Literary Patronage

"Inviting a Friend to Supper" is, indeed, a poem written as an invitation to a dinner at the speaker's house. But this very structure – in which one person entreats another to grace them with their presence – mirrors the structure of literary patronage during the early modern period. Since antiquity, artists of all types have sought patronage from wealthy noble or political figures, relying on their support to sustain their careers and livelihood. In early modern England, even the most famous and celebrated poets and playwrights needed to sustain various patrons to ensure their financial well-being and to continue producing work. Both William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, arguably the most influential playwrights of the era, obtained patronage for their productions. Jonson's most steadfast patron was William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke. He is generally presumed to be the addressee in question in "Inviting a Friend to Supper...