What do you think?
Rate this book
The Writings Of Oscar Wilde: Poems In Prose
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1894
3 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,495 books38.8k followersOscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
December 19, 2019
Cuento, novela o poesía.
¿Qué importa cuando el que escribe es Oscar Wilde?
Es la belleza elevada a la enésima potencia...
¿Qué importa cuando el que escribe es Oscar Wilde?
Es la belleza elevada a la enésima potencia...
December 19, 2019
'This marvelous lord of rhytmic expression.'
Oscar Wilde on Edgar Allan Poe
Oscar Wilde, you beautiful and misunderstood man... What right had the world to judge you? How terrible it is to think that you could have written more had it not been for you fall from grace.
As in most of his shorter works, Wilde's Poems in Prose are quite full Christian imagery, references, and allusions. These brief pieces are a wonderful demonstration of monsieur Wilde's masterful command of English. Oddly (or not), they are slightly reminiscent of Baudelaire's poems and prose poems...
Oscar Wilde on Edgar Allan Poe
Oscar Wilde, you beautiful and misunderstood man... What right had the world to judge you? How terrible it is to think that you could have written more had it not been for you fall from grace.
As in most of his shorter works, Wilde's Poems in Prose are quite full Christian imagery, references, and allusions. These brief pieces are a wonderful demonstration of monsieur Wilde's masterful command of English. Oddly (or not), they are slightly reminiscent of Baudelaire's poems and prose poems...
November 15, 2013
As with all things Oscar Wilde, rather you "get it" or not, you can't help but be lulled into a dreamy state of hypnosis. Poems in Prose is a collection of six very short vignettes that are over before they start, but they are beautiful. I always want to describe Wilde's words as "creamy," because the luxury of them is indescribable any other way.
February 17, 2019
" In old days books were written by men of letters and reading by the public. Nowadays books are written by the public and read by nobody. "
Oscar Wilde
Gostei dos aforismos, mas não tanto dos poemas em prosa , uma mescla de paganismo e evocações bíblicas.
Oscar Wilde
Gostei dos aforismos, mas não tanto dos poemas em prosa , uma mescla de paganismo e evocações bíblicas.
July 16, 2025
4/5 stars ✨
Oscar Wilde's writing is truly amazing ♥️
I'm glad I could revisit it after reading Happy Prince and many of his other short stories, in the past
"Before this time thou had'st the perfect knowledge of God . Now thou shalt have the perfect love of God . Wherefore art thou weeping?"
Oscar Wilde's writing is truly amazing ♥️
I'm glad I could revisit it after reading Happy Prince and many of his other short stories, in the past
November 6, 2022
Oscar Wilde was a genius.
These short stories (some very short) were beautiful and troubling.
These short stories (some very short) were beautiful and troubling.
‘But I was dead once and you raised me from the dead. What else should I do but weep?’
May 4, 2022
Oscar Wilde was obsessed with flowers & Nightingales it seems.
Wilde's poems are like mini stories. I prefer shorter poetry on deeper topics. He spoke a lot about Greek mythology, war, nature, & flowers. None of those are subjects I like.
I only really ended up liking 15/94. The poems require a lot of research to understand them. I enjoyed the way the "Poems in Prose" section was done. Oscar was crafty but it looked like he had a checklist of the million things he wanted to talk about. And he tried to shove them all in lengthy poems. I starred my favorites down below.
5 stars
*Hélas
*Quia Multum Amavi
*Apologia
*The Doer of Good
4 stars
*San Miniato
*Ave Maria Gratia Plena
*Panthea
*Taedium Vitae
*On The Sale By Auction of Keats' Love Letters
*The Disciple
The Harlots House
Santa Decca
E Tenebris
Silentium Amoris
The Artists Dream or San Artysty
Wilde's poems are like mini stories. I prefer shorter poetry on deeper topics. He spoke a lot about Greek mythology, war, nature, & flowers. None of those are subjects I like.
I only really ended up liking 15/94. The poems require a lot of research to understand them. I enjoyed the way the "Poems in Prose" section was done. Oscar was crafty but it looked like he had a checklist of the million things he wanted to talk about. And he tried to shove them all in lengthy poems. I starred my favorites down below.
