30th November

Today 125 years ago Oscar Wilde took his final breath.

Like many artists he died in exile, an outcast.

His grave is in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris with the following lines From ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol.’ 

And alien tears will fill for him

Pity’s long-broken urn,

For his mourners are outcast men

And outcasts always mourn.

If you are curious about the tribute To Wilde held in El Ateneo in Madrid here is short review.

The room was packed. First, we heard a rendering of Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the wild side’ on the violin.

We sat   back and listened to the story of the Happy Prince which was read most compassionately in Spanish and finished beautifully in English. This bedside story was followed by another, The Nightingale and the Rose.

Another well-known story The Canterville Ghost came next. Again the scene was set in Spanish and the tale was completed and well interpreted in  English

An extract from The Picture of Dorian Gray followed. Words come easily to Lord Henry who dazzles Mr Gray and encourages him to indulge in a life of Hedonism.

We heard the story of Salomé, who asked for and received the head of Jokanaan on a platter. It was an unfortunate or perhaps contradictory choice in my view as we celebrated International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Then we had a glittering performance of the dialogue between Lady Bracknell and Jack /Mr Worthing in the handbag scene from The Importance of Being Earnest., one of Mr Wilde’s wonderful society comedies.

We were very privileged to have Ireland’s new Ambassador to Spain read from ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol ’ published anonymously and signed only ’C.C.3.’ the number of the cell  in Reading Gaol where Wilde was kept in solitary confinement for two years. In it Wilde laments the cruel destiny awaiting his fellow prisoner.

The visiting Irish Ambassador to Ukraine (our solidarity goes out to the good people of Ukraine) also kindly participated and read from the powerful reflection De Profundis. It prompted  Wilde’s touching humility which was reached during his abject humiliation and imprisonment for the practice of homosexuality. 'The gods had given me everything'  

The evening was rounded off by Just a Song at Twilight i.e.  Love’s Old Sweet Song .

 

The following notes are taken from Collected Poems of Oscar Wilde, Wordsworth Poetry Library with notes by Dr Anne Varty, University of London.

Robert Ross, friend and literary executor worked hard to rehabilitate the reputation of his friend and to bring Wilde’s estate, bankrupt in 1895, back into credit for the benefits of his sons Cyril  born in 1885 and Vyvian born in 1886.

At the age of 28 Wilde lectured in America promoting Patience, an opera by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Wilde is rarely remembered as a poet, this aspect of his work has been eclipsed by his extraordinary life, stories and plays.

‘Requiescat’ ‘May she rest’ was a poem written by Wilde in 1874 in memory of his sister  Isola who died in 1867 shortly before her tenth birthday, when Wilde was twelve.

Tread lightly, she is near

Under the snow, speak gently, she can hear

The daisies grow

This was the only poem by Wilde that Yeats chose to anthologise in his 1895 edition of A Book of Irish Verse.