Oscar Wilde

“I have nothing to declare except my genius.”

Oscar Wilde, for the brief amount of time he existed on this planet, displayed his genius with fortitude and courage. The son of two brilliant parents, his father, a medical doctor and his mother, a poet, he inherited both parent’s intellect and his mother’s creative ability. From the beginning, he excelled in academia achieving top awards from his public school education up to his graduate days at Oxford. It was at Oxford that he began his creative writing pursuits.

Wilde’s declared his genius right away with his poem “Ravenna” which won the Newdigate Prize for the best English verse composition by an undergraduate. Once he left college he lived in London continuing to write poetry. Although his work received some acclaim, it wasn’t until he wrote his first play that his true genius shined through.

However, before he tackled playwriting, Wilde stood out among his peers. First by leading a movement in art and literature called the “aesthetic movement” which emphasizes promoting art and literature for beauty itself, rather than to promote a political or social viewpoint.

He might have been the first man to stand up for women’s rights as well. After his marriage to a wealthy aristocrat, Wilde worked for a magazine called, “A Lady’s World” which had fallen out of fashion. With tremendous bravado, Wilde changed their editorial policy to covering women’s opinions about art, literature, politics, etc. rather than just focusing on fashion. A man taking up the fight for woman’s rights showed this author had guts combined with a vision.

In 1892 Wilde’s first play, “Lady Windemere’s Fan” hit the theaters to popular acclaim and he went on to write witty, satirical comedies. The most famous is “The Importance of Being Ernest” which not only was produced as a theater production, but in recent years also has been made into a movie. Wilde’s satire on society still talks to audience’s today through the modern day media and his plays are produced in theaters all over the World.

Unfortunately this genius’s life ended early because he spent a few years in jail for gross indecency. His homosexuality was put on public display as his lover’s father took him to court after Wilde accused the father of libel. His years in the penal system ruined his health and spirit.

Oscar Wilde died at 46. However, throughout his life he did declare his genius in everything he accomplished.