This volume of Oscar Wilde's Poems was printed in 1881, only two years after he moved to London, and before the creation of many of his most famous works. His most famous plays, such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere's Fan (see RCIN 1058182) were not to be published until the early 1890s. At this stage, Wilde's fame was only beginning to grow, and he was mainly known as a prominent aesthete.
The first edition of Poems was printed at the author's own expense. Reception of the work was mixed, and Punch's verdict was that "The poet is Wilde, but his poetry's tame." Despite this, the initial print run sold out and new editions were printed in the same year.
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 this, which was presented to 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.