Using the 180-year history of Keats''sEve of St. Agnes as a basis for theorizing about the reading process, Stillinger''s book explores the nature and whereabouts of "meaning" in complex works. A proponent of authorial intent, Stillinger argues a theoretical compromise between author and reader, applying a theory of interpretive democracy that includes the endlessly multifarious reader''s response as well as Keats''s guessed-at intent. Stillinger also considers the process of constructing meaning, and posits an answer to why Keats''s work is considered canonical, and why it is still being read and admired.