Easter Day: Oscar Wilde was a great poet and writer in the Victorian Era.
His plays Poems and Short Stories inspired a number of people in the Victorian Era
Poem Text
The people knelt upon the ground with awe:
And borne upon the necks of men I saw,
Like some great God, the Holy Lord of Rome.
Priest-like, he wore a robe more white than foam,
And, king-like, swathed himself in royal red,
Three crowns of gold rose high upon his head:
In Splendour and in light the Pope passed home.
My heart stole back across wide wastes of years
To One who wandered by a lonely sea,
And sought in vain for any place of rest:
‘Foxes have holes, and every bird its nest.
I, only I, must wander wearily,
And bruise my feet, and drink wine salt with tears.’
Easter Day Review
‘Easter Day’ is a poem that Wilde wrote in an ironical tone, mocking at the hypocrisy of the Catholics. He talks about how the ‘Holy Lord of Rome’ comes dressed as a king, looking like some God.
He wore a robe like the priests, but whiter than anything else, even foam. He had dressed in red like kings, looking splendid and grand.
With a sad heart, the poet compares the ‘Holy Lord of Rome’ with the Christ himself. He says how the Messiah had a road of sufferings and how he had sacrificed for mankind.
On the other hand, the Pope, who is supposed to live a life resembling Christ’s, leads a life that is exactly the opposite of the Lord’s. There is a certain pathos in this poem that brings out the stark reality of life.
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