Thursday, August 15, 2024

The ballad of Reading Gaol - Oscar Wilde


Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish author, was incarcerated in Reading jail due to a homosexuality-related scandal.
In this work, a ballad as rhyme and metric are concerned, Wilde talks about a man who is sentenced to death penalty for having murdered his wife.
The ballad revolves around the emotions that this event ignites in the other inmates, their sense of solidarity, terror and guilt. The concept of authority, power and coercion are also analyzed.
It reads pretty smoothly, in spite of being very deep.

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