The Eve of St. Agnes

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The Eve of St. Agnes

poem by Keats

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July 23, 2026

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"The Eve of St. Agnes" is a narrative poem by John Keats, written in 1819. It tells the story of a young couple who elope on the eve of Saint Agnes's feast day, January 21st. This night is traditionally associated with women having visions of their future husbands.12

The poem is written in Spenserian stanzas and is celebrated for its rich, sensuous imagery and romantic atmosphere. It is considered a culmination of Keats's earlier poetic style, presenting a passionate yet delicate depiction of young love. The poem contrasts with Keats's "La Belle Dame sans merci," which explores a more destructive side of love. Saint Agnes herself is a Roman virgin martyr, venerated as the patron saint of girls and virgins.314

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La Belle Dame sans merci
…a counterpart to Keats’s “The Eve of St. Agnes,” which represents an idyllic view of love. Keats took his title from a medieval poem with the same name by the French poet Alain Chartier.
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…a counterpart to Keats’s “The Eve of St. Agnes,” which represents an idyllic view of love. Keats took his title from a medieval poem with the same name by the French poet Alain Chartier.
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John Keats
The year 1819
…weaknesses of Endymion, but “The Eve of St. Agnes” may be considered the perfect culmination of Keats’s earlier poetic style. Written in the first flush of his meeting with Brawne, it conveys an atmosphere of passion and excitement in its description of the elopement of a pair of youthful…
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…weaknesses of Endymion, but “The Eve of St. Agnes” may be considered the perfect culmination of Keats’s earlier poetic style. Written in the first flush of his meeting with Brawne, it conveys an atmosphere of passion and excitement in its description of the elopement of a pair of youthful…
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Gothic novel
Gothic poetry
“The Eve of St. Agnes” and “La Belle Dame sans merci” (both composed in 1819), and Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” (1862), as well as pieces by Robert Browning, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Algernon Charles Swinburne. In the United States, Edgar Allan Poe’s intensely moody
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“The Eve of St. Agnes” and “La Belle Dame sans merci” (both composed in 1819), and Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” (1862), as well as pieces by Robert Browning, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, and Algernon Charles Swinburne. In the United States, Edgar Allan Poe’s intensely moody
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anadiplosis
…two of John Keats’s poem “The Eve of St. Agnes”:
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…two of John Keats’s poem “The Eve of St. Agnes”:
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