one of the eras in which Derzhavin flourished, giving historical context to the Lyceum examination where the young Pushkin recited a poem. The note uses this episode to contrast the imperial protection once extended to writers with the literary tastes of a later age.

Historical Setting

The note places Derzhavin’s career across the reigns of Catherine the Second and Alexander the First. It describes his poetry as stiff and formal, and says contemporary Russians do not think highly of it. A century earlier, however, even a very small measure of literary ability could secure imperial reward and protection, a disparity the note attributes to the empire’s backward condition.

The Lyceum Examination

The historical reference is attached to a touching scene at a public examination at the Lyceum. Pushkin, then a boy, produced a poem there, and the incident made a lasting impression on his mind. The note compares the episode with Voltaire’s “Mon cher Tibulle” and the youthful Parny, placing the remembered examination within a lineage of scenes involving young poets and literary recognition.

Textual Context and Significance

The note also explains the stanza’s surviving form: it says that stanza II properly concludes with the line about the sweet memories of guileless days, while the remainder was expunged either by the author or by the censors. The annotator fills the resulting gap with lines from an authorial fragment relating to the canto. The mention of Alexander’s reign thus belongs to a note that joins personal recollection, literary history, and an account of textual absence.