The Eve Of St. Agnes (1856) - Hardcover

by John Keats (Author), Edward H. Wehnert (Illustrator)

The Eve of St. Agnes is a narrative poem written by John Keats in 1819 and published in 1820. The poem tells the story of Madeline, a young woman who believes that if she performs certain rituals on the eve of St. Agnes, she will see her future husband in a dream. The poem is set in a medieval castle on a cold winter night, and it explores themes of love, desire, and the supernatural.The poem begins with a description of the castle and the preparations for the St. Agnes ritual. Madeline is a beautiful young woman who is deeply in love with Porphyro, a young man who is not of her social class. Madeline's family forbids her from seeing Porphyro, but he sneaks into the castle on the eve of St. Agnes to be with her.The two lovers meet in secret and Porphyro declares his love for Madeline. They plan to run away together, but their plans are interrupted by the arrival of Madeline's family. Porphyro hides in Madeline's room, and when her family leaves, they escape together.The poem ends with a description of the lovers' journey through the snowy landscape, and a suggestion that their love will be blessed by the supernatural powers of St. Agnes.The Eve of St. Agnes is considered one of Keats' greatest works, and it is known for its rich imagery, vivid descriptions, and lyrical language. It is also notable for its exploration of the themes of love and desire, and its use of the supernatural to heighten the drama of the story.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.