Gendering Readers: The Eve of St.Agnes

Abstract

Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes and Other Poems (1820) is the third and final volume that John Keats published during his life. In comparison with the sale of 4,000 copies of Lord Byron's Child Harold Canto IV, its success was unremarkable. As his publisher, John Taylor, commented to John Clare: "we have some Trouble to get through 500 Copies of his Work, though it is highly spoken of in the periodical Works". Taylor was not the first of Keats's publishers who had 'trouble' with book sales. Charles and James Ollier, publishers of his first collection, the 1817 Poems, declined further dealings with Keats because of his poor sales. Moreover, Endymion, published by Taylor in April 1818, had been violently attacked by the critics and had sold poorly.