Far more people found themselves becoming literate post the invention of the printing press. The price of books dropped to a point where the average person could afford literature that interested them. One could argue that the economics and the free market made his point more relevant in present day than at any point before. For the simple reason that the popular literature among the masses was published at a much higher rate than other works.
Fiction that uses basic language, rhetoric, and style has a far higher chance of commercial success. Reason for this is generally considered to be the readers ease in consuming a specific text. Literature using high style and complex verse is much more difficult to enjoy while reading. To enjoy such work requires a trained mind. Although less work receives acclaim through high style, there is certainly still a niche of people who love this kind of work. Shakespeare did not write fiction novels but he can be looked at as an author who is appreciated to this day as a master. His published work featured more unique words than any other writer can boast in the history. Shakespeare is not read by the general public. It has been scholars who have kept his work alive because they have found it such a beneficial learning tool.
On the other end of the literature spectrum is work with significant commercial appeal like Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling uses very simple language and found great financial success. How does something low brow like Harry Potter gain such undeniable popularity? The answer has many folds and requires further analyzing. Rowling's limited repertoire did not hinder her ability to describe vividly, a fictional world of wizardry.
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