Oscar Wilde Was a Genius - Essay Example

100 year have passed since the death of this great writer and although he remains a mysterious figure, his life has been studied at great length to ascertain what factors influenced his literary works.

According to The Literature Network, Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1854(Merriman, 2008). His father was a surgeon and his mother was a renowned poet and writer herself(Merriman, 2008). Due to this upbringing, Wilde was educated at the prestigious Trinity College in Dublin and then went to England to study at Magdalen College(Merriman, 2008). At this latter school, Wilde studied classic literature and poetry. One of Wilde’s major influences while at school was Walter Parker who had founded the Aesthetic Movement which Wilde soon became part of (Merriman, 2008). The Aesthetic Movement is a lifestyle known as “arts for art’s sake”(Merriman, 2008). Perhaps it was this movement that was responsible for Wilde’s eccentric personality.

Wilde was not only eccentric but also very talented, which came to light around the same time. During this particular period, Wilde wrote several award-winning poems and began a life in London, England, and published his first book of poems in 1881(Merriman, 2008). In 1884, Wilde married and had two children (“Oscar Wilde Biography”). He spent several years traveling around the western hemisphere and lecturing. Once he became a bit more settled with his family, he became the editor of a magazine known as “Woman’s World”(“Oscar Wilde Biography”). He published two other collections of stories during this period entitled “The House of Pomegranates” and “The Happy Prince and Other Tales”(“Oscar Wilde Biography”).
Several years later in 1891, Oscar Wilde published some of his most famous works “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “Intentions” (“Oscar Wilde Biography”). Both of these works were influenced by Oscar Wilde’s homosexuality and his desire to go against traditional society by practicing his aestheticism and his homosexuality (“Oscar Wilde Biography”). In the early and mid-1890s, Wilde wrote several of his most famous plays such as “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Lady Windermere’s Fan”(“Oscar Wilde Biography”). It was also around this time that Wilde developed a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas who was the son of an important man in England(Merriman, 2008). The relationship was said to have inspired some of Oscar Wilde’s writing during this time and when the relationship was found out, Wilde was sent to prison for “gross indecency” which was related to his homosexuality(Merriman, 2008). Wilde spent several months in prison and was released in 1897. After this, he moved to Paris and lived with a man named Robert Baldwin(Merriman, 2008). He died of meningitis which he reportedly developed while in prison in November 1900(Merriman, 2008).

Although Oscar Wilde died without a lot of prestige and money, he is remembered for his influential work that brought a different and unexpected style to writing that had never been seen before. Read More