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Oscar Wilde Poetry Analysis

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Analyzing a Poet: Oscar Wilde
Poems have a special meaning to the people who read them and the poet themselves even Oscar Wilde, a poet, author and play writer. Oscar Wilde was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. His parents were Jane and William Wilde and was also the second child of three kids. He was fluent French and German and his parents were successful people. Wilde wrote books, plays, poetry but out of all of them his plays are the most known. I am going to analyze Oscar Wilde because his poems have imagery and metaphors that caught my eye and just how it was written I really loved.

At a young age, Wilde’s mother would read poetry that she wrote to him and would make it a habit to read it to him. Wilde was introduced to poetry at a young age. He was taught at home until nine where he learned how to speak French and German like I said earlier. His little sister Isola died at age nine from meningitis which is inflammation of the brain and also spinal cord membranes and his poem Requiescat was made in her memory. Wilde was accepted into the college Trinity College from 1871 to 1874 with his older brother, Willie. His tutor gave him the interest in Greek literature. After that he attended another college called, Magdalen.

Death is very hard on the people who are dying and those around them, his poem Requiescat is inspired by the sad death of his sister as I spoke about earlier. It is very powerful and meaningful because it talks about her death and how sad and painful it is for others afterwards. First off, in stanza three it says “Lily-like, white as snow, She hardly knew She was a woman, so Sweetly she grew." This stanza is stating that his sister, Isola was pure and innocent. The phrase “white as snow” means pure. Secondly, in stanza four it says “Coffin-board, heavy stone, Lie on her breast, I vex my heart alone, She is at rest." In my opinion, “heavy stone” is her grave and “lie on her breast, I vex my heart alone” means his heart is with her or it can even mean distressed heart because i found out that vex means distress. Lastly, in stanza five it says “Peace, peace, she cannot hear, Lyre or sonnet, All my life's buried here, Heap earth upon it."

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