De Profundis Flashcards
What type of writing is De Profundis
Autobiography
Aspects of autobiographies
-written account of the life of a person
-works to establish a rapport with the reader on a personal level
What is aestheticism
“Art for arts sake”
Focuses on the pursuit of beauty and the elevation of taste
Wilde relationship storyline
-married to Constance Lloyd with 2 children
-he started a relationship with Robert Ross, who became a lifelong friend
-Wilde then entered a highly destructive relationship with ‘Bosie’
Who was Bosie
A physically attractive, narcissistic, extravagant and hubristic
How did Wilde get into prison
Bosies father (Marquess of Queensbury) publicly condemned Wilde and Wilde was arrested for ‘gross indecency’
How did De Profundis come to be
Wilde wrote throughout his time in prison and formed a book, Robert Ross published the book and gave it the name “De Profundis”
What does De Profundis mean
‘Out of the depths’
-Biblical allusion to Psalm 130
Voices present in De Profundis
-personal & subjective
-formal register
-rhetorical techniques
-highly reflective
-a strong sense of regret
-focuses on the need to embrace and understand one’s own weaknesses and use these to form an identity
Rhetorical techniques used
-tricolon
-metaphor
-hyperbole/superlative adjs
-personification
-semantic fields
-diacope (eg ‘to be or not to be’)
-alliteration
What is the macropurpose
To inform Bosie of Wildes intense and personal responses to incarceration. Uses his experiences to effect personal transformation
What are the micropurposes
-to reflect on significant experiences in his life
-to explore errors made in the past
-to look forward to his release
-to focus on the importance of beauties
Who is the audience
-Bosie
