Essays and Lectures
A collection of essays, lectures, reviews, letters, and aphorisms by Oscar Wilde:
- Art and the Handicraftsman »
An essay on art - There is no opposition to beauty except ugliness: all things are either beautiful or ugly. (9 pages)
- De Profundis »
A very long, intensely emotional letter written from prison at Reading Gaol to Lord Alfred Douglas – Bosie. (28 pages)
- House Decoration »
A lecture on house decoration: What is the meaning of beautiful decoration which we call art? (5 pages)
- Impressions of America »
Thoughts and impressions after lecture touring the United States in 1882. (4 pages)
- Lecture to Art Students »
Lecture about art and beauty: Nothing is more dangerous to the young artist than any conception of ideal beauty. (6 pages)
- London Models »
An essay on art models: Professional models are a purely modern invention. (5 pages)
- Miscellaneous Aphorisms »
A vast collection of Wilde's aphorisms and witty one-liners. (31 pages)
- Pen, Pencil, And Poison »
Essay about Thomas Griffiths Wainewright (1794 1847), English artist and serial poisoner. (14 pages)
- Poems in Prose »
Six prose poems published in The Fortnightly Review magazine in 1894. (6 pages)
- Reviews »
A collection of reviews written before Wilde's fame. (304 pages)
- Selected Prose »
A collection prose writings, with a preface by Robert Ross, a Canadian journalist and art critic. (57 pages)
- Shorter Prose Pieces »
Short prose collection on various topics and issues. (21 pages)
- Some Cruelties Of Prison Life »
Protest letter to The Daily Chronicle, criticism of the prison system. (7 pages)
- The Critic As Artist »
An essay on art written in the form of a philosophical dialogue. It contains Wilde's major aesthetic statements. (46 pages)
- The Decay Of Lying »
A critical dialogue between two upper-class aesthetes. (21 pages)
- The English Renaissance of Art »
Lecture on the English art, first delivered in New York, 1882. (17 pages)
- The Rise of Historical Criticism »
Lengthy essay evaluating historical writings and the art of criticism. (40 pages)
- The Soul Of Man Under Socialism »
An essay exploring socialism ideas. (24 pages)
- The Truth Of Masks »
An essay focusing of dramatic theory. (17 pages)