Literary giant Oscar Wilde not only left behind a corpus of intelligent, emotionally resonant writing but also a wealth of witty, astute quips and insights that make the man behind the words feel alive and contemporary.
But Wilde’s sad life story, which was a narrative of a tremendously gifted guy plagued by loss and unforeseen consequences, is also part of what makes it so simple to relate to him. This is the tragic real-life narrative of Oscar Wilde, from his unpleasant upbringing to his catastrophic love relationships.
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Oscar Wilde’s Tragic Childhood
Oscar Wilde experienced sadness for the first time when his younger sister Isola passed away suddenly after a brief illness. Isola was almost 10 years old, and Wilde was only twelve. He created the poem ‘Requiescat‘ seven years later which starts softly with the line, “Tread lightly, she is near,” and ends with the lines “All my life’s buried here / Heap earth upon it.”
Even more tragically, there is proof that Oscar and Isola had a deeper connection according to the 2014 discovery of a hidden notebook written by Oscar Wilde.
Author and Wilde scholar Angela Kingston observes (via The Irish Times) that the journal contains a different version of the poem that reads, “Had we not loved so well / Not loved at all / None would have tolled the bell / None borne the pall,” and she theorizes that this, along with numerous allusions to dead golden-haired girls in his other works, suggests the writer blamed himself for Isola’s death.
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Wilde Had A Troubled Adulthood
Wilde was ready to go to jail in 1895 and was in financial trouble. His life had been irreparably damaged, and his reputation was in ruins. Everyone at the time and today felt that it was depressing to see such a brilliant guy fall so suddenly because of such a minor but deadly misstep.
Lord Alfred Douglas was a charming young man that Wilde had an affair with. Although their relationship was turbulent, Wilde couldn’t help but be pulled to the young man. He once told him in a love letter, “I don’t exaggerate: I can’t live without you. It is really absurd.”
Bosie’s father charged Wilde with having sex with other men in 1894. It was a risky claim because homosexuality was against the law and widely despised in Victorian society and its media. After a lengthy series of trials, he was soon sentenced to jail. Wilde was ultimately let go in May 1897.
He left that day for Dieppe, France. Soon after, he linked up with Bosie again. Constance Mary, his wife, had taken a new identity and left the country with their two kids, Vyvyan (11) and Cyril (12). Wilde missed his kids every day and knew he would never see them again.
How Did Oscar Wilde Die?
‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol‘, Wilde’s final poem, appeared in print in 1898. The name of the author was given as C.3.3., which was Oscar Wilde’s former jail cell number and cell block. The end of the year 1900 saw the serious illness of Wilde, who had contracted meningitis. A catholic priest baptized him before death. The next day, at the age of 46, he passed away.
A statute was established to clear persons who had been imprisoned because of their sexual orientation more than a century later, in 2017, and Oscar Wilde was given a formal pardon by the U.K. government. A minister said at the ceremony, “It is hugely important that we pardon people convicted of historical sexual offences who would be innocent of any crime today.”
Our society has become generous towards Wilde’s specific behavior – but it remains intrinsically moralistic in identical ways towards a huge number of other errors and transgressions. Many of us would – across the ages – want to comfort and befriend Oscar Wilde. It’s a touching hope, but one that would be best employed in extending love and sympathy to all those less talented or witty figures who are facing ruin and disgrace.
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