Nightingale and the Rose\' Wilde\'s

¶ … Nightingale and the Rose'

Wilde's short story, 'the Nightingale and the Rose' is a piece of magnificent writing that touches upon two main ideas: the superiority of aesthetics and art to the detached and factual subjects such as science and logic and, as elaboration, the superiority of the animal and plant world that share more of an immediate contact to sensory elements than do educated products of the human race. To extension, we may argue that Wilde seems to indicate that uneducated and illiterate products of society are better off than those whose senses have been dulled by soporific and dulling conditions of academic education.

There are three ways of knowing: scientific, phenomenological and spiritual. Science refers to the method of investigating data via analytic and scientifically manufactured ways of knowing; phenomenology -- refers to direct, immediate contact with phenomena, whilst spirituality represents an intuitive knowledge of the data (Salmon, n.d.). Wilde's fantasy seems to argue that phenomenological or intuitive knowledge, being in direct contact with the real world, is superior to all else and, therefore, art is superior to detached and hard subjects such as math and science.

Wilde, in fact, was renowned (indeed notoriously so) as an aestheticist who coined the following statement: "It is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection" (artquotes.net). Wilde believed that one's life had to be surrendered to Art and that pure Art was the imprimatur of meaningful existence.

In 'the Nightingale and the Rose', immediate sensuality of existence is glorified whilst sciences and logic sneeringly demeaned. The Nightingale and the Oak Tree are two species of the organic world that seem to be attuned to the vein of existence. The philosopher, on the other hand, though feeling love, seems to be various levels removed. All he can do is mentally fumble for ways to articulate his desire for the rose and, eventually, he translates it in philosophical and logical terms: "Here is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name." The Nightingale sees it differently. She had, recently, warned him: "Love is wiser than Philosophy, though she is wise"; Love cannot be translated in philosophical terms, and may be misunderstood and misused by those effected by too much studying.

She realizes the immediacy of Life and rhapsodizes all of the elements of life that have contributed to her existence. Life is real and immediate to her. To the student, corrupted by his learning, and to the Princess, enveloped in her court existence, Life has retreated to an ethereal, unreal existence and insipidity and vapidity has taken its place.

In a related sense, Wilde also distinguishes between the superiority of the 'lower' sentient creatures who are more attuned to life compared to higher 'rational' beings who, apparently, the more rational they are the further detached they are from true existence. The student is submerged in the dicta and data of his college education that reduces realness and beauty to mathematical figures and facts. The Oak Tree understood the Nightingale but the Student "could not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books."

The princess is even worse. Taken up by the mendacities of her court status and socialization, she is so distanced from her emotional self as to regard the Student as signifier of a lower rank and the rose as to be insubstantial compared to that of 'real jewels': "everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers." Ultimately, it is the organic species, such as the Nightingale, who 'understood the secret of the Student's sorrow' since they are intimate with 'the mystery of Love'. She dies in order to procure the Rose.

Conclusion