Top 25 Quotes by Oscar Wilde of 1859 - Page 56

Art creates an incomparable and unique effect, and, having done so, passes on to other things. Nature, upon the other hand, forgetting that that imitation can be made the sincerest form of insult, keeps on repeating

Art creates an incomparable and unique effect, and, having done so, passes on to other things. Nature, upon the other hand, forgetting that that imitation can be made the sincerest form of insult, keeps on repeating this effect until we all become absolutely wearied of it.

Oscar Wilde

Art, Unique, Hands

Oscar Wilde (1997). “Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Plays, the Poems, the Stories and the Essays Including De Profundis”, p.937, Wordsworth Editions

George Moore leads his readers to the latrine and locks them in.

Oscar Wilde

Locks, Reader

Oscar Wilde (2007). “Epigrams of Oscar Wilde”, p.74, Wordsworth Editions

Through our sunless lanes creeps Poverty with her hungry eyes, and Sin with his sodden face follows close behind her. Misery wakes us in the morning and Shame sits with us at night.

Oscar Wilde

Morning, Eye, Night

Oscar Wilde, General Press (2016). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: Novel, Short Stories, Poetry, Essays and Plays”, p.360, GENERAL PRESS

Like strange mechanical grotesques, Making fantastic arabesques, The shadows raced across the blind.

Oscar Wilde

Perception, Shadow, Strange

Oscar Wilde, Russell Jackson, Ian Small (2000). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: Poems and poems in prose”, p.161, Oxford University Press on Demand

The form of government that is most suitable to the artist is no government at all. Authority over him and his art is ridiculous.

Oscar Wilde

Art, Government, Ridiculous

Oscar Wilde (1969). “The Artist as Critic: Critical Writings of Oscar Wilde”, p.282, University of Chicago Press

Do not be afraid of the past. If people tell you that it is irrevocable, do not believe them.

Oscar Wilde

Believe, Past, People

Oscar Wilde, Russell Jackson, Ian Small (2000). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: De profundis, "Epistola : in carcere et vinculis"”, p.155, Oxford University Press on Demand

Many people become bankrupt through having invested too heavily in the prose of life. To have ruined one's self over poetry is an honor.

Oscar Wilde

Self, People, Honor

Oscar Wilde (2005). “Picture of Dorian Gray”, p.51, Prestwick House Inc

If we men married the women we deserved, we should have a very bad time of it.

Oscar Wilde

Time, Men, Should Have

Oscar Wilde (2015). “An Ideal Husband”, p.94, Oscar Wilde

Love is a sacrament that should be taken kneeling.

Oscar Wilde

Taken, Love Is, Kneeling

Oscar Wilde, Russell Jackson, Ian Small (2000). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: De profundis, "Epistola : in carcere et vinculis"”, p.181, Oxford University Press on Demand

Caricature is the tribute which mediocrity pays to genius.

Oscar Wilde

Genius, Mediocrity, Pay

Oscar Wilde (1971). “Witticisms of Oscar Wilde”

If God really wanted to punish, he'd answer all our prayers.

Oscar Wilde

Prayer, Punishment, Answers

When I was young, I was no one. Now, I'm worldwilde.

Oscar Wilde

Young

Mothers, of course, are all right. They pay a chap's bills and don't bother him. But fathers bother a chap and never pay his bills.

Oscar Wilde

Mother, Father, Pay

Oscar Wilde, Alyssa Harad (2005). “The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays”, p.27, Simon and Schuster

Missionaries are going to reform the world whether it wants to or not.

Oscar Wilde

Reform, World, Want

A book or poem which has no pity in it had better not be written.

Oscar Wilde

Book, Pity, Written

His morality is all sympathy, just what morality should be

Oscar Wilde

Sympathy, Morality, Should

Oscar Wilde, Russell Jackson, Ian Small (2000). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: De profundis, "Epistola : in carcere et vinculis"”, p.120, Oxford University Press on Demand

It is a very dangerous thing to know one’s friends.

Oscar Wilde

Funny, Friendship, Humor

Oscar Wilde (2012). “The Wit and Humor of Oscar Wilde”, p.188, Courier Corporation

The proper aim is to try and reconstruct society on such a basis that poverty will be impossible.

Oscar Wilde

Trying, Poverty, Impossible

Oscar Wilde (1969). “The Artist as Critic: Critical Writings of Oscar Wilde”, p.256, University of Chicago Press

The chin a little higher, dear. Style largely depends on the way the chin is worn. They are worn very high, just at present.

Oscar Wilde

Style, Littles, Way

Oscar Wilde (1899). “The Importance of Being Earnest”, p.133

In all unimportant matters, style, not sincerity, is the essential. In all important matters, style, not sincerity, is the essential.

Oscar Wilde

Style, Important, Essentials

Oscar Wilde (2012). “Epigrams”, p.66, BoD – Books on Demand

Great passions are for the great of soul, and great events can be seen only by those who are on a level with them

Oscar Wilde

Passion, Soul, Events

Oscar Wilde, Russell Jackson, Ian Small (2000). “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: De profundis, "Epistola : in carcere et vinculis"”, p.190, Oxford University Press on Demand

My sweet rose, my delicate flower, my lily of lilies, it is perhaps in prison that I am going to test the power of love. I am going to see if I cannot make the bitter warders sweet by the intensity of the love I bear you. I have had moments when I thought it would be wise to separate. Ah! Moments of weakness and madness! Now I see that would have mutilated my life, ruined my art, broken the musical chords which make a perfect soul. Even covered with mud I shall praise you, from the deepest abysses I shall cry to you. In my solitude you will be with me.

Oscar Wilde

Wise, Sweet, Art

That is what the highest criticism really is, the record of one's own soul. It is more fascinating than history, as it is concerned simply with oneself. It is more delightful than philosophy, as its subject is concrete and not abstract, real and not vague. It is the only civilized form of autobiography.

Oscar Wilde

Philosophy, Real, Soul

Oscar Wilde (1969). “The Artist as Critic: Critical Writings of Oscar Wilde”, p.365, University of Chicago Press