De Profundis, the Ballad of Reading Gaol Other Writings

Wİth an Introduction and Natcs by Anne Varty, Royal HalIVKny. Universtty of LondonDe Profııııd^s is Oscar VVİldc's cloquerıt and bitter rcproach from prison to his lover. Lord Alfred Douglas CBosie'). İn au e\tended letter Wjlde accuscs Lord Alfred of solfishncss, shallowncss, parasitism, grced, fxıravagancc, ranıruiTis, poııincss and ncglccı. No conirasts ıhis behaviour iovvards him wiıh the selfless devolion of his close frierd, Rotıert Ross ('Robbie'l \vho became VVilde's literary e\ecutor, gave the \vork its title (froıu ihe opening ot Psalm 130) and \vho published a shortened version of it in ]905.The Bntlad oj Readuıg Gtıot is a deeply moving and characteristically gcncrous pocm on the horrors of prison liie. İt was published anonymously in IS98, signod only 'C.3.3', VVİldc's celi nunıbcr ir Reading Gaol, Wilde himselt, released from his ııvo-ycar prison sentence in \S91. ıvas at the lime living in France on the charity of friends and under the pseudonvnı Sebaslıan Mclmcth.This collection a\so includes the cssay The Soııl of Man under Socıalism. VVilde's most oulspoken defence of anarchy, and t\vo of his Plaıonic dialogucs. The Decay of Lying and The Crittc ns Artist in which he puls forvvard his provocalivcly \vHlv idcas abojl art and the sturial role of the artisl.