ALECSANDRI or ALEXANDRI, VASILE (182I-1890), Ru manian lyric poet, was born at Bacau in Moldavia and educated first in Jassy and afterwards (1834-39) in Paris. In 1839 he began to collect Rumanian popular songs. He first published his collection in 1844. His Doine si Lacrimioare, lyrical poems, appeared at Paris in 1852, and in 1852-53 he produced at Jassy a fuller collection of popular ballads and songs. In 1867 he published some fugitive pieces, written in a lighter vein and en titled Pastele; these were followed in 1871 by the Legende of similar character. More serious are his dramatic writings which began with Despot Voda and culminated in Ovid. In later life Alecsandri took an active part in politics ; he became minister for foreign affairs (1859-6o), and in 1885 was appointed Ruma nian minister in Paris. His best title to fame consists in the fact that he gave the first impetus to the collection of Rumanian popular songs and first drew 'attention to their inimitable charm.
See L. Sainsanu, Autorii Romani moderni (189i), pp. go and 318. A complete edition of Alecsandri's writings was published at Bucharest in 1875 seq. (9 vols.).