Oscar Wilde - DE PROFUNDIS

Purpose

- Serves as a tool for Wilde's own self-reflection and catharsis. Having been unable to utilise his writing skills in prison, this was an opportunity for Wilde to reflect on his previous decisions and life choices.

- Wilde was a popular writer therefore he would have been likely to know that this would be published in some form, therefore he seeks to challenge the preconceptions of the wider public, to take responsibility for his previous mistakes and to show his spiritual growth.

- To force Bosie to take responsibility for his role in Wilde's incarceration.

Audience

Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie) to whom the letter is addressed.

- Serves as a diary, therefore the audience would include Wilde himself.

- His adversaries: he has grown and developed personally and spiritually during his incarceration.
- His followers (past and present). Wilde was a well-established, successful writer. He left a lasting legacy: known for his representation of the homosexual community.

Mode

A letter (addressed to Bosie)

- 50,000 words long and served as almost a diary/journal for Wilde during his final month in prison.
Unlike his previous previous writing (which often demonstrated a flippant, comical style) this letter adopts an honest, reflective tone as he is disconnected from his audience.

- Ross was entrusted with this letter by wilde and was instructed to send this letter to Bosie. However, he also made a copy which would later be published with the title ' De profundis'.

- Edited and censored versions were published across the years, however the final manuscript was made public in 1960 after being donated to the British Museum.

Topicality

This extract begins by Wilde offering an honest admission that whilst prison has caused him great suffering, he will take strength from this experience and learn to grow.

- Wilde then goes on to offer and uncharacteristic admission that he no longer dwells on the views of judgement of others he is no longer consumed by self-indulgent thoughts.

- He concludes by exploring his spiritual development and growth during his incarceration. As he comes to an end of his sentence, he does not want to forget this experience. It is now part of him.

Context

- Oscar Wilde (1854-1990) was an Irish poet, they write another list.

- Known for works include: a picture of Dorian Gray and the importance of being Ernest.

- Married constant Lloyd (1884).
However, this marriage began to unravel as he embarked upon him a sexual relations with a number of different men.

- Beginning affair with Lloyd Alfred Bruce Douglas (Boise), A British poet. Douglas's father, the Marquis of Queensbury disapproved of this affair and publicly sought to expose wilds homosexuality.

- Why would suit him for criminal libel (slander) but this trial unearthed.

- Wilde is illegal in counters were uncovered and he was jailed for 'gross indecency'.

Wilde was incarcerated from 1895 to 1897.

- His time in Pentonville prison involved hard labour and access only to the Bible.
His time in Wandsworth prison was detrimental to his health.
He was then moved to Reading Gaol On the 23rd of November 1895 where he spent the remainder of his sentence.

- Close to the end of his imprisonment the new officer, Nelson believe that writing a letter will be more cathartic for a while then hard labour (D profundus).
He was not allowed to send the letter, instead turning in each page after its completion.

- The pages will be returned to him upon his release.
He would interest the manuscript to Robert Ross who published the letter five years after wildes death (1905).
The letter titled 'De Profundis' (Latin; from the depths) alludes to Psalm 130 which is a call to God from great sorrow.

- He addresses the letter to Bosie (Lord Alfred Douglas).
The first half of this letter recalls his relationship with bosie is extravagant and shallow lifestyle.
The second half of the letter, this extract, is a spiritual reflection-his identification with Jesus Christ and personal growth.

- He reflects on the physical and emotional struggles throughout his incarceration and the humility that this has given him.
Wilde was able to edit his letters upon his release.

"I want to get to the point when I shall be able to say quite simply"

The mental verb process 'I want to' immediately creates a voice of hope and optimism that is also hinged with uncertainty.
He understands that he has further personal growth to come. This allows the reader to understand that he hopes to embrace this experience as he does not want to dwell on the mistakes of the past.

"My father sent me to Oxford, when society sent me to prison"

- The syntactic parallelism highlights these juxtaposing experiences, and this foregrounds that he seeks to recognise his incarnation as an important 'turning point'.

- This allows Wilde to acknowledge that his higher education contributed towards his success as a writer this highlights that he aims to use 'prison' as a factor for his personal growth.
- However, the personified 'society' shows a sense a resentment; alluding to the idea he has been incarcerated due to societies perceptions of homosexuality, this ultimately highlights his lack of power.

I will not say prison is the best thing that could have happened to me"

the superlative 'best' creates a wry, sarcastic tone through this clear understatement. Which forces the reader to see that he still maintains a sense a self-respect and indignation.

"would savor too great bitterness towards myself"

the abstract noun 'bitterness' allows Wilde to clarify that by accepting this experience willingly would mean degrading himself. This exposes that he should not resent himself entirely, the 'bitterness' would strip himself of his identity.

What is said, however, by myself or by others, matters little"

the ironic admission 'matters little' is hinged on irony as his career, persona and status has been built upon these views. However, this sparks his clear transition to one of spirituality; he must accept his fate and learn to grow.

"the brief remainder of my days is not to be maimed, marred , and incomplete"

the triadic list and consonance 'm' allows Wilde to create a poetic tone of certainty; it creates a sense of optimism that he can embrace this experience and that he will not succumb to a life of self-hatred. He intends on moving forward with his life and learning from this experience

"I would be haunted by an intolerable sense of disgrace, and that those things that are meant for me as much as for anybody else"

the abstract noun 'disgrace' forces the reader to understand that Wilde is unwilling to forget this experience; doing so would mean that he would be left to feel ashamed of himself. When noting "are meant for me as much as for anybody else" it creates a voice of strength and pride as he believes that he deserves the same opportunities as everybody else

"To regret one's own experiences is to arrest ones' own development. To deny ones' own experiences is to put a lie into the lips of ones' own life"

The syntactic parallelism allows Wilde to explicitly acknowledge that he must learn from his experiences to develop personally and spiritually. He should not 'regret' nor 'deny', instead take ownership of his past and embrace the present for what it is bringing to him.

It is no less then denial of the soul"

this closing religious imagery alludes to Wilde's growing relationship with Catholicism; it shows his growing relationship with God and that to try and forget this experience would restrict his soul's growth and development.