Oscar Wilde as a story writer and the text analysis, literary devices along with the main lines explanation of "The Nightingale and the Rose".

1. Short Fiction Assignment
 Murk Razzaque
Discuss the genius of Oscar Wilde as a Short
Story writer.
Oscar Wilde was Irish. He was born in Dublin 1854. His
parents were quite famous and often invited important
peopleto their house and talked about important things.
And as a young boy, Oscar liked listening to those talks.
Oscar studied at the Oxford University. Oscar Wilde was
a famous writer, wit, dramatist and a leading figure in
Aestheticism. He was well known for his poetry and
Homosexuality. (as homosexuality was taken as offense

2. in Victorian age). He wrote many poems, short stories,
plays for the theatreand one novel “The picture of
DorianGray” for which he is very famous for.
He was brilliant with what he did, even with his story
“The Nightingale and the Rose” Wilde used a simple plot.
The main thing in this story is that a student of philosophy
fallen in love with a professor’s daughter. He wants to
bring a red rose for her then she will dance with him.
He uses a good diction in his writing and as a writer he
was inspired by the moment “Arts for Art’s sake”. He
died bankrupton Nov 30, 1900.
 The literary Devices Oscar Wilde used;
Oscar Wilde used few literary devices in “The nightingale
and the rose” such as simile,oxymoron,foreshadowing
etc.
Simile: He uses this literary device in the line
“"passion has made his face like pale ivory," which
are used to evoke strong images in the reader's mind.
In this particular example, the colour ivory is
contrasted with passion, a feeling we often associate

3. with deep red. This contrast is further reinforced
with another simile later on which describes the
colour of the white roses: "as white as the foam of
the sea.
Oxymoron: Wilde also uses an oxymoron to place the
conceptsof love and death. This appears in the phrase:
"Love that is perfected by Death" and is oxymoronic
because love is a human emotion which cannot survive
beyond death.
Foreshadowing: Wilde uses foreshadowingto hint at
the sacrifice the nightingale will make and to help the
reader to understand the logic behind her decision. “What
is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?

4. How love is portrayed in the Victorianage?
 Love in the Victorianage:
In Victorian era, peoplehad a very practical mindset
and they were considered not faithful and dishonest.
They would considered the status and wealth of a
person over their heart. And Wilde criticized
perspective of love in the eyes of the people.He
explains how “Practical, Deep and Precious” love is
in the eyes in the eyes of Nightingale. Than on the
otherhand how “Stupid and Shallow”love is for the
student. Wilde gives impression that this fable is
about true love, but afterwards we came to realization
how ironically it is portrayed.

5. Discuss in progressiveaccount from the idealistic
point of view (Nightingale’sperspective)to
Victorian’sview (student’s perspective).
- Two point of views presented in this story: the one
from nightingale and the one from the student.
 Love in the eyes of The Student:
“What a sillythinglove is, it is not half as usefulas logic.
For it does not proveanythingand it is always telling one
of things that are not goingto happen and making one
believethingsthat are not true in fact, it is quite
unpracticaland as in this age to be practicalis
everything.I shall go back to philosophyand study
metaphysics.
Explanation: After beingrejected, the studentis in great
grief& shows how disappointedhe is in himself and in
the concept of love by uttering thoselines and callinglove
a unpracticalthing.As in his age love was considereda
unpracticaland being practical was everything. And how
from now he considershis studiesmorepracticalin form
than love.

6.  Love in the eyes of Nightingale:
“Surelylove is a wonderfulthing, it is moreprecious
than emeraldsand dearer than fineopals.Pearls and
pomegranatescannotbuy it nor is it set forth in the
marketplace. It may not be purchasedof the
merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance
of gold”
Explanation:In theselines the Nightingaleexpress
that the love is a sweet and a precious thingfor her.
And it is not somethingwhich can be bought, as it is
priceless and the most beautiful.

7. Explain with Referenceto Context.
1.“Ah what little things does happiness depend?”
Reference: These lines are taken from the short story “the
nightingale and the rose” which was written by Oscar Wilde.
Wilde was an wit, poet and dramatist. He is famous for his all
time famous novel “The picture of Dorian Gray.”
Context: These lines were said by the student in the beginning
of the story. As the student came back from meeting his lover
and expresses his great grief and sorrow over his lover’s absurd
demands.
Explanation: In these lines we see the grief, sorrow and sadness
of the student as he recalls his lovers foolish & illogical demand.
In these lines he’s asking himself that he has everything, he has
the secrets of even the most complicated subject in the world,
philosophy. Yet he is helpless in the face pf the weather in
which it is impossible to find a red rose and also the fact that the
rose is such a small thing compared to the knowledge.

8. 2.“What a silly thing love is,” “it is not half as Logic, for it
does not prove anything and it is always telling one of the
things that are not going to happen, and making one
believe things that are not true in fact, it is quite
unpractical, and as in this age to be practical is
everything.”
Reference: These lines are taken from the short fiction “The
nightingale and the rose” by Oscar Wilde.
Context: These lines are said by the character of the student
after he came back from meeting his lover. He is expressing his
frustration as he utters these lines.
Explanation: As the student presented the red rose to the girl as
it was demanded by her. He got rejected by the girl as she
compared how Jewls were more precious for her which were
presented to her by the Chamberlain’s nephew than a simple red
rose. Both not realizing the sacrifice which was made to have
that red rose. After being rejected the student throws away the
red rose and calls love as a foolish thing, and says it is a
unpractical thing and being practical was better.

9. 3.“She would not sacrifice herself for others. She thinks
merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are
selfish. Still, it must be admitted that she has some beautiful
notes in her voice. What a pity it is that they do not mean
anything, or do any practical good”.
Reference: These lines are taken from the short fiction “The
nightingale and the rose” by Oscar Wilde.
Context: These lines are said by the character of the student, as
he was listening to nightingale sing. Calling nightingale’s voice
useless while feeling sorry for her.
Explanation: These lines are uttered by the student while
listening to the song being sung by the nightingale. As the
nightingale said to the student that she would try to find a red
rose for him anyhow. He points to the nightingale as a selfish
bird who would not sacrifice herself for others. But than the
student admires her sweet, melodious sound but then he feels
sorry for her, as her beautiful voice cannot be served for any
practical good.

10. 4.“ Love is better than life, and what is the heart of a bird
compared to the heart of a man?”
Reference: These lines are taken from the short fiction “The
nightingale and the rose” by Oscar Wilde.
Context: These lines are said by the character of the
Nightingale, these lines show the selfless nature of the
nightingale and her strong belief in love.
Explanation: These lines are said by nightingale, these lines
show the selfless nature of the sweet bird, her lovely heart and
her strong belief in Love. In these lines the nightingale says that
her life is nothing compared to love. And that love is more
precious to her then her own life. Aswell as her hearth is nothing
compared to a human’s heart. Which shows her selfless nature
and her true belief in love.

11. 5. “Death is a great price for a red rose.”
Reference: These lines are taken from the short fiction “The
nightingale and the rose” by Oscar Wilde.
Context: These lines are said by the character of the
Nightingale, while having the conversation with a red rose tree.
Explanation: The nightingale whole heartedly believed in Love.
For her love was the most beautiful thing in the world and
selflessly she would do anything to keep it alive. These lines
were said by the nightingale while she was having the
conversation with a red rose tree demanding her a rose for in
return she would sacrifice her own life by piercing her heart for
the sake of a red rose in return to keep love alive.
 Murk Razzaque
 Short Fiction