De profundis

by Oscar Wilde

"De profundis" by Oscar Wilde is a letter written between January and March 1897 during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol. Addressed to his former lover Lord Alfred Douglas, the letter recounts their extravagant relationship that led to Wilde's conviction for gross indecency. In its pages, Wilde reflects on both Douglas's vanity and his own weakness, then charts his spiritual transformation in prison and his identification with Jesus Christ as a romantic artist. Written under strict conditions, the manuscript was entrusted to Robert Ross upon Wilde's release.