Happy Spring Ya'll

Intro By Laurie Epps

The first day of spring brings to us many promises of hope and rebirth. My poem selection for today is from Oscar Wilde. I wrote a paper on Oscar Wilde in my Victorian Literature class, and he's definitely one of my favorites of this era.

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854. He lived to be 46 years of age, and I celebrated my 46th birthday yesterday. His mother, Lady Jane Francesca Wilde was also a poetess, and wrote under the male pen name Sperenza before Oscar was born. His father, Sir William Wilde was a specialist of the ear and eye. His mom was active in the women's rights movement, and is said to have ignored his dad's affairs. The affairs increased after he was promoted to be the Oculist in Ordinary to the Queen.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Oscar Wilde was highly educated, and attended the best schools in the United Kingdom including the Trinity School in Dublin (1871-1874) and Oxford University (1874-1878). Oscar Wilde was known as a "dandy" which means that he wore flamboyant yet stylish clothing. Wilde also collected blue china, peacock feathers, and wore velvet knickers. This aided rumors that Wilde was gay, which reappeared later on in his life. 

Once Wilde got his B.A. degree in 1878 from Oxford, he moved onto London, and became one of the forerunners of the Aesthetic Movement. Over-broad, the aesthetic movement advocated art for art's sake. 

Wilde worked as an art reviewer from 1881-1884 and lectured in England, then the United States and Canada, ending in Paris in 1883. Wilde continued on in Paris and lived there in 1883-1884 meeting his wife, Constance Lloyd. Sadly, she died just five years later, after bearing two sons with Oscar.

Despite his family life, Oscar was again criticized for being gay, and since the true love of his life was Alfred Douglas, he went to prison for sodomy in England. (At the time homosexuality was against the law in Britain.) Despite his personal life, Oscar Wilde wrote 86 poems, and a number of books & plays.

From Spring Days To Winter (For Music) 

by Oscar Wilde

In the glad springtime when leaves were green,
O merrily the throstle sings!
I sought, amid the tangled sheen,
Love whom mine eyes had never seen,
O the glad dove has golden wings!

Between the blossoms red and white,
O merrily the throstle sings!
My love first came into my sight,
O perfect vision of delight,
O the glad dove has golden wings!

The yellow apples glowed like fire,
O merrily the throstle sings!
O Love too great for lip or lyre,
Blown rose of love and of desire,
O the glad dove has golden wings!

But now with snow the tree is grey,
Ah, sadly now the throstle sings!
My love is dead: ah! well-a-day,
See at her silent feet I lay
A dove with broken wings!
Ah, Love! ah, Love! that thou wert slain -
Fond Dove, fond Dove return again!

Happy Spring, Ya'll!

Laurie Epps is a senior at Anderson University majoring in Creative Writing. Already Laurie is most published as a feature article writer, essayist, and poet. A seeker of beauty and world traveler, Laurie hopes to grow into a career in travel writing illuminating the many stories that make us human despite our differences. Currently, Laurie also has a Monday Morning Book Club column dedicated to writers everywhere.