Frederick the Great

We know him as Frederick of Prussia
who went down in history as the Great.
He wasn’t just a king or a military man
but also a poet who engaged in debate
with the French philosopher Voltaire,
who had become Frederick’s pen friend.
Eventually the Frenchman upset him;
they quarrelled, but made up in the end.
He was brought up strictly by his dad
who called him by the nickname Fritz.
During his reign he fought many wars:
against Austria he carried out a blitz
crashing the enemy and triumphing
despite the fact he’d faced an alliance
of several countries which included
Russia, Saxony, Sweden and France.
In peacetime he lived at Sans Souci
- which means to be without a care -
a newly built palace in which he
would entertain and look debonair.
He was a gifted musician who played
and composed music for the flute,
hundred sonatas and four symphonies,
an achievement that’s beyond dispute.
His father had made sure he got wed,
that he followed the usual convention,
but he only socialised with male friends
which revealed Frederick’s inclination.
The fact that he did not produce an heir
is the proof, some commentators say,
that he wasn’t interested in women
and that he had, therefore, to be gay.

 

© Luigi Pagano