Oscar Wilde, 1882, by Napoleon Sarony
I came across this quote from Oscar Wilde: "All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling." I believe Wilde meant that all poetry - "good" or "bad" - comes out of something genuine emotionally. (If you have another interpretation, please comment on this post below.)
Though Oscar Wilde is better known for his plays and novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, his poetry remains an important part of his body of work, showcasing his talent for lyrical beauty and deep emotional resonance.
He began his literary career as a poet and published several collections, with Poems (1881) being one of his earliest works. Wilde's poetry often focused on themes of beauty, love, and human suffering, reflecting his fascination with the aesthetic movement and the idea of "art for art's sake."
The most anthologized of his poems are these four. "Requiescat" – A tender and sorrowful poem about his sister, who died young. "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" – Written after Wilde served time in prison, this longer narrative poem explores themes of justice, suffering, and compassion for the oppressed. "Her Voice" and "Helas!" are examples of Wilde’s reflective, lyrical style.
Despite his fame, Wilde had a difficult life because of his sexuality. Born in Dublin in 1854, he was already a successful playwright when he fell into a love affair with the young aristocrat Lord Alfred Douglas. Wilde was married with two children at the time, and the affair ruined his reputation in society.
Despite being married and having two sons, Wilde’s primary romantic attractions and relationships appear to have been with men. While his love for his wife, Constance, was genuine, it’s generally accepted that Wilde was primarily homosexual, though some might see him as bisexual given his marriage and family. His life and work remain emblematic of the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in an era of strict societal repression.
His intense relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, often called “Bosie,” eventually led to his downfall. Douglas's father, the Marquess of Queensberry, accused Wilde of "posing as a sodomite." Wilde sued for libel but lost, and during the trial, evidence of his relationships with men surfaced, leading to his conviction for "gross indecency" and imprisonment."I curse myself night and day for my folly in allowing him to dominate my life," Wilde later wrote.
He did not hide his life. One of his most famous quotes is "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
He wrote three plays in two years about people leading double lives, including A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895). What is considered to be his masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), is about two men who use an imaginary person named Earnest to get themselves out of all kinds of situations, until their invented stories and identities get so complicated that everything is revealed. The play was a big success but, that same year was when Wilde was accused of sodomy by Douglas's father and his suit for libel failed and he was sentenced to two years of hard labor.
His plays continued to be produced on the stage while he was in prison, but his name was removed from all the programs. He was released from prison in 1897 and died three years later in a cheap Paris hotel.
Requiescat
Tread lightly, she is near
Under the snow,
Speak gently, she can hear
The daisies grow.
All her bright golden hair
Tarnished with rust,
She that was young and fair
Fallen to dust.
Lily-like, white as snow,
She hardly knew
She was a woman, so
Sweetly she grew.
Coffin-board, heavy stone,
Lie on her breast,
I vex my heart alone
She is at rest.
Peace, Peace, she cannot hear
Lyre or sonnet,
All my life’s buried here,
Heap earth upon it.
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