The name of John Keats is one famed in literary circles as the man responsible for developing and refined the art of the "Ode". His rich but controlled style of lyrical verse is never better demonstrated than in his odes written in 1819, which include the infamous On a Grecian Urn and To a Nightingale. Throughout his poetry Keats' love of beautiful things is apparent and readers are drawn in by his simple but urgent language.
Dying at the age of twenty-five his sadly short life and career means that there are only a few dozen poems, and just three books of his work. Even with this small catalogue available to us today, scholars rank Keats alongside the poetic greats, and his poems are among the most analyzed and discussed in history. But it wasn't always so; Keats was relatively unsuccessful during his life and generally his work sold poorly and attracted little interest. For fans of his work this simply adds to the tragedy of the artist and the beauty of his work, making those pieces that we do have even more special.
True first editions of Keats work can often be difficult to find due to the number of reissues and the later collections of his work that have been published. A first edition of Enymion from 1818 can realize up to $10,000; with Poems from1817fetching up to $15,000. Some of the later collections of his work can also be of interest to buyers with prices going over $1,000 for a number of the more sought after and unique editions.
Keats is seen as a poetic genius despite his short life and collectors will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for original signed manuscripts of his work. While for some his first editions are out of reach financially, for others they are well worth the effort and outlay.
Keats, John. Endymion. Taylor and Hessey. London (1818). A Poetic Romance'; 5-line errata on page xi
Keats, John. Lamia. Taylor and Hessey, London (1820). Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems; Contains: Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode to Psyche, Fancy, Ode (Bards of Passion and of Mirth), Lines on the Mermaid Tavern, Robin Hood, To Autumn, Ode on Melancholy, and Hyperion: A Fragment
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (et al). The Poetical Works of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats. A. and W. Galignani,, Paris (1829). Percy Bysshe Shelley; and John Keats; memoir of poet before each section; 1 volume
Keats, John (et al). The Poetical Works of Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats. Griggs, Philadelphia (1831). Coleridge, Samuel Taylor; Shelley, Percy Bysshe; memoir of poet before each section; 1 volume; First US edition
Keats, John. Life, Letters, and Literary Remains of John Keats. George P. Putnam, New York (1848). Edited by Richard Monckton Milnes; First US edition; combined publishing of the 2 volumes of the UK edition
Keats, John. Life, Letters, and Literary Remains, of John Keats. Edward Moxon. London (1848). Edited by Richard Monckton Milnes; 2 volumes
Keats, John. The Poetical Works.. Edward Moxon, London (1851).
Keats, John. The Poetical Works of John Keats. Edward Moxon, London (1854). Memoir by Richard Monckton Milnes; 120 illustrations by George Scharf
Keats, John. The Poetical Works of Keats. Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1854). with memoir by Richard Monckton Milnes; illustrated
Keats, John. The Poetical Works of John Keats. Routledge, Warne, and Routledge (1862). Memoir by Richard Monckton Milnes; 120 illustrations by George Scharf
Keats, John. The Life, Letters, and Poetical Works. Edward Moxon and Co., London (1867). Edited by Lord Houghton; 2 volumes; 'Poetical Works' 1971 edition
Keats, John. Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne. Reeves and Turner, London (1878). Written in the Years MDCCCXIX and MDCCCXX and Now Given From the Original Manuscripts; Intro and notes by Harry Buxton Forman
Keats, John. Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne. Scribner, Armstrong and Co., New York (1878). Written in the Years MDCCCXIX and MDCCCXX and Now Given From the Original Manuscripts; Intro and notes by Harry Buxton Forman; illustrated
Keats, John. Letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne. Private Circulation, London (1878). Written in the Years MDCCCXIX and MDCCCXX and Now Given From the Original Manuscripts; Intro and notes by Harry Buxton; portrait by Joseph Severn; Intro and notes by Harry Buxton Forman; Private edition of 50 copies on special paper
Keats, John. The Poetical Works and Other Writings. Reeves and Turner, London (1883). Edited by Harry Buxton Forman; 4 volumes: 2 poetry, 2 prose
Keats, John. Poetical Works of Kohn Keats. Kegan Paul, Trench and Co, London (1884).
