Wilde, Oscar (Fingal O'Flahertie Wills) (1854-1900), writer, dramatist, and poet.
In Reading gaol by Reading town
There is a pit of shame,
And in it lies a wretched man
Eaten by teeth of flame,
In a burning winding-sheet he lies,
And his grave has got no name.
The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898)
Born in Dublin, Wilde attended Oxford in 1874, becoming known as an aesthete. He then moved to London where his style and wit won him widespread acclaim and he published Poems (1881). He embarked on a successful lecture tour in the United States increasing his celebrity. Then on his return to England he became a noted critic and editor, publishing essays and children’s stories. The publication of his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, came in 1891,
and was followed by the massive success of his sharp social comedies, including A Woman of No Importance (1893) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). At the height of his fame in 1892 he attended literary parties in Reading and went on a tour of Huntley and Palmer’s factory, and
in 1893 spent the summer in Goring.
Wilde’s downfall was triggered by a series of homosexual affairs, most notably with Lord Alfred Douglas, whose father provoked Wilde into a lawsuit that led to his social and financial ruin and imprisonment for two years. Wilde was transferred to Reading from London in November 1895 as Prisoner C3-3. In Reading Wilde, already suffering from ill health, faced a difficult and abusive governor. Part way through Wilde’s sentence the governor was changed and the new governor was more understanding, allowing Wilde to write a massive redemptive letter, later published as De Profundis, which contemplated his relationship with Douglas and the nature of suffering. Part of the time when Wilde was not locked in his cell he worked as librarian in the prison delivering books to other inmates. A friendly warder also smuggled Huntley and Palmer biscuits and newspapers to him. It was particularly significant for Wilde that he was in the jail when a fellow inmate was hanged for murder in the Execution block. Wilde was released in May 1897 and his experiences in Reading led to him to compose his last, and what is often regarded as his best, poetic work The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), known
throughout the world. It is a stark reflection on the dehumanizing nature of prison and capital punishment. Wilde died in exile in Paris. He is now remembered in Reading by the Oscar Wilde memorial walk alongside the prison with a memorial gate and benches. The Prison is now Reading Remand Centre and Reading Borough Libraries runs the library for the inmates.
Link to the Dictionary of National Biography (only from a Library terminal).
Oscar Wilde
See more information about Oscar Wilde's time in reading at Reading Museum website.
(PDF File)
Other External Links to more information:
Official Oscar Wilde Homepage
Pictures from the National Portrait Gallery
The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898) Online etext
Information from the BBC on Wilde in
Reading
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