| The genre of the commendatory poem of the English early modern period has been all but ignored by modern literary scholarship, despite growing interest in the functions and effects of paratext on the reading experience. As paratext and a literary genre all its own, commendatory verse warrants a critical re-evaluation.; Reader-response techniques, used from the perspective of a literary historian on approximately 500 commendatory poems, show that commendatory verse has three primary functions: (1) to advertise the book, (2) to advertise the authors of the book and the poem, and (3) to influence reader interpretation of the book. Examination of these functions reveals commendatory verse's relevance to several areas of current scholarly investigation, particularly the nature of authorship.; Ben Jonson used commendatory verse throughout his career, but especially in his career's formative years, to shape his reputation as a lofty, serious poet. Jonson also contributed commendatory verse to the 1623 Shakespeare folio. Jonson's use of commendatory verse illustrates that, contrary to current popular scholarly beliefs, the author did wield power over his or her own reputation and was engaged in a relationship with the surrounding culture that was more cooperative than antagonistic. |
