Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie
Wills Wilde
Oscar Wilde was the second of three born to two Dublin
intellectuals, Sir William Wilde and Jane Francesca Wilde on
October 16, 1854. It is obvious that writing was highly
encouraged in his life as his father was an doctor of sorts as
well as a gifted writer, and his mother was a journalist, under
the pen name of Sperenza, as well as an avid poet. Wilde was
educated at home for nine years, learning French and German,
then attended Portora Royal School from 1864-1871. Wilde left
Portora with a royal scholarship to attend Trinity College, in
Dublin from 1871-1874. From there Wilde went on to
Magdalen College, Oxford from 1874-1878 (Liukkonen.)
Oxford wasn’t particularly welcoming to Wilde or his advocacy for aestheticism. The
Oxford Union actually condemned Wilde’s book, Poems, for plagiarism (“The official Web Site
of Oscar Wilde”.) He collected blue china, peacock feather, and later on, velvet knee-breeches.
This many found contradictory to his very tall, athletic build (Liukkenen.) Some attribute his
likings and manner of dress to his mother: she often sent Wilde pastel colored clothing and
insisted on dressing Wilde in girl’s clothes because she longed her daughter, Wilde’s younger
sister, who died at a young age (“The Official Web Site of Oscar Wilde.”)
Wilde embraced his ideas and views, pairing it with his lifestyle and humor he earned his
living speaking all around Europe, United States, and Canada from 1881-1884. Then he married
Constance Mary Lloyd in 1884. From here his work shifted for to editing and reviewing. While
Oscar and Constance had two children together, Constance struggled with Wilde’s infidelities,
absences, and affair with Alfred Douglas. Eventually, Wilde’s fame also led to his rumor inspired
demise from his relationship with Douglas as Wilde went to trial for homosexuality, illegal in
Britain.
Wilde was convicted to two years hard labor and deprived pen and paper for over nineteen
months (“The Official Site of Oscar Wilde”.) He died three years after his release on November
30, 1900 from cerebral meningitis. I would depict that some of his greatest works of poetry
would be of the nearly hundred I found on the internet: La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente, By the
Arno, The Dole of the King’s Daughter, The Grave of Shelley, The Harlot’s House, Madonna Mia,
Requiescat, Theocritus, Young Charmides and most significant to the masses, My Voice.
Emily Dickinson
On December 10, 1830, Emily Dickinson was
born in Amherst, Massachusetts. She was welcome by
an older brother, William Austin and then later helped
welcome Lavinia Norcross (“Emily Dickinson- Poets.org
- Poetry, Poems, Bios & More.")
Her family was very well known but not
wealthy, so her father insisted on his children being
very well educated. She attended primary school in her
own town, then, with her sister, started Amherst Academy. Dickinson spent seven years at the
Academy, where illness often stole her away from her classical studies.
After her time at Amherst Academy, Dickinson went to Mount Holyoke Female Seminary
in South Hadley, but again, illness took her from her studies after one year (“Emily Dickinson’s
Biography.”
Dickinson, while prone to illness, was also very much an introvert. Introversion led her
to rarely leaving her home and rarely having lasting relationships. That being said, while few,
the relationships she had were great. Her relationships weren’t in person, but through letters.
She impressively wrote over 300 poems to her friend, Susan Gilbert (“Emily Dickinson’s
Biography.”) I believe Dickinson's loneliness is very much mirrored in her poetry. Her poetry
often seems longing, needing intimacy, reflecting of life, and also death.
After her death on May 15, 1886 her true greatness came to rise. I find it sad that her
poetry was never appreciated and recognized in her life, but can very much understand it as
she was a stark introvert. Her family found 40 volumes of nearly 1800 of her poems making her
very forever one of the great and ever popular poets (“Biography.”)
It is unsurprising that she greatly admired the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, as well as John Keats— all great classics on their own. I rate her greatness similar to
her admirations especially when some of her great works include: Hope is the Thing with
Feathers, Because I Could Not Stop for Death, T’is So much Joy, Behind me dips Eternity, The
Only News I know, If I Can Stop, Much Madness, “Why do I love” You, Sir?, “Faith is a fine
invention, and I measure every Grief I meet.
Works Cited for Oscar Wilde Biography
Liukkonen, Petri. "Oscar Wilde." Www.kirjasto.sci.fi. Books and Writers, 2008. Web. 30 Apr.
2012. <http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/owilde.htm>.
"The Official Web Site of Oscar Wilde." Oscar Wilde. CMG Worldwide. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.cmgww.com/historic/wilde/>.
Works Cited for Emily Dickinson Biography
"Biography.” Dickinson, Emily (1830. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.credoreference.com/topic/dickinson_emily_1830_1886>.
"Emily Dickinson's Biography." Emily Dickinson Museum. Trustees of Amherst College. Web. 30 Apr.
2012. <http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/emilys_biography>.
"Emily Dickinson- Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More." Poets.org. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/155>.