The Ballad of Reading Gaol
eng. The Ballad of Reading Gaol · 1898
Prepared bythe Litseller editorial team.Our goal is to share concise, accurate, and valuable book summaries for personal growth and education.
Summary
«The Ballad of Reading Gaol» is a poem by Oscar Wilde, written after his imprisonment in Reading Gaol. The work describes the lives and sufferings of the prisoners, as well as the execution of one of them, Charles Thomas Wooldridge, who was convicted of murdering his wife. Wilde conveys the atmosphere of hopelessness and despair that pervades the prison and reflects on the cruelty of the justice system. The poem highlights universal themes of compassion and guilt, showing how prison affects the souls of people, stripping them of hope and humanity.
Date of publication: 29 January 2025
———Author:
Genre: Poetry
, , ,