Lamia: Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems

First published in July 1820 by Taylor and Hessey, this volume represents the final collection of poetry released during John Keats's lifetime. It contains some of his most significant long-form narrative poems, including the titular works alongside 'Hyperion.' The collection was produced while Keats was already suffering from the tuberculosis that would claim his life less than a year later, serving as a desperate effort to secure his literary reputation amidst failing health and harsh critical reception of his earlier work.

The volume is recognized for bridging the gap between Romanticism and the sensory-rich aesthetic that would later influence the Pre-Raphaelite movement. While Keats’s earlier poems were often disparaged by the era’s conservative critics, this collection solidified his stature as a master of imagery and classical allusion. The design of the original edition reflected the modest but elegant publishing standards of the early 19th century, focusing on the clarity of the text as a vehicle for Keats's complex, melancholic explorations of beauty and mortality.