Oscar Wilde was born on October 16, 1854. He is known as a poet, fiction writer, essayist, and editor. He is also known for his use of aestheticism and comedy. Wilde was considered a homosexual icon, but he was a father and husband which was common of his time. His mother was also a writer and his father was a surgeon, so his family was very well-off from the beginning.
Wilde was very successful in school from the start, which helped push his poetry along. He began writing poetry at a young age and started winning competitions almost immediately. His biggest influence in his writing was his fancy lifestyle. He decided when he was younger that he loved to dress and live extravagantly. This is where his theme of aestheticism began!
He moved to London in 1879 and met his future wife, Constance Mary Lloyd, in 1881. He began using his style to gain fame and recognition, but it was more difficult in the city. He became iconic to the people of London and was heavily ridiculed for his choice in style, but this is said to have influenced his comedic style of writing.
On top of being ridiculed for his extravagant style, Wilde was soon ridiculed for his sexuality. In the late 1880's, he met Robert Ross, a well-known Canadian art critic and journalist. This is thought to be Wilde's first male lover. Finally, in 1891, Wilde met Lord Alfred Douglas, who was his lifetime lover and greatly influenced his writing. After his boys were born in 1896, Wilde decided to focus on his writing so he could still afford to live extravagantly. His focus quickly shifted gears when his love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas came out in the open. They decided not to stop seeing each other, but after months of trials and court trials, Wilde was arrested for "sodomy and gross decency" charged with 2 years of hard labor. His wife moved with his sons to Europe and changed her last name so the boys wouldn't be affected.
When Wilde was released from prison in 1897, he exiled himself to Europe where he tried to renew his relationship with with Lord Alfred Douglas. This ended after a few months when their families found out and threatened to take away all their money. Oscar Wilde died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900.
Wilde was very successful in school from the start, which helped push his poetry along. He began writing poetry at a young age and started winning competitions almost immediately. His biggest influence in his writing was his fancy lifestyle. He decided when he was younger that he loved to dress and live extravagantly. This is where his theme of aestheticism began!
He moved to London in 1879 and met his future wife, Constance Mary Lloyd, in 1881. He began using his style to gain fame and recognition, but it was more difficult in the city. He became iconic to the people of London and was heavily ridiculed for his choice in style, but this is said to have influenced his comedic style of writing.
On top of being ridiculed for his extravagant style, Wilde was soon ridiculed for his sexuality. In the late 1880's, he met Robert Ross, a well-known Canadian art critic and journalist. This is thought to be Wilde's first male lover. Finally, in 1891, Wilde met Lord Alfred Douglas, who was his lifetime lover and greatly influenced his writing. After his boys were born in 1896, Wilde decided to focus on his writing so he could still afford to live extravagantly. His focus quickly shifted gears when his love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas came out in the open. They decided not to stop seeing each other, but after months of trials and court trials, Wilde was arrested for "sodomy and gross decency" charged with 2 years of hard labor. His wife moved with his sons to Europe and changed her last name so the boys wouldn't be affected.
When Wilde was released from prison in 1897, he exiled himself to Europe where he tried to renew his relationship with with Lord Alfred Douglas. This ended after a few months when their families found out and threatened to take away all their money. Oscar Wilde died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900.
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Biography Source: "Oscar Wilde - Biography"
Video Source: "Oscar Wilde - An Extravagant Life | Tv-pg"
Quote Source: www.brainyquote.com
Biography Source: "Oscar Wilde - Biography"
Video Source: "Oscar Wilde - An Extravagant Life | Tv-pg"