Ben Jonson and the poetics of patronage /

An excellent study of Ben Jonson's involvement in the patronage system of the English Renaissance. Reflecting the outlook of the new historicism, which highlights the sociopolitical pressures on literary culture, this analysis emphasizes the poetry while surveying the masques and plays. Jonson's art is perceived as the means to advance his career, so that the desire to succeed and the quest for power become dominant goals. In line with this perspective, the audience for Jonson's poetry includes actual and potential patrons, for whose favor the author vied against other writers. Related to the analysis of Jonson's works is a psychological interpretation of his personality, afflicted by uncertainty, insecurity, and anxiety that resulted from the competition in the patronage system. This view of Jonson's personality complements the recent full-scale biography by David Riggs, Ben Jonson: A Life (CH, May '89). Highly recommended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. -A. C. Labriola, Duquesne University