Oscar Wilde's Poems was printed in June 1881, only two years after he moved to London, and before the creation of many of his most famous works. His well-known plays The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere's Fan (see RCIN 1058182) were not to be published until the early 1890s.

Printed at the poet's own expense by David Bogue, the timing of the publication of Poems appeared to be perfect. The aesthetic movement was increasingly entering the public consciousness, and Wilde was perhaps its most prominent figure. This fame was partly due to Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera Patience, which had opened in London to great acclaim. The production was a pointed satire of the movement, and, in the character of Bunthorne, of Wilde in particular. Such was the interest that Poems, being Wilde's first book, sold out in its initial print run and several new editions were printed in the same year.

Reception of the work was mixed. British critics were mostly disparaging, perhaps best seen in Punch's verdict "The poet is Wilde, but his poetry's tame". However, American reviewers were much more fulsome in their praise, with the New York Times going so far as to compare the work with that of the Poet Laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, proclaiming 'England has a new poet'.

The binding, in white vellum with gold tooled blossoms on both boards and the spine, fitted with Wilde's aesthetic ideals. When he toured the United States to lecture on aestheticism in 1882, he chose to pose with the volume when being photographed by Napoleon Sarony (1821–96).

Wilde presented copies of Poems to various dignitaries, including Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. The book is inscribed in Wilde's hand:

H.R.H The Prince of Wales
loyauté
homáge
de l'auteur. [loyalty / homage / the author]
August 81.

As well as the inscription, Wilde wrote a presentation letter to the Prince in which he makes an appeal for the aesthetic movement, and marks several poems for the Prince's special attention. The letter makes particular reference to 'The Garden of Eros', a poem that Wilde declared was his attempt "to express the meaning and value of this modern artistic movement in England".

The Prince kept the book, and it contains his bookplates both as Prince of Wales and as King Edward VII. It was sent by his son King George V to the Royal Library in 1930.