Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The Importance of Being Wilde









"Salomé, Salomé, dance for me. I pray thee dance for me. I am sad to-night. Yes, I am passing sad to-night. When I came hither I slipped in blood, which is an evil omen; and I heard, I am sure I heard in the air a beating of wings, a beating of giant wings. I cannot tell what they mean .... I am sad to-night. Therefore dance for me. Dance for me, Salomé, I beseech you. If you dance for me you may ask of me what you will, and I will give it you, even unto the half of my kingdom."
— Oscar Wilde (Salome)

Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.
-Oscar Wilde

Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same.
-Oscar Wilde

By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, journalism keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community.
-Oscar Wilde

Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to. -Oscar Wilde

I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself. -Oscar Wilde

I am not young enough to know everything. -Oscar Wilde

I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.
-Oscar Wilde

Most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. -Oscar Wilde

No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist. -Oscar Wilde

Nothing is so aggravating than calmness. -Oscar Wilde

Ridicule is the tribute paid to the genius by the mediocrities. -Oscar Wilde

Women are never disarmed by compliments. Men always are. That is the difference between the sexes. -Oscar Wilde

Women love us for our defects. If we have enough of them, they will forgive us everything, even our gigantic intellects. -Oscar Wilde

10 comments:

A Cuban In London said...

You missed one which actually became my motto for a long time:

'A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing'

It was an invaluable quote to live through the special period in Cuba in the 90s.

Many thanks for this post. It brought to mind the reasons why I like Wilde's writing so much. He is witty, sharp and observant. And his ideas were prescient to say the least. I did an essay on his 'Importance of Being Earnest' for my Literature of Great Britain final exam.

Greetings from London.

rochambeau said...

I love Oscar! Thank you for sharing all of these quotes Yoli. It is the way he mocks things with whit a wry sense of and humor. He is not afraid to tell it like it is. I admire his his writing very much.

Have a great Tuesday. Great Post!

xox
Constance

Ash Fox said...

that oscar doll s the cutest thing i have ever seen.
x
www.tittees.blogspot.com

Bjornik said...

This is the first time I've run across his writings. Poor me! And I have always thought he is the one who wrote the Animal Farm.hahaha Thank you for posting this Yoli, he will be in my to read list fro now on.:)

tangobaby said...

Poor Oscar. I love him... he was so smart but in the end it was his heart that ruined him. Quite a life, though. And some great quotes to be sure.

Margaret M said...

I really enjoyed revisiting these quotes. I seem to be drawn to different ones at different times in my life. I wrote down a few to carry with me to reflect on this week. Thanks Yoli!

Renee said...

These are fantastic Yoli. I love the eyes on the doll too.

Just watched the Mr. and Mrs. Smith video, that is smokin.

xoxoxo

Jill said...

He's always seemed like a sad misunderstood soul to me who made life a little harder than it needs to be.

Anonymous said...

That doll is completely fantastic... did you make it, Yoli?

Maia said...

What a wonderful and expressive doll! Is it yours? I love Oscar Wilde. Unfortunately, happiness is not a prerequisite of great wit. But great wit is a gift to the world.