Why was Dosoftei’s metrical psalter important to Romanian literature?

Dosoftei’s metrical psalter, published in 1673, holds a foundational place in Romanian literature because it represents the first instance of poetry written in the Romanian language.1

As a scholar and Moldavian metropolitan, Dosoftei utilized this work to advance the use of the vernacular in literary expression. Beyond its significance as a pioneering poetic text, his broader body of work—including his later translation of the liturgy and his collection of the lives of the saints—was instrumental in introducing popular idioms to the written language, which helped foster the development of a more flexible and expressive prose style.1