Project Gutenberg
1997-05-01
Public domain in the USA.
17880
Wilde, Oscar
1854
1900
Wilde, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills
De Profundis
Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Profundis_(letter)
Transcribed from the 1913 Methuen & Co. edition by David Price. Note that later editions of De Profundis contained more material. The most complete editions are still in copyright in the U.S.A
"De Profundis" by Oscar Wilde is a poignant letter written during the early 1900s, specifically in the late Victorian era. This work is a deeply introspective reflection on suffering, love, and redemption, crafted in the form of a philosophical essay. Wilde penned this powerful piece while imprisoned, as he contemplates the nature of his own pain and the meaning of existence in relation to his experiences of disgrace and imprisonment. In "De Profundis," Wilde examines his own descent from fame and success into the depths of despair and incarceration. He grapples with themes of guilt, the loss of love—specifically, his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas—and the resulting impact on his identity. Through his reflections, he delineates a journey from a life of hedonistic pleasures to one enriched with humility and compassion, where he learns to appreciate the value of suffering. Ultimately, Wilde posits that true beauty and meaning can be derived from sorrow, and he arrives at a profound understanding of love and its power to redeem, marking a transformation from despair to a hopeful embrace of the future. This introspective narrative serves as a testament to Wilde's resilience and his belief in the beauty of the human experience, even amidst profound suffering. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 73.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900
Suffering
Grief
Imprisonment
PR
Text
Category: Biographies
Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches
Category: British Literature
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