Author: Oscar Wilde
Date: 1897
Genre: Letter
Country: UK
A letter written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol, to his friend and lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. In its first half, Wilde recounts their previous relationship and extravagant lifestyle which resulted eventually in Wilde’s conviction and imprisonment for gross indecency. He indicts both Lord Alfred’s vanity and his own weakness. In the second half, Wilde charts his spiritual development in prison and identification with Jesus Christ, whom he characterizes as a romantic, individualist artist. The letter begins “Dear Bosie” and ends “Your Affectionate Friend”.