COLLECTED POEMS OF OSCAR WILDE
Wordsworth Poetry Library Wordsworth Editions
£3.99
The poet, the poetry reader,
the teacher, the student of language and literature, and lovers of wonderful
words generally and classical works specifically, have an opportunity with
Wordsworth Editions to invest as little as £3.99 in books that have stood and
will continue to stand the test of time.
Visit the Wordsworth Editions
website www.wordsworth-editions.com to see the full range.
Any
mention of Oscar Wilde tends to lift my spirits. But I am fairly certain that if I had known him, he would have
been, as they say, “hard work” because of his legendary flamboyance in
character and attire, and his seemingly unceasing urge to promote his wit,
wisdom, humour and intelligence at any opportunity. But however I might imagine him as an acquaintance, he is,
of course, firmly established as one of the most iconic figures from the
Victorian era, and apart from anything else, a scholarly, brilliant and
immensely entertaining writer.
I suppose my spirits lift because
his work is a joy to read, as well as to see and hear performed. It is, as it should be with a genius,
seemingly effortless in language and tone. Twist the arms of men and women in the street and they might
recall “The Importance of Being Earnest”, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “The
Ballad of Reading Gaol”, but that, if you’re lucky, might be it. He is remembered as a playwright
primarily, and rightly so, but he also built up a collection of fine poetry.
“The Collected Poems of Oscar
Wilde” from Wordsworth Editions is an excellent volume that illustrates Wilde’s
emotions, his angst, compassion and honesty about aspects of his extraordinary
life. From the cover blurb: “He
explores forbidden sexual desires, pays homage to the great theatre stars and
poets of the day, and observes cityscapes with impressionist intensity.”
“The Ballad of Reading Gaol” is his
greatest poetic hit. It is a
magnificent poem, intense and heartbreaking, and, like a lot of poetry,
benefits the reader if recited aloud. In “Impressions De Theatre” he writes
wonderful poetic letters to Henry Irving, Sarah Bernhardt and Ellen Terry. In “Requiescat”, we truly feel Wilde’s
deep sadness at the death of his young sister. In so many others we see him
bare his heart and soul, and witness his immense descriptive powers.
Oscar Wilde enjoyed a meteoric rise
to the high echelons of Victorian society. He was admired for his writing talent but attracted a
scandalous reputation for his sexuality, for which he suffered the indignity
and shame of imprisonment. He was, and still is, an intriguing character. He
was, and still is, a true giant of English literature. This superb collection of poems,
exceptional value at £3.99, is both a magnificent record of achievement and,
quite simply, a delight.
No comments:
Post a Comment