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Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1891. First edition. original cloth. Very Good. FIRST EDITION, one of only 960 copies printed. A beautiful copy. When Emily Dickinson died in 1886, very few people knew of the existence of her poetry. After her death, however, her sister Lavinia discovered a box of manuscript poems by Dickinson and immediately recognized their value. Determined that the public should not be deprived of Dickinson's poetry, Lavinia enlisted the help of her sister's friends, the literary scholar Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd (her brother's mistress) to edit and publish the poems. The first volume, Poems, appeared in 1890 in an extremely limited run of only 500 copies. It was received favorably, encouraging Higginson and Todd to prepare more works for publication. As Todd explains in the Preface to this, the first edition of the "Second Series" of poems: "The eagerness with which the first volume of Emily Dickinson's poems has been read shows very…

"Poems" by John Keats, published in 1817, marks the initial foray of the celebrated Romantic poet into the literary world. This collection encompasses a diverse array of poems that encapsulate Keats's exploration of themes such as nature, beauty, love, and the transient nature of life. Among the notable pieces in this collection are Keats's renowned odes, including "Ode to a Nightingale," where he delves into the contrast between the immortal beauty of art and the transient nature of human existence. In "Ode on a Grecian Urn," he muses on the eternal nature of art and its ability to capture moments frozen in time. The collection also features his sonnets, showcasing Keats's skill in capturing complex emotions and sentiments in a concise yet evocative form. Poems like "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" express his awe and exhilaration upon discovering Homer's works through the translation by George Chapman. Keats's appreciation for the beauty of the natural world is evident throughout the collection. His vivid descriptions and sensuous imagery in poems such as "To Autumn" paint a captivating picture of seasonal beauty, showcasing his ability to intertwine the human experience with the splendor of nature. The themes of love and desire permeate several of Keats's works in this collection. Poems like "Bright Star" express his longing for enduring love and immortal fame, while "La Belle Dame sans Merci" explores the enchantment and peril of romantic entanglement. "Poems" serves as a testament to Keats's remarkable poetic talent, displaying his mastery of language, vivid imagery, and profound exploration of universal themes. Although this collection initially received mixed reviews and modest recognition during Keats's lifetime, it has since solidified his reputation as one of the most influential and revered poets in English literature. His rich and evocative verses continue to resonate with readers, captivating them with their emotional depth and timeless beauty.

A true first edition can be identified by the absence of any mention of subsequent printings on the copyright page and potentially by specific features identified by specialists in Keats's work or contemporary bibliographies.