POEMS WITH THE BALLAD OF READING GAOL

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The poem was composed by Oscar Wilde during his exile in Berneval-le-Grand, following his release from Reading Gaol on 19 May 1897. Wilde had been imprisoned after a conviction for gross indecency in 1895, receiving a two-year sentence of hard labor. During his incarceration, on 7 July 1896, a hanging occurred; Charles Thomas Wooldridge, convicted of murdering his wife, was executed at the age of 30. Wilde entered prison on 25 March 1895, initially processed at Newgate before being moved to Pentonville, where "hard labor" involved tedious tasks like walking a treadmill and picking oakum. Reading only the Bible and The Pilgrim's Progress, he endured a regime that prohibited communication among prisoners and required them to wear veils in public. Later, he was transferred to Wandsworth Prison, where he declared bankruptcy, losing nearly all his possessions, including books and manuscripts. On 23 November 1895, he was moved to Reading Gaol, where he spent the remainder of his sentence, identified solely by his cell number, "C.3.3." Five months after Wilde's arrival, Wooldridge was brought to Reading for his trial, leading to his execution, the first hanging there in 18 years. Wilde was released on 18 May 1897, moved to France, and never returned to Britain, passing away in Paris on 30 November 1900 at the age of 46.