The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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About this ebook
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde, a long-form poem based on his own experiences as an inmate in Reading Gaol. Drawing on classical and religious motifs, the poem paints a vivid portrait of the injustices of the late Victorian prison system, focusing on the character of an unnamed soldier who has been sentenced to death for a crime the narrator of the poem claims all people are guilty of in the ballad’s most famous refrain: “each man kills the thing he loves”. Oscar Wilde was one of the most fascinating authors of the 19th century, known as much for his witticisms as for his writing. His most notable works include the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and the comic plays An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest.
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The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde (Book Analysis) - Bright Summaries
IRISH PLAYWRIGHT, POET AND WIT
Born in Dublin in 1854.
Died in Paris in 1900.
Notable works:
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), novel
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), play
An Ideal Husband (1899), play
Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin to Anglo-Irish parents. He moved to England in 1874 to study at Oxford University, where his tutors included Walter Pater (English essayist, 1839-1894) and John Ruskin (English art critic, 1819-1900). Through them, Wilde became interested in the philosophy of aestheticism, or ‘art for art’s sake’. After university he moved to London, where he became a leading figure in high society known for his decadence, fashion and wit. He wrote numerous plays and poems during this period and toured the USA giving lectures on aestheticism. In 1884, he married Constance Lloyd (1859-1898), though he had many relationships with men during their marriage, including Robert Ross (Canadian journalist, 1869-1918) and Wilde’s great love Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas (British writer, 1870-1945). In 1895, he was arrested on charges of ‘gross indecency’ (homosexuality) and sentenced to two years in Reading Gaol. He was released in 1897. With his reputation in tatters he moved to Paris, where he lived in poverty until his death in 1900.
WILDE’S INDICTMENT OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Genre: poem
Reference edition: Wilde, O. (2010) The Ballad of Reading Gaol and Other Poems. London: Penguin.
1stedition: 1898
Themes: the