Is Wilde “Wild”?

Oscar Wilde who was born in 1854, was known as one of the best playwrights during the Victorian era. Not only a playwright, but he was also a poet, critic, and novelist. Wilde because popular during the late 1880’s and was also a major part in the Aesthetic Movement at time. They believe that art should be seen as a satisfaction indeed, not to send messages. Back then his reception was a toss-up in the air, but after he got sent to prison for “gross indecency” and having multiple homosexual acts. Wilde was sent to prison for his acts, as being homosexual was not of one’s best interest back in the day. Nowadays, I believe that he just stood up for what he thought was right and there is nothing wrong with that. I do believe that Oscar Wilde was a “wild” writer. I say this because even though back in the day he got arrested for being homosexual, he did it what he wanted to do, even if it caused him harm, he stood up for what he believed was right. His novel that he wrote during his time behind bars exemplifies his actions of wild things or wildness. Wilde wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol during his time in prison. I would say this poem says a lot of the emotion that Wilde felt in prison, “each man kills the thing he loves most”. I believe Wilde is using his homosexuality was reference point during that line of his poem, as other did not except that form of Wilde. He revealed his homosexuality because he loved it so much, that inside he killed himself by revealing it since he was sent to prison at the time. Pathos is seen as he writes his poem from his prison cell, knowing what he did was nothing wrong, but he got punished for it.

Niraj Patel