Happy Deathday, Mr. Wilde!
“This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One of us has to go”
This is supposedly the last witticism ever spoken by Oscar Wilde, before he died on November 30th in 1900. Wilde suffered from an ear infection, as well as several other health issues stemming from the two years of hard labor he served. Cause of death has been put down to cerebral meningitis, although many scholars disagree on the initial cause of the meningitis.
He died, on the brink of poverty, at the age of 46. He is buried at Cimetière du Père Lachaise, in Paris, France.
It is no secret that we, here at the DWC, are tremendous fans of the late playwright. We ask you this… what’s not to like about Oscar Wilde?!
If you are unfamiliar with this Irish giant of literature, we suggest you visit your local library or check out the official site for information on his life, death and works. As many of you already know, Wilde was sent to prison for two years for “committing indecent acts”… namely homosexuality… which was never definitively proven and was backed by what nowadays would barely be considered even circumstantial evidence. The judge was recorded as saying that Wilde’s trial was “the worst case I have ever tried”.
What do we believe, if anything, Oscar Wilde was guilty of?
BEING HIMSELF.
Throughout his trial, Wilde remained in good spirits, often joking cleverly in the courtroom. In fact, a book released a few years ago, entitled “The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde”, contains a transcript of the entire trial, which reads almost like one of Oscar’s plays! It is a must have for any Wildechild, as we like to call Mr. Wilde’s fans. (FYI, the book was compiled and published by Oscar’s own grandson, Merlin Holland. )
While no fan of Mr. Wilde can deny the historical significance of his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, or his extremely popular plays Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892) , A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895) and finally, The Importance of Being Earnest (also 1895), we would be remiss if we did not mention our favorite writings by Wilde, albeit, the less popular works. Some of our personal picks include his 1888 collection of children’s stories “The Happy Prince and Other Tales”, The House of Pomegranates (1892), De Profundis (written in 1897 but published posthumously) and a political essay he wrote in 1891, entitled “The Soul of Man Under Socialism”.
We have nothing to declare… except HIS genius. (for those of you that got that joke… YOU.ARE.AWESOME.)
Today… go out into the world with some of that trademark Wilde confidence. Live with gusto. Love as you wish. Resist everything but temptation. Write Wildely.
Write on in peace, Mr. Wilde!
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