Religious Instabilities in Oscar Wilde’s Poetry

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Associtate professor- suez canal university- Arish faculty of Arts - Department of English

Abstract

Wilde’s poetry abounds with religious instabilities which show the poet fluctuating between Christianity and paganism. The poet is in a perpetual state of change. In one phase, the speaker in the poems is a wanderer, in another, he is a remorse-stricken repentant. In some other poems, the speaker is a pilgrim who sees and speaks to Christ and Mary. The poet’s interest in Christianity wanes gradually till the poet revolts against Christianity.
The poet is attracted to paganism with its Greek mythological deities. The more he is attracted to paganism, the more his interest in Christianity wanes. Once again, however, the poet loses interest in paganism. He even revolts against Greek deities. Few years before his death, the poet returns to Christianity following the example of Jesus Christ, the great sufferer and bearer of pain.

Main Subjects