"Alas!" Oscar Wilde Automatic translate

Oscar Wilde published a volume of poetry with the simplest and most direct title possible: Poems. The opening poem of the collection has the title "Hélas", which is by no means simple and direct. In fact, were it not for the exclamation mark at the end instead of the beginning, one might assume that the name is Spanish and not French. And even the choice of the French title of the poem is misleading, because when translating into Russian, we get the well-known, but rarely used in everyday speech, word: "Alas."

"Hélas" is a short poem consisting of only 14 lines of sonnet form in one stanza. The most famous passage is his opening statement:

"Drifting with every passion until my soul
Becomes a stringed lute that all winds can play."

A dozen more lines follow, in which control and rigor are contrasted with the flight of poetic fantasy and the hedonistic enjoyment of what goes beyond self-control. This theme, in which control is opposed to freedom, lays the foundation for what will become the main theme of the entire collection. It is important to the understanding of poetry that this poem and its collection were published before the world knew about the portrait of the decaying Dorian Gray or the fan held by Lady Windermere or the importance of being serious. The publication of Helas in 1881 introduced the world to a poet who changed the world and became, without a doubt, one of its greatest minds.

The depth (or height, depending on one’s point of view) that Oscar Wilde was willing to go to test the limits of his hedonism was yet to come and would not be fully reached for more than a decade.

Plot

The poet begins by saying that he succumbed to the temptation of any passion to such an extent that his soul turned into a "stringed lute". He wonders if he has given up his ancient wisdom for materialistic pleasures. He portrays the feeling of dissatisfaction he feels.

Then he goes on to say that it seems to him that he has darkened the great secret of the world by indulging every possible passion. He also says that there was a time when he was willing to do anything to "reach the ears of God" and wonders if that is a thing of the past.

In the end, he says that he has only touched the pleasures of passion, but has stained himself for life and is doomed to lose the "inheritance of the soul."

List of characters

Speaker

The speaker is the only character in the poem. He says that he lost his wisdom for the sake of the moment of life. He expresses a sense of dissatisfaction and decline, saying that just because he touched the pleasures of life, he forever stained himself and lost his “soul inheritance”.

In fact, the speaker wants to reflect on the great truth of life and renounce petty passionate pleasures.

God

There is a dark reference to God in this poem, but it seems more secular because it does not say which god it is.

Topics

Disappointment

The central theme of this poem is the theme of discontent, and the poet projects this quality onto the reader from the very beginning. The title itself shows that this poem is about some kind of regret. As a storyteller, the poet is, in fact, unhappy that he abandoned his wisdom, succumbing to the worldly pleasures of passion.

Spirituality/morality

Another theme that is hidden in this poem is the theme of spirituality, or rather morality. It seems that the poet reflects on his actions and wonders if he did the right thing, succumbing to the temptation of materialistic pleasures. There is a strict moralism in this poem, the idea of ​​which is conveyed by such words as "strict" and "ancient wisdom".

Passion

The source of his discontent is what the poet considers his weakness. He believes that the fact that he indulges in passions means that he has lost his wisdom and self-control. Passions play a negative role in this poem and are the source of the poet’s discontent.

This poem seems to be an unconventional sonnet in which passion or love is the object of the poet’s frustration. Traditional sonnets glorify love, but this sonnet speaks of the foolishness of giving in to passion.

The poem is permeated with a sense of dissatisfaction, and already from the title itself, which means “Alas!” in French, it becomes clear that the poet will be dissatisfied in the poem. The poem talks about the binarity between morality and passions. There is a sense of morality in the poem. The poet demonstrates a sense of "moral awareness and even remorse".

The poet feels that, having succumbed to passion, he has given up his moral authority and lost his "inheritance of the soul." He feels a sense of remorse because he has squandered his moral authority by indulging in materialistic pleasures. It seems to him that his life is just a scroll that was sketched out on some kind of “boyish holiday”. In other words, he feels that his life has no value in a higher sense, and he has forgotten the greater meaning of life.

The poem ends with the poet saying that for the mere taste of passions he has lost all moral support.