In 1501, the Venetian printer Aldus Manutius published the first pocket-sized books (octavo editions) using his newly developed italic type. These portable books made classical texts, including the works of Virgil, Horace, and Petrarch, accessible to a wider reading public. Manutius's innovations in book design and production transformed the literary landscape.

The pocket-sized book revolutionized how poetry was read and consumed. For the first time, poets could carry their favorite works with them, making poetry a more personal and intimate experience. This format influenced the development of the sonnet and other lyric forms, which were well-suited to private reading and reflection.