Born in 1854, Oscar Wilde was a prolific writer whose famous work includes novels like The Picture of Dorian Gray (originally published in 1890) and a play called The Importance of Being Earnest (which premiered in 1895). However, Wilde was also a prolific essayist. Over the course of his career, he published more than ten long-form essays, the most famous of which include "The Decay of Lying," which essentially argues for the adoption of romanticism over realism. "The Soul of Man Under Socialism," which advocated for libertarian socialism policies and "De Profundis," which is a letter Wilde wrote to his lover in prison (Wilde served a two-year-long sentence) discussing their relationship, his subsequent imprisonment for homosexuality, and how he found God.
All of his essays were widely read and mostly well-received ("The Ballad of Reading Gaol," for example, went through seven editions in less than two years). Before his imprisonment, Wilde's name was a major selling point for readers. However, after he completed his prison sentence, many publishers removed his name on his published material fearing that no one would buy his material.
Wilde died at age 46 in November 1900 as an impoverished alcoholic, representing a significant downturn from his early, more vibrant and jubilant years. Wilde's essays are perhaps some of the most important ever written. Had he not been imprisoned, perhaps he would have written many more of his wonderful novels, plays, and essays.
