Between the years 1837 and 1901, British history experienced a revolutionary period of economic and cultural growth. The new wealth that came with expansion created new class structures as an era of domesticity was inspired. As a result, the art world has also changed. Writers became realistic as they believed they were serving a higher moral purpose as they created. They wrote about real, practical life in the form of dramatic monologues. The visual images illustrated their emotions while their tone and sound reflected the meaning of the poem. Although many authors became famous during this period, Oscar Wilde is, without a doubt, one of the most controversial poets of the Victorian era. Also known as the "first modern man", Wilde was born on 16 October 1854. He attended Porotra Royal School in Enniskillen, Trinity College Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford during his early education. During this period his poetic notoriety began to grow; in 1879 his first collection of poems was published. After several years spent touring countries and writing screenplays, he married Constance Lloyd, with whom he had two children. To further his reputation, Wilde cultivated his own “aesthetic code of life,” stating that “a man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” (EPG Bio). He dressed in a way that did not suit domestic sensibilities and, in doing so, attracted both detractors and admirers. His literary work followed this model. Wilde believed that style trumped sincerity or substance. Thus, his aesthetic way of being and writing reflected and perhaps helped shape the image of a Victorian author. Because Wilde had an early affinity for language, his focus shifted to form and… the medium of paper… unity and experience. Oscar Wilde may not have been the most upright man of his time. She dressed, behaved, and loved in ways that mocked the domesticity of the Victorian era. That said, his literary genius created classic works that fascinated and inspired. He may have been controversial, but his wits never allowed him to be truly overwhelmed. His life ultimately ended at odds with Victorian morals, but his ways live on in his literature. Works Cited "Biography of Oscar Wilde". Bio.com. A&E Networks Television and Web. December 11, 2013. "Oscar Wilde." The literature network. Np, 2008. Web. 10 December 2013. "Oscar Wilde - Biography." Oscar Wilde. European Graduate School, nd Web. 15 December 2013. Wilde, Oscar and John Vassos. The Ballad of Reading Gaol. New York: EP Dutton &, 1928. Print.Wilde, Oscar Requiescat Np: Carpathians, 1991. Print.