The quotations of

Oscar Wilde

Irish poet, playwright, and aesthete

1854–1900

173 quotes, most often on Marriage, Love and Comedy. Part of the Writers and Poets collections.

Of course the music is a great difficulty. You see, if one plays good music, people don’t listen, and if one plays bad music people don’t talk.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), First Act, spoken by AlgernonIn context
- Comedy
- Music
Relations are simply a tedious pack of people, who haven’t got the remotest knowledge of how to live, nor the smallest instinct about when to die.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), First Act, spoken by AlgernonIn context
- Clever Jabs
- Family
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), First Act, spoken by AlgernonIn context
Never speak disrespectfully of Society, Algernon. Only people who can’t get into it do that.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Third Act, spoken by Lady BracknellIn context
- Clever Jabs
To speak frankly, I am not in favour of long engagements. They give people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage, which I think is never advisable.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Third Act, spoken by Lady BracknellIn context
- Character
- Marriage
Thirty-five is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirty-five for years.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Third Act, spoken by Lady BracknellIn context
- Age
- Women
This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Third Act, spoken by GwendolenIn context
- Comedy
I’ve now realised for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest.
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), Third Act, spoken by JackIn context
- Comedy
- Truth & Lies
The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.
The highest as the lowest form of criticism is a mode of autobiography.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), The PrefaceIn context
- Art
The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist, but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), The PrefaceIn context
- Art
- Morality
No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), The PrefaceIn context
- Art
- Truth & Lies
As for believing things, I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Chapter IIn context
- Faith
Now, the value of an idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it. Indeed, the probabilities are that the more insincere the man is, the more purely intellectual will the idea be, as in that case it will not be coloured by either his wants, his desires, or his prejudices.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Chapter IIn context
- Ideas
“Poets are not so scrupulous as you are. They know how useful passion is for publication. Nowadays a broken heart will run to many editions.”
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Chapter IIn context
- Poetry
Genius lasts longer than beauty.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), Chapter IIn context
- Beauty
- Genius

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