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Book Synopsis
This poem - originally published anonymously, written after Wilde''s two year''s hard labour in Reading prison - is the tale of a man who has been sentenced to hang for the murder of the woman he loved. The Ballad of Reading Gaol follows the inmate through his final three weeks, as he stares at the sky and silently drinks his beer ration. Heart-wrenching and eye-opening, the ballad also expresses perfectly Wilde''s belief that humanity is made up only of offenders, each of us deserving a greater charity for the severity of our crimes.

The Ballad of Reading Gaol and Other Poems

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A Paperback by Oscar Wilde

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    View other formats and editions of The Ballad of Reading Gaol and Other Poems by Oscar Wilde

    Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
    Publication Date: 4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM
    ISBN13: 9780141192673, 978-0141192673
    ISBN10: 0141192674
    Also in:
    Poetry Books by Oscar Wilde

    Description

    Book Synopsis
    This poem - originally published anonymously, written after Wilde''s two year''s hard labour in Reading prison - is the tale of a man who has been sentenced to hang for the murder of the woman he loved. The Ballad of Reading Gaol follows the inmate through his final three weeks, as he stares at the sky and silently drinks his beer ration. Heart-wrenching and eye-opening, the ballad also expresses perfectly Wilde''s belief that humanity is made up only of offenders, each of us deserving a greater charity for the severity of our crimes.

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