Oscar Wilde was an Irish playwright and Poet known for plays, satirical works and a novel; The Picture of Dorian Gray that attracted criticism as indecent on moral and spiritual grounds at the time. His plays included; Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest which became the most famed play.
Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was the son of a highly praised doctor, William Wilde and a poet, Jane Elgee. He was born on 16th October 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. Wilde learned French and German early in his life through his home tutor. This enabled him to write fluently in the languages later on. Once out of home school, Wilder’s large part of education was marked prizes and even a scholarship for his college studies.
Wilde, a devout aesthete, was known to decorate his rooms with flowers and peacock feathers, he kept his hair long and showed open detest to masculine sports all through his time at Magdalen College.
After graduating from Oxford, Wilde relocated to London and focused on writing poems. He later went on an American lecture tour enabling him to deliver almost 140 lectures in 9 months. Wilde took time to meet top scholars in USA. He also gave lectures in England and Ireland.
Wilde married Constance Lloyd, a rich English woman and had two sons; Cyril and Vyvyan. Due to his homosexual relationships, Wilde hardly stayed home after the birth of his second son. Though they were estranged, Wilde remained in good terms with Constance.
At the height of his fame, Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison on grounds of gross indecency following his homosexual relationships. His wife forced him to give up his parental rights not wanting to be associated with his scandal. He served the sentence and upon release he went to France and never returned home. He died on 25th November 1900, a very poor man.
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
Oscar Wilde
The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
Oscar Wilde
Women are made to be loved, not understood.
Oscar Wilde
A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone’s feelings unintentionally.
Oscar Wilde
Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more.
Oscar Wilde
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
Oscar Wilde
Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.
Oscar Wilde
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.
Oscar Wilde