5 stars
*Hélas
*Quia Multum Amavi
*Apologia
*The Doer of Good
4 stars
*San Miniato
*Ave Maria Gratia Plena
*Panthea
*Taedium Vitae
*On The Sale By Auction of Keats' Love Letters
*The Disciple
The Harlots House
Santa Decca
E Tenebris
Silentium Amoris
The Artists Dream or San Artysty
February 24, 2016
#31: Un libro de poesía.
Es muy difícil dar una opinión de este libro pues tuve grandes expectativas en él y me han dejado mal. No creo que haya sido porque el trabajo sea malo, sino que más bien la temática no iba tanto conmigo, creo que este toque excesivamente religioso en los últimos poemas me hizo desengancharme un mundo.
Por momentos me detenía a pensar: Oscar Wilde es un genio, su trabajo es genial pero esto... Vamos, esto no es lo que va conmigo.
Estamos hablando de poesía y mi forma de "evaluar" la poesía es viendo lo que me hace sentir y esto sinceramente no me hizo sentir nada. Es un buen trabajo, de uno de mis favoritos, entiendo lo que esta tratando de decir pero meh, no. Claramente no todo es sentimientos y como esta muy bien planteado y todo le voy a dar las tres estrellas.
Update: Intenté releerlo en su idioma original a ver si mi falta de atención había sido gracias a una mala traducción y no pude pasar del primer poema porque realmente me cuesta prestarle atención, incluso creo que los prefiero en castellano.
Pronto haré una reseña más decente.
Es muy difícil dar una opinión de este libro pues tuve grandes expectativas en él y me han dejado mal. No creo que haya sido porque el trabajo sea malo, sino que más bien la temática no iba tanto conmigo, creo que este toque excesivamente religioso en los últimos poemas me hizo desengancharme un mundo.
Por momentos me detenía a pensar: Oscar Wilde es un genio, su trabajo es genial pero esto... Vamos, esto no es lo que va conmigo.
Estamos hablando de poesía y mi forma de "evaluar" la poesía es viendo lo que me hace sentir y esto sinceramente no me hizo sentir nada. Es un buen trabajo, de uno de mis favoritos, entiendo lo que esta tratando de decir pero meh, no. Claramente no todo es sentimientos y como esta muy bien planteado y todo le voy a dar las tres estrellas.
Update: Intenté releerlo en su idioma original a ver si mi falta de atención había sido gracias a una mala traducción y no pude pasar del primer poema porque realmente me cuesta prestarle atención, incluso creo que los prefiero en castellano.
Pronto haré una reseña más decente.
February 7, 2017
This has left me completely cold. Very sad, I think I must try to read some of the more known works of Wilde. I'm sure I'll find more interest in them
November 5, 2017
I don’t think they are really poems. They’re probably what can be called in our time, “very short stories.”
I love the way Wilde utilizes mythology to make beautiful tales.
In the end of “The Disciple”, he wrote: “And the pool answered, ‘But I loved Narcissus because, as he lay on my banks and looked down at me, in the mirrors of his eyes I saw ever my own beauty mirrored.’”
I love the way Wilde utilizes mythology to make beautiful tales.
In the end of “The Disciple”, he wrote: “And the pool answered, ‘But I loved Narcissus because, as he lay on my banks and looked down at me, in the mirrors of his eyes I saw ever my own beauty mirrored.’”
July 2, 2022
Oscar Wilde nos presenta diferentes historias con su deliciosa prosa que nos trasporta a diferentes lugares, aunque no todos llegaron a ser entendibles, la familiaridad que comparte es asombrosa.
