Poems, with The Ballad of Reading Gaol

"Poems, with The Ballad of Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde is a compilation of poems from the late 1800s that touches on subjects as varied as love and fairness in society, all while giving insight into what it means to be human. The pages hold a range of ideas, from personal feelings to thoughts on politics, all painted with bright pictures made of words, showing off the writer's special way of speaking and skill with language. Starting off, the book shows the author's beautiful writing with sad poems. The first, "Hélas!", thinks sadly about lost knowledge and time moving on, checking out the difficulties of personal battles and wanting to find deeper importance. Next, "Eleutheria" discusses freedom and the push and pull between love and suffering, suggesting the author's confusing relationship with what society wants and what they desire. Readers are pulled into a world where pretty scenes from nature clash with sad losses and trying to understand oneself, preparing them for the many layers of poems coming ahead.