Oscar Wilde was a famous and a much talked about literary person of the 19th century. Oscar Wilde was born in October,1854 to his parents Sir William Wilde and Jane. Writing was there in his blood. His father, a reputed eye and ear surgeon had also taken to writing books on archeology and was a philanthropist to the core .Because of his good works, he was honored through his appointment as Surgeon Oculist in Ordinary to the Queen. His mother practiced journalism and had established herself as a successful poet through her writings under the pen name of Speranza. It was not surprising that Oscar Wilde having such a lineage would choose a literary career for himself.
Wilde - his childhood and education
Oscar Wilde's schooling started from Portora Royal School in Eniskillen. He moved on to Trinity College, Dublin and later on to Magdalene College, Oxford to complete his education. He graduated in 1978 and moved on to London to make a career. While at Oxford, he got involved in the movement of aestheticism and posed himself as an ardent advocate of "Art for Art's Sake". His first collection of poems was published in 1881 which earned mixed review from critics. He contributed regularly to the Pall Mall Gazette and the Dramatic Review. He worked as an art reviewer. To lecture he had to travel to destinations in France, Canada, United States, Britain and Ireland during the years 1981-84.
The Great Literary Works of Oscar Wilde
He was married to Constance Lloyd, the daughter of the well to do Horace Lloyd, who was then the Queen's
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Counsel. Cyril and Vyvyan were the two sons born to this marriage. To support the family, Oscar took up the job of the Editor of the Woman's World Magazine. He wrote and published 'The Happy Prince and Other Tales' in 1888 for his sons.
This was followed by 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' in 1890.This book reflected some parallels with Wilde's life highlighting the polished surface of high life and the life of secret vice. Wilde through his series of highly popular plays like Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), A Woman of no Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) established himself as a great playwright of his own time. 'The Soul of a Man Under Socialism'(1891) by Wilde reflects his optimistic view of the road to a socialist future.
Personal life of Oscar Wilde was shrouded with rumors and controversies. During the years of his imprisonment in Wandsworth prison on the charges of homosexuality he was not allowed to use pen and paper for 19 months. After few days in the Wandsworth prison, he was transferred to Reading Gaol. After he was allowed the use of pen and paper, he wrote 'De Profundis' (1905) - a dramatic monologue and autobiography. After his release from the jail, he lived under the name of Sebastian Melmoth and wrote 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' bringing out inhuman conditions of the prison.
He lived a miserable life thereafter and finally met his tragic end on November 30,1900, at the age of 46, after suffering cerebral meningitis. However, Oscar Wilde will be remembered in the world of English literature as a great playwright, a robust believer of aestheticism and an exceptional literary person of the 19th century.
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