Publication of Ben Jonson's Works
Poet involved
What happened
Ben Jonson published his collected Works in 1616, becoming the first English writer to publish his own folio collection during his lifetime. This bold move elevated the status of vernacular literature and demonstrated that English drama and poetry deserved preservation alongside classical texts, challenging prevailing attitudes about the permanence of contemporary writing.
Literary impact
Jonson's self-canonicalization influenced how poets viewed their own legacy and encouraged careful revision and publication practices. His classical approach to structure and his emphasis on craft over inspiration shaped Augustan poetry and neoclassical verse, while his masques contributed to the development of lyrical dramatic poetry.
Source: Wikipedia