Los títulos que continen:
- El artista
- El hacedor del bien
- El discípulo
- El maestro
- La casa del juicio
- El maestro de la sabiduría
- El poeta en los infiernos
- La historia del hombre que vendió su alma
- El arte y el amante
- Naboth y Jezabel
- Simón el cirineo
Los títulos que continen:
- El artista
- El hacedor del bien
- El discípulo
- El maestro
- La casa del juicio
- El maestro de la sabiduría
- El poeta en los infiernos
- La historia del hombre que vendió su alma
- El arte y el amante
- Naboth y Jezabel
- Simón el cirineo
September 15, 2024
Religious stories from an Atheist. As always many questions raised with no answers found. A very nice and short read with an infinite amount of possible interpretations
January 23, 2015
"One evening there came into his soul the desire to fashion an image
of THE PLEASURE THAT ABIDETH FOR A MOMENT. And he went forth into
the world to look for bronze. For he could think only in bronze. But all the bronze of the whole world had disappeared, nor anywhere
in the whole world was there any bronze to be found, save only the
bronze of the image of THE SORROW THAT ENDURETH FOR EVER.
Now this image he had himself, and with his own hands, fashioned,
and had set it on the tomb of the one thing he had loved in life.
On the tomb of the dead thing he had most loved had he set this
image of his own fashioning, that it might serve as a sign of the
love of man that dieth not, and a symbol of the sorrow of man that
endureth for ever. And in the whole world there was no other
bronze save the bronze of this image.
And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great
furnace, and gave it to the fire.
And out of the bronze of the image of THE SORROW THAT ENDURETH FOR
EVER he fashioned an image of THE PLEASURE THAT ABIDETH FOR A
MOMENT."
These selections are short, sweet, and definitely meaningful- they have the ability to convey a profound point in a very small amount of words, which I find fascinating- I'm not sure how common this style is, but it doesn't surprise me that Wilde tried it out, mainly because it seems like he played around with lots of different ways of writing. I enjoy the shortness of these little "blurbs" because they are easy to read, but they really do make you think because they end so abruptly. I remember reading "The Artist", which I have provided above, and rereading it a couple of times through. After I did this, I just sat there and said, "Huh!"
I think that these would definitely work as "bedside reading" stories, because they are short, but they make you think. Excellent!
of THE PLEASURE THAT ABIDETH FOR A MOMENT. And he went forth into
the world to look for bronze. For he could think only in bronze. But all the bronze of the whole world had disappeared, nor anywhere
in the whole world was there any bronze to be found, save only the
bronze of the image of THE SORROW THAT ENDURETH FOR EVER.
Now this image he had himself, and with his own hands, fashioned,
and had set it on the tomb of the one thing he had loved in life.
On the tomb of the dead thing he had most loved had he set this
image of his own fashioning, that it might serve as a sign of the
love of man that dieth not, and a symbol of the sorrow of man that
endureth for ever. And in the whole world there was no other
bronze save the bronze of this image.
And he took the image he had fashioned, and set it in a great
furnace, and gave it to the fire.
And out of the bronze of the image of THE SORROW THAT ENDURETH FOR
EVER he fashioned an image of THE PLEASURE THAT ABIDETH FOR A
MOMENT."
These selections are short, sweet, and definitely meaningful- they have the ability to convey a profound point in a very small amount of words, which I find fascinating- I'm not sure how common this style is, but it doesn't surprise me that Wilde tried it out, mainly because it seems like he played around with lots of different ways of writing. I enjoy the shortness of these little "blurbs" because they are easy to read, but they really do make you think because they end so abruptly. I remember reading "The Artist", which I have provided above, and rereading it a couple of times through. After I did this, I just sat there and said, "Huh!"
I think that these would definitely work as "bedside reading" stories, because they are short, but they make you think. Excellent!
July 9, 2016
Un Oscar Wilde más oscuro que de costumbre, sin mucho humor, pero con un abanico de temas que van desde la moral victoriana hasta el cuestionamiento de la filosofía cristiana. Precisamente uno de los cuentos más impactante que encontramos aquí es El maestro de la sabiduría que cuestiona de forma feroz cómo los líderes espirituales deben probar su fe para obtener el perfecto amor de Dios. Bastante impresionante.
Link de Descarga: https://losmenosprecie.blogspot.com.c...
Link de Descarga: https://losmenosprecie.blogspot.com.c...
November 22, 2012
Dark, unsettling, profound, ironic, and certainly fun to read -- I really liked these poems, even though they are somewhat . . . troubling. Not the place to go if you're looking for humor! I suppose that by now, the ideas in these poems may not seem so original, but I still found them chilling.
