This collection begins with a poem not by the credited author but by his rival Ben Jonson, commenting on an engraving

The Final Jeopardy clue for Thursday, July 9, 2026, appeared in the category “Alliterative Literature” and read: “This collection begins with a poem not by the credited author but by his rival Ben Jonson, commenting on an engraving.” The clue points to one of the most important books in English literary history, a collected edition that preserved many of William Shakespeare’s plays and opened with material by other writers.

What Is the First Folio?

The correct response is the First Folio. The title fits the category because it is alliterative, with both words beginning with “F.” More importantly, the collection begins with a short poem by Ben Jonson titled “To the Reader,” which comments on the engraved portrait of Shakespeare.

That engraving is the famous Martin Droeshout portrait of Shakespeare, one of the most recognizable images associated with the playwright. Jonson’s poem addresses the reader directly and remarks on the likeness, making the clue’s reference to “commenting on an engraving” the key path to the answer.

The Collection Behind the Clue

The First Folio was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death. Its formal title was Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, and it brought together 36 of his plays.

The volume was prepared by Shakespeare’s fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell. Without the First Folio, several Shakespeare plays, including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest, might not have survived in the form we know today.

Ben Jonson’s Role

Ben Jonson was a major playwright and poet in his own right, and he is often described as Shakespeare’s rival or contemporary. His presence at the beginning of the First Folio gives the collection literary authority and shows the respect Shakespeare commanded after his death.

Jonson contributed more than one tribute to Shakespeare in the volume, but the poem tied to the engraving is especially important because it comes before the reader even reaches the plays. It frames the book as a memorial as well as a literary collection.

The Meaning of the Engraving

The Droeshout engraving was placed near the front of the First Folio and became one of the central visual records of Shakespeare. Jonson’s poem tells the reader not to judge the image merely as art, but to look beyond the engraving toward Shakespeare’s work.

That idea fits the larger purpose of the First Folio. The book was not just presenting a portrait or a reputation. It was preserving the plays themselves as Shakespeare’s true monument.

Why This Final Jeopardy Clue Works

This clue works because it combines literary history, authorship, and a physical detail from the book. The answer is not simply Shakespeare, because the clue asks for the collection that begins with Jonson’s poem.

The correct response, the First Folio, fits every part of the clue. It is an alliterative literary collection, it is credited to Shakespeare, and its opening material includes Ben Jonson’s poem commenting on the engraved portrait that introduces the volume.