Eoghan Lyng tells us how in De Profundis, Oscar Wilde’s life truly imitates art.Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis is a melting pot of many different artistic ideas. Incorporating the religious and the homoerotic, this work involves many different perspectives on the aesthetic within this great piece of writing. Combining letter form with the layout of an essay, De Profundis is a must read. Wilde uses his creative art to write a piece that forms his magnum opus.The intellectual thought found within the letter is incredibly good. Wilde’s eradication of traditional thought is incredibly pertinent, particularly his astute comparisons between his predicament and that of Jesus Christ. When contemplating various attributes that circumnavigate spiritual questioning, Wilde provides proverbial answers in his epistle (such as the dogmatic statement that the Messiah “is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid our faces from him!”)Although Wilde`s Fin de Siècle audience may have found these statements to be incredibly audacious, a twenty-first century audience (fed on the radical concepts of Salman Rushdie) can appropriate his thoughts in a better manner, showing Wilde in a true philosophical light. Despite the fact that some passages are difficult to read due to their blatant criticism of Wilde’s former lover Alfred Douglas, the letter ultimately feels hopeful. Although Wilde has nothing while in prison, he still writes in an upbeat manner that makes the readers feel optimistic about themselves. Unwilling to delve into a pitiful account, Wilde makes it appear that this is a simple strand that he must face, believing that “this new life... is of course no new life at all, but simply the continuance by means of development and evolution, of my former life.” Wilde appears placid, despite the awful situation that he finds himself in. Quite impressive, truth be told!The best attribute about the book is the complete abstinence of additional characters within the letter. Completely naked in his writing, Wilde has no Jack Worthing’s or Lady Windemere’s to hide behind. The revelation behind the writing is pure and honest, much to the amazement of the reader. Wilde’s letter gives an insight into the imprisoned life of a man and it is extraordinary that Wilde wrote something so upbeat when he faced with losing everything in his life. Despite the informality of the letter, the greatness of Wilde’s ideas is realised.From a personal viewpoint, De Profundis greatly helps Wilde’s reputation as Ireland`s greatest writer. If the man could write such a powerful piece without realising it, it shows the immeasurable talent that Wilde possessed. Proverbial intelligence and contemporary society insights are not the normal things people write about in their letters, but Wilde clearly was no ordinary individual. The piece is more insightful than Marx`s Communist Manifesto about personal perceptions and more religiously astute than Machiavelli`s The Prince.The aesthetic arguments and ideas of De Profundis are intrinsic to the form and the content. Firstly, the identification of the piece as a letter allows for the author’s ideas to be seen in a more serious light than they would have if they were spoken by characters in an essay. Secondly, his empathy with Jesus Christ as a fellow sufferer and artist can be understood better in the context of a letter. Thirdly, his wish to turn everything - from his writing, to his lover - into art, is comprehended more thoroughly due to his critical writing within the letter. De Profundis serves as the testament to Wilde’s works and realises his radical ideas in a real life setting. His life, as seen in the content of the letter, truly imitates art, much to the enjoyment of the reader.
