Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900) is a central figure in aesthetic writing. Wilde was a poet, fiction writer, essayist and editor. Oscar Wilde is often seen as a homosexual icon although as many men of his day he was also a husband and father. Wilde’s life ended at odds with Victorian morals that surrounded him. He died in exile.

Oscar Wilde had a quick and fluid intelligence coupled with a gift for languages. His early education included attending Porotra Royal School in Enniskillen (1873) Trinity College in Dublin (1874-1879), and Magdalen College in Oxford. He excelled in his studies. Along with his schoolwork, Wilde began to build his reputation as a poet. His early work garnered some success. In 1878, Oscar Wilde won the Newdigate prize for poetry. His entry was inspired by a vacation to Ravenna.

Oscar Wilde moved to London in 1879. Wilde released a collection of poetry through the publisher Bogue in 1881. His first play, Vera, was also supposed to be performed. However, it was canceled. This was also the year Wilde would meet his future wife—Constance Mary Lloyd.

Wilde’s life ended in Hotel d’Alsace in Paris. In 1900, Wilde contracted cerebral meningitis. Some virulently homophobic critics maintain this was a result of syphilis, but the original medical report does not suggest this. He was conditionally baptized into the Catholic Church. He died on the thirtieth of November. Wilde was originally buried in Cimetière de Bagneux, but in 1909 his body was moved to Cimetière du Père-Lachaise.

(http://www.egs.edu/library/oscar-wilde/biography/)