July 16, 2021
Poemas em prosa são interessantes por princípio; seja pela estética não convencional, seja pela oralidade do lirismo. Esse livro tem ótimos poemas... Outros, nem tanto. Se perdem em uma narrativa lírica. A ironia e o sarcasmo são o ponto alto.
June 7, 2013
Only liked the first one. I mean, loved. Rest is bleh.
December 20, 2016
"Pero yo amaba a Narciso porque, cuando se sentaba junto a mis orillas y miraba mis aguas, en el espejo de sus ojos yo veía reflejada mi propia belleza."
July 27, 2021
i’m in love with oscar’s literature
watch me hyperfixate on him for the next two weeks
watch me hyperfixate on him for the next two weeks
April 23, 2020
No fue mi favorito, demasiado religioso para mí gusto. Con moralejas extrañas al final. Siento que tiene guiños a cosas que desconozco, no lo puedo apreciar como libro aparte.
***
Una vez en la tierra, un poeta hizo un canto sobre ella, de manera que su nombre quedara eternamente asociado a sus versos, que aún suenan en los labios de los hombres. Y si ahora ella aguza el oído, es para oír sus alabanzas resonando doquiera se habla lengua humana.
Faltábanle las ideas y las palabras de los autores, las indicaciones del director de escena
—¿Llego a tiempo?
Ella levantó los ojos hacia el reloj y contestó:
—Sí… aunque demasiado tarde.
***
Una vez en la tierra, un poeta hizo un canto sobre ella, de manera que su nombre quedara eternamente asociado a sus versos, que aún suenan en los labios de los hombres. Y si ahora ella aguza el oído, es para oír sus alabanzas resonando doquiera se habla lengua humana.
Faltábanle las ideas y las palabras de los autores, las indicaciones del director de escena
—¿Llego a tiempo?
Ella levantó los ojos hacia el reloj y contestó:
—Sí… aunque demasiado tarde.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2022
Oscar tiene una manera tan idílica de escribir is actually unbelievable he existed. Lo hizo nuevamente. Escribe con una ligereza y tan sutilmente que te deja noqueado. Nació para ser un escritor y sus palabras quedarán por siempre plasmadas en las cabecitas de sus lectores. Love him here, love him always.
August 22, 2024
Cada vez más encantado con Wilde. No hay forma de no caer en sus hechizos. Buscando sobre su vida me impresiona lo poco que se reflexiona sobre esta y casi todo queda en escándalos de su vida. Lo que más encanta de Wilde no es que sepa narrar la experiencia homosexual, sino que entiende la experiencia humana.
April 10, 2020
Mesmo sem ser uma pessoa religiosa, as palavras conseguiram me transportar e me fazer sorrir e pesar com os personagens, além de refletir suas lições. Um excelente livro, que só peca em algumas vírgulas.
February 4, 2023
É um livro com seis “contos” de alegorias bíblicas. São muito bons, cada conto tem “build up” que acaba de repente, te deixando querendo mais. Acho que um conhecimento bíblico mais intermediário iria ajudar a entender melhor a satirizarão do Oscar.
May 18, 2024
I COULD NOT FIND "THE ARTIST" OR "THE MASTER" SO I HAVE TO USE THIS COLLECTION. UGH.
Anyway, the master:
Interesting but dare I say a it whiny & childish?
The artist:
Tbh, not quite sure that I understood EVERYTHING but the things I DID understand where really cool.
Anyway, the master:
Interesting but dare I say a it whiny & childish?
The artist:
Tbh, not quite sure that I understood EVERYTHING but the things I DID understand where really cool.
March 29, 2020
Unexpectedly fascinating philosophical vignettes on Christianity and ethics. (But also, life and all its complexities.) Must read for Wilde lovers.
April 29, 2020
Todos referidos a dios
November 27, 2020
Mis expectativas eran altas, pero no logré empatizar con estas historias y/o poemas.
Sentí que leía un pedazo de la biblia.
Aunque el último si me gustó lo suficiente.
Sentí que leía un pedazo de la biblia.
Aunque el último si me gustó lo suficiente.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews