Poem

For my poem I chose Oscar Wilde because obviously he is what we are studying right now. The poem goes

Helas!

To drift with every passion till my soul

Is a stringed lute on which all winds can play,

Is it for this that I have given away

Mine ancient wisdom, and austere control?

Methinks my life is a twice-written scroll

Scrawled over on some boyish holiday

With idle songs for pipe and virelay,

Which do but mar the secret of the whole.

Surely there was a time I might have trod

The sunlit heights, and from life's dissonance

Struck one clear chord to reach the ears of God.

Is that time dead?  lo! with a little rod

I did but touch the honey of romance—

And must I lose a soul's inheritance?

Interestingly enough, although Frenchmen hated Englishmen and Englishmen hated Frenchmen, Oscar wilde starts this poem off with a French word “helas” which is similar to “alas”, but it has a negative connotation… so even from the beginning we can realize that the poem generally is going to have a very negative feel to it. Wilde then alludes back to an old French type of poem (Which was actually in our list of things to study for the final) this shows a reflection on the past, but the diction is fairly romantic even if it is fairly negative.  The instrument that is present is also another allusion (Lute, no pun intended) is also another ancient item brought into the poem, both of these things can be combined to believe that the speaker of the poem doesn’t have a strong affinity for the present. Music is also very present throughout the poem,  with a beaty undertone as well as concise allusions to musical items and parts of instruments. This combination of French culture, Music, and appraisal of the past specifically refer to Wilde’s life. Wilde had a strong affection for French culture, unlike other Victorians, he often spent time in Paris or reading French works. Although I could not find data about Wilde’s musical affection we do know that in “The importance of being Earnest” references to Mozart and a piece of his specifically inside the play. I like to think the poem refers back to the simplicity of youth, children are generally seen as musical components with beats and melodies and moods, they also have much more freedom than adults do… not realistically but theoretically their negligence of being noticed kind of loans them the free will of demeanor and etiquette that adults simply did not have. Perhaps Wilde is looking back at his younger life (the poem was written when a lot of people criticized Wilde’s character)… his poems were also being discredited in large part by organizations that begged for traditional social order that would not include the vibrant flamboyancy that Wilde displayed in action and in dress.  So in this instance I equated Wilde and his beliefs with the speaker. A comment on decadence is also placed which Wilde traditionally has been known to satirically poke fun, but there is less satire in the poem then his other works. But essentially he asks how much he has to give up for this decadence… does he have to “sell his soul”.