The Poetaster or His Arraignment

Johnson coined the term poetmaster, which he defined as "an inferior poet with pretensions to artistic value". Ben Johnson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. He is known for his satirical plays such as Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair. Johnson was a great reader and lover of controversy. Johnson had an unparalleled breadth of influence on Jacobean and Caroline playwrights and poets. In 1616 he received an annual pension, making him the first Poet Laureate of E...