English History

  • Poets
    • Byron
      • Letters
      • Poems
    • Keats
      • Letters
      • Poetry
    • Shakespeare
      • Poetry
      • Plays
    • Tennyson
  • Middle Ages
  • Vikings
  • Romans
  • Kings and Queens
    • Stuarts
    • Tudor
  • About
    • History of English Art
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Contact
    • The Right to Display Public Domain Images
    • Author & Reference Information For Students

John Keats Letter To John Taylor, 11 June 1820

Recipient:

John Taylor (1781-1864) was Keats’s publisher and friend. He provided financial assistance for Keats’s journey to Rome and briefly considered writing a biography of the poet after his death.

Introduction:

This letter is typical of Keats’s short notes to his publisher. In it, he discusses revisions to The Eve of St Agnes.

My dear Taylor,

In reading over the proof of St. Agnes’ Eve since I left Fleet street I was struck with what appears to me an alteration in the 7th Stanza very much for the worse the passage I mean stands thus

“her maiden eyes incline Still on the floor, while many a sweeping train Pass by–”

Twas originally written

“her maiden eyes divine Fix’d on the floor saw many a sweeping train Pass by–

My meaning is quite destroyed in the alteration. I do not use train for concourse of passers by but for [Skits is crossed out by Keats] Skirts sweeping along the floor.

In the first Stanza my copy reads–2nd line

“bitter chill it was”

to avoid the echo cold in the next line.

ever yours sincerely
John Keats

Link/cite this page

If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content.

Link will appear as Hanson, Marilee. "John Keats Letter To John Taylor, 11 June 1820" https://englishhistory.net/keats/letters/john-taylor-11-june-1820/, March 6, 2015

You are here: Home » Keats » Letters » John Keats Letter To John Taylor, 11 June 1820

Search English History

More Keats Content

  • John Keats Biography
  • Keats Timeline
  • Fanny Brawne Facts
  • John Keats Poems
  • Ode on a Grecian Urn
  • La Belle Dame sans Merci
  • Song of the Indian Maid
  • Ode on Melancholy
  • Ode to a Nightingale
  • When I have fears that I may Cease to Be
  • Bright Star Poem
  • More English Poets

Popular Posts

John Keats Letters To George & Georgiana Keats, September 1819
John Keats Letters To Charles Brown, 1 November 1820
John Keats Letter To J H Reynolds, 28 February 1820
John Keats Letter To Benjamin Bailey, 13 March 1818
John Keats Letters To J H Reynolds, 22 November 1817
Letters From Joseph Severn to William Haslam
John Keats Letter To Benjamin Bailey, 8 October 1817
John Keats Letters To Fanny Brawne, 11 October 1819
John Keats Letter To Benjamin Bailey, 10 June 1818
John Keats Letters To Fanny Brawne, May 1820 collection

The Tudors

Lord Byron

John Keats

shakespeare

Copyright © 1999-2023 All Rights Reserved.
English History
Other Sites: Make A Website Hub

Copyright © 2023 · English History 2015