In mid-1881 at age twenty-seven, Wilde published his first collection of poems, simply entitled Poems. The collection was not received well at first, earning him a caricature in Punch, a satire and humor magazine in the 1800s. It was not only judged by critics, but readers as well, "Most readers were eager to denounce Wilde on the grounds of imitation of various writers and his ornate language" (Kelly 363).
Following the publication of Poems, Punch released a review of the collection as well, in which they stated, "Mr. Wilde may be aesthetic, but he is not original." Most criticism readers agreed with Punch's statements.
(Citations: Kelly, Jennifer. "Oscar Wilde (16 October 1854-30 November 1900)." British Reform Writers, 1832-1914, edited by Gary Kelly and Edd Applegate, vol. 190, Gale, 1998, pp. 360-370. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 190. Gale Literature: Dictionary of Literary Biography, link.gale.com/apps/doc/MALMFA511353148/DLBC?u=uiuc_columbia&sid=bookmark-DLBC&xid=77f38bf7. Accessed 20 Oct. 2021.
Internet Archive. 1881. Punch Vol -lxxxi: The Office London: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive. [online] Available at: <https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.207182/page/n33/mode/2up&…; )