KEATS, JOHN | Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems. London: Taylor and Hessey, 1820

KEATS, JOHN

Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems. London: Taylor and Hessey, 1820

12mo (7 x 4 in.; 178 x 104 mm). Half-title, Advertisement leaf at beginning dated 26 June 1820, 8 pp. advertisements at end; minor foxing and offsetting, G11-H1 some staining at top margin, H5-H8 upper right corners renewed: Original blue paper covered boards with printed paper label on spine; upper board detached, vertical cracks to spine with some loss to label, some rubbing and soiling. Dark blue folding chemise and morocco backed slipcase.  

First edition in original boards 

The third and final volume of poetry published in Keats's lifetime. By the time the volume appeared in early July of 1820, Keats was already gravely ill with the "consumption" that had killed his mother and brother. This collection, written over the course of the previous year, which proved to be incredibly productive for Keats, and included the celebrated sequence of Odes ("To a Nightingale", "On a Grecian Urn", "To Psyche", and "On Melancholy"), is "now recognised as among the most important works of English poetry ever published" (ODNB).

LITERATURE

Hayward 233; MacGillivray A3

PROVENANCE

Mr. Charles B. Foote (his sale, Bangs & Co., 30 January 1895, lot 138; bookplate to front pastedown) — John Gribbel (bookplate to front free endpaper) — William Painter (booklabel to front pastedown)