Oscar+Wilde

Born Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, this man was a famous writer born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. His father, William Wilde, was very successful in the medical field and had multiple accomplishments including his founding of St. Mark’s Ophthalmic Hospital. Along with his busy occupation, he managed to write two books. Jane Wilde, Oscar’s mother, wrote as well creating poems under the name “Speranza”. With parents who wrote often, it was bound that Oscar Wilde would write also. His most famous pieces are the novel //The Picture of Dorian Gray// and the play titled //The Importance of Being Earnest//. Shortly after these works were published, he passed away on November 30, 1900 in Paris, France.
 * Oscar Wilde **

Oscar Wilde’s first piece of literature titled, //The Poems of Oscar Wilde//, was published in 1881. Six years later, Wilde worked as an editor for a popular magazine company titled “The Lady’s World” which was later changed to “The Woman’s World”. Serving as an editor, he often expressed his opinion and benefitted from it by growing as a writer. The following year in 1888, Wilde began a seven year period in which he produced most of his pieces. This time in his life is often referred to as his period of creativity. In May of 1888, Wilde published //The Happy Prince and Other Tales// which featured numerous stories for children. Shortly after Wilde published his most famous book, //The Picture of Dorian Gray//, in July of 1890. Wilde’s next production was titled Intentions and was released one year after his novel. Intentions consisted of witty essays that covered a range of topics such as literature, society, and art. In 1892, Wilde started composing numerous plays. Some of his productions include: //Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance// (1893), //An Ideal Husband// (1895), and //The Importance of Being Earnest// (1895).

In the year 1895, Oscar Wilde cheated on his wife of eleven years, Constance Lloyd, with a young man named Lord Alfred Douglas. When Douglas’ father received the news he addressed a letter to Wilde’s home that labeled him as a “posing sodomite”. Wilde was furious and took Douglas’ father to court. This backfired because Wilde was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison for being homosexual - which was illegal in his home country - Ireland. After being released in 1897, Wilde moved to Paris, France, where being gay was far more accepted. The following year he wrote //Ballad of Reading Gaol//, which is said to capture his moments that he spent in prison.

Wilde made an imprint on the world of literature. His role models before he had written anything were John Ruskin and Walter Rater. Just as he looked up to people, many do the same for Oscar Wilde. He was known for being highly intelligent and swift with his words. In addition to his personality, Wilde’s work is highly appreciated. He lived the last years of his life in Paris, and we can see his grave while we're there.