Oscar Wilde Quotes About Love
Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish playwright, poet, and intellectual, had a unique perspective on life, beauty, and the complexities of human emotion. Known for his sharp humor and timeless insight, Wilde’s works are filled with profound observations on love that still resonate today. His love quotes—rich with irony, wisdom, and often tinged with sadness—explore the transformative power of love and its inevitable complications. From self-love to romantic passion, Wilde’s words capture both the joy and pain of love in ways that few writers can. In this collection of Oscar Wilde quotes about love, we’ll dive into some of his most memorable sayings, each of which reveals a different aspect of this powerful emotion.
“Who, being loved, is poor?”
Source: A Woman of No Importance (1893)
Analysis: Wilde suggests that love’s value exceeds material wealth, making life rich regardless of circumstances.
“Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.”
Source: Attributed to Wilde, though not found directly in his works.
Analysis: Wilde implies that true love should honor uniqueness, urging us to value relationships that elevate us.
“The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death.”
Source: Salomé (1893)
Analysis: Wilde emphasizes love as a profound, enigmatic force that surpasses even the mysteries of mortality.
- “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
Source: An Ideal Husband (1895)
Analysis: This quote champions self-love as essential for happiness, framing it as a lasting source of fulfillment.
“Hearts are made to be broken.”
Source: De Profundis (1905)
Analysis: Wilde recognizes that heartbreak is part of the human experience, suggesting it as a necessary risk of love.
“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”
Source: Attributed to Wilde but not found in his original works.
Analysis: Wilde emphasizes the personal, intangible connection of true love beyond surface attributes.
“Women are made to be loved, not understood.”
Source: The Sphinx Without a Secret (1891)
Analysis: This playful line reflects Wilde’s view on the mysterious nature of love, particularly in relationships.
“Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.”
Source: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)
Analysis: Wilde views romantic tension as often precluding simple friendship between men and women.
“A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her.”
Source: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)
Analysis: Wilde humorously suggests that love complicates happiness, especially within relationships.
“When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving oneself, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.”
Source: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)
Analysis: Wilde critiques the idealism of romance, hinting at the illusions that often accompany love.
“Love is a sacrament that should be taken kneeling.”
Source: De Profundis (1905)
Analysis: Wilde presents love as sacred and reverent, akin to a religious experience demanding humility.
“There is always something ridiculous about the emotions of people whom one has ceased to love.”
Source: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)
Analysis: Wilde highlights how love’s end can cast past feelings in a different, often absurd light.
“One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.”
Source: A Woman of No Importance (1893)
Analysis: Wilde humorously critiques marriage as stifling, suggesting that love should remain free and spontaneous.
“Men always want to be a woman’s first love—women like to be a man’s last romance.”
Source: A Woman of No Importance (1893)
Analysis: Wilde comments on gendered desires in love, highlighting the contrast in how men and women view romantic milestones.
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
Source: An Ideal Husband (1895)
Analysis: Wilde encourages self-appreciation, framing self-love as the foundation for personal joy.
“Every woman is a rebel, and usually in wild revolt against herself.”
Source: A Woman of No Importance (1893)
Analysis: Wilde explores the internal conflicts women face, suggesting that love often heightens self-struggle.
“The very essence of romance is uncertainty.”
Source: The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)
Analysis: Wilde values mystery in romance, seeing it as an essential component of romantic excitement.
“When a man has once loved a woman, he will do anything for her except continue to love her.”
Source: A Woman of No Importance (1893)
Analysis: This cynical take on love humorously suggests that men’s initial devotion often fades with time.
“Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes.”
Source: Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892)
Analysis: Although not directly about love, this quote reflects Wilde’s view on learning from failed romances.
“Nothing spoils a romance so much as a sense of humor in the woman.”
Source: A Woman of No Importance (1893)
Analysis: Wilde ironically critiques societal expectations, pointing to how humor disrupts romantic conventions.