Keats, John. Endymion. Estes and Lauriat Pub, Boston (1888). Illustrated with paintings by W. St. John Harper
Keats, John. The Poetical Works and Other Writings. Reeves and Turner, London (1889). Edited by H. Buxton Forman; Notes and appendices; reissue with additions and corrections; 4 volumes, two poetry and two prose – Contains: Volume 1: Poems [and] Endymion, A Poetical Romance: Volume 2: Lamia, Isabella, and Other Poems [and] Posthumous and Fugitive Poems; Otho The Great, King Stephen, [and] The Cap and Bells; Volume 3: Prose Writings; Volume 4: Prose Writings (Miscellaneous Letters)
Keats, John. Odes, Sonnets and Lyrics of John Keats. Daniel Press, Oxford (1895). Illustrated by Joseph Severn; Limited edition of 250 numbered copies on vellum
Keats, John. Poems. Hacon and Ricketts, London (1898). 2 volumes; 217 copies, 8 on vellum
Keats, John. The Poems of John Keats. Lawrence and Bullen, London (1898). Edited by G. Thorn Drury; Introduction and memoir by Robert Bridge; 2 volumes; Large paper issue of 200 numbered copies
Keats, John. The Poetical Works of John Keats. Reeves and Turner, London (1898). Edited by H. Buxton Forman; 2nd edition
Keats, John. The Poetical Works. George Bell and Sons., London (1899). Chronologically arranged and edited, with a memoir, by Lord Houghton; Reprint of Aldine Poets edition
Keats, John. The Eve of St. Agnes. R. R. Donnelley and Sons Co., Chicago (1900). Preface by Edmund Gosse; illustrated by Ralph Fletch Seymour; 800 copies signed by artist
Keats, John. Endymion. Elston Press, New Rochelle (1902). A Poetical Romance; 160 copies in edition
Keats, John. Isabella or the Pot of Basil. T. N. Foulis, Edinburgh (1907). 3rd in Envelope Book Series; 5 colour plates by Jessie M. King
Keats, John. The Keats Letters, Papers, and Other Relics. John Lane, London (1914). Reproductions by George C. Williamson; Foreword by Theodore Watts-Dunton; Intro by H. Buxton Forman; 58 facsimiles; 320 numbered copies
Keats, John. The Poems of John Keats. Chattto and Windus, London (1915). Arranged in chronological order with a preface by Sidney Colvin; 2 volumes
Keat, John. The Poetical Works of John Keats. Macmillan, London (1919).
Keats, John. The Poetical Works of John Keats. Humphrey Milford / Oxford University Press, London (1924). Intro, Notes, and edited by H. Buxton Forman
Keats, John. The Poems of John Keats. Methuen, London (1926). Intro, Notes, and edited by E. De Selincourt
Keats, John. The Poetical Works of John Keats. Oxford University Pres, London (1926). Edited and Intro by H. Buxton Forman
Keats, John. Odes. Halcyon Press A. A. M. Stols., Holland (1927). 125 copies; printed on hand-made paper
Keats, John. Lamia. Golden Cockerel Press, London (1928). and Other Poems; engravings by Robert Gibbings, Initial letters designed by Eric Gill; 500 numbered copies on handmade paper;
Keats, John. The Poetical Works Of John Keats. Oxford University Press, London (1929). Edited with an introduction and textual notes by H. Buxton Forman; illustrated by Joseph Severn; facsimile of 3 first edition title pages
Keats John. Complete Poetical Works. Oxford University Press, London (1931). Edited with an introduction and textual notes by H. Buxton Forman; illustrated by Joseph Severn; facsimile of 3 first edition title pages
Keats, John. The Poetical Works of John Keats.. Humphrey Milford / Oxford University Press, London (1940). Portrait drawing by Joseph Severn; Edited, with introduction and contectual notes by H. Buxton Forman; includes facsimiles of 3 original first edition title pages; reprint
Keats, John. Hyperion. Corvinus Press, London (1945). 50 numbered copies (out of edition of 55) on special paper
Keats, John. The Letters of John Keats. Harvard University Press, Boston (1958). Edited by Hyder E. Rollines; 1814-1821; 2 volumes
Keats, John. Letters from a Walking Tour. The Grolier Club, New York (1995). Edited with introduction and notes by Jack Stillinger; Frontis portrait by Charles Brown; Limited Edition of 225 copies on handmade paper