Im’ya Ivana Petrovycha Kotlyarevs′koho (1769–1838), zasnovnyka novoyi ukrayins′koyi literatury, pov’yazuyut′, u pershu cherhu, z yoho poemoyu «Eneyida» (1798), yaka vzhe ponad dvisti rokiv zacharovuye chytachiv. TSe bula persha drukovana ukrayins′ka knyha, napysana narodnoyu movoyu, persha natsional′na poema. Zapozychyvshy syuzhet antychnoyi poemy Verhiliya, Kotlyarevs′kyy napovnyv tsey tvir dotepnym ukrayins′kym humorom, povir’yamy, zvychayamy, kartynamy voyennoho i myrnoho zhyttya, opysom odyahu, strav — use tse nadaye poemi yaskravoho natsional′noho kolorytu. «Eneyidu» smilyvo mozhna nazvaty svoyeridnoyu entsyklopediyeyu ukrayins′koho pobutu kintsya XVIII — pochatku XIX stolittya. Do knyzhky takozh uviyshly p’yesy «Natalka Poltavka» ta «Moskal′-charivnyk», yaki i v nash chas mayut′ velykyy uspich sered hlyadachiv.