Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright who became very popular in London during the 1890s. He was a prominent figure in the aesthetic movement, which advocated for art\u2019s value coming from its inherent beauty alone. His views on art as well as his style of dress were controversial and met with criticism by the press. The most controversial aspect of Wilde was his engagement in consensual homosexual acts, which was unearthed during Wilde\u2019s prosecution of the Marquess of Queensbury for criminal libel. Wilde was put to trial and subsequently sentenced to hard labor for two years. The controversial perception of Wilde was largely a result of his actions not being widely accepted in the society of his time. His views on art were beyond the boundaries of what the mainstream press thought acceptable, so he was slandered by the media as a result. Wilde\u2019s engagement in homosexual acts was not accepted by the predominant conservative culture of western Europe, resulting in harsh criminal penalties levied upon him. In today\u2019s day, Oscar Wilde is seen as a trailblazer who published influential writings and unfortunately succumbed to the flawed morals of an outdated criminal justice system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I consider Wilde to be a \u201cwild\u201d writer, especially in his poem \u201cThe Ballad of Reading Gaol,\u201d which he wrote after enduring hard labor in prison. He describes the brutality he experienced and witnessed through imagery, such as \u201cthe sickening thirst That sands one\u2019s throat\u201d and the \u201cblood and wine\u201d that were found near \u201cThe poor dead woman.\u201d He also details the labor that they needed to do, including tearing \u201cthe tarry rope to shreds With blunt and bleeding nails\u201d whilst \u201cterror was lying still\u201d in \u201cthe heart of every man.\u201d Wilde\u2019s poem is wild due to its gruesome and horrifying depictions of the reality of prison conditions, and the bold stance he takes in speaking out against such conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Avinash K<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oscar Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright who became very popular in London during the 1890s. He was a prominent figure in the aesthetic movement, which advocated for art\u2019s value coming from its inherent beauty alone. His views on … Continue reading