The Life of Oscar Wilde

            Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, an acclaimed writer born on October 16, 1854, was born in Dublin, Ireland. William Wilde, Oscar's father, was 28 when he graduated as a doctor. William went on to study at Moorefield's Eye Hospital in London, where he wrote two books and was appointed medical advisor to the Irish Census of 1841. In the year of 1844, William founded St. Mark's Ophthalmic Hospital, and built energy at his own expense. William was also engaged in a previous marriage before Oscar's birth. Oscar's father had one other son (Henry), and two other daughters (Mary and Emily). Oscar's Mother, Jane Francesca Elgee, was a poet as well. She first gained attention in 1846 when she began writing revolutionary poems under the pseudonym (pen name) "Speranza" for a weekly Irish newspaper, "The Nation." In 1848, Ireland was in the midst of a deep famine and it became worse as the Year of Revolution began in Europe. As a result, the newspaper offices were raided and then closed. Jane went on to translate Wilhelm Meinhold's horror novel Sidonia the Sorceress. Much of Oscar's inspiration came from his mother's work in creating the English translation of Wilhelm Meinhold's writing.
             Oscar attended the Portora Royal School at Enniskillen where he grew a passion for Greek and Roman literature. Wilde graduated in 1871, and proceeded to attend Trinity College in Dublin on a scholarship. As an undergraduate, Wilde received the Foundation Scholarship for placing first in his exams. Wilde graduated in1874. He received the Berkeley gold medal for being the top student in Greek. As well as receiving the Demyship scholarship for studying Greek even further at Magdalene College in Oxford. After graduating from Oxford, Wilde moved in with his friend Frank miles in London. That's where Wilde continued his passion for poetry, as well as publishing his first collection of writings in 1881 called Poems.