Ben Jonson's “On My First Daughter,” written after the death of his daughter in 1593, adapts the classical form of epitaph, or writing commemorating a dead person, to fit Jonson’s own situation. The decision to use such a generic style to remember a deeply personal loss can seem odd to contemporary readers. Critics often contrast “On My First Daughter” with the similar poem “On My First Son,” written after the death of Jonson's young son. Most agree that “On My First Son,” which is less conventional and more heartfelt, is the better poem. However, “On My First Daughter” is interesting precisely because of the way convention buckles beneath the pressure of personal grief. Jonson aims to comfort himself using a series of typical arguments, hinging on the dead girl’s place in heaven, but in the end, he can’t help thinking about his daughter’s body alone in the ground.
Ben Jonson is one of the best-known writers from early modern England. A contemporary of Shakespeare, he was born in 1572 to a poor family with aristocratic connections, and died in 1637. Jonson was highly educated, and he wanted his readers to know it. He was the first English playwright to publish a collection of his own plays, which he titled his Workes. Today, he’s still best known for his plays, but he was also a prolific poet and essayist. Regardless of the genre, his works often draw on classical sources, and follow classical rules.
