Hello everyone!

One of the biggest tests of a writer is the moment when he can convey a message through his writing, without actually getting into it per se. Oscar Wilde was one of those writers who could do exactly that.

The story is supposed to be a fairy-tale for children. Yet, as Chris ma'am pointed out, this story is much more than just a fairy-tale....it is also a scathing attack on the various social conventions prevailing in England at the time, as well as a genuine discourse on the hollowness of the notion of "ideal" love. The Student laments the fact that the Professor's daughter will not dance with him, until he has gifted her a red rose----this is due to the heightened and lofty ideals of love that his consciousness, as well as social norms, have placed as a seemingly-insurmountable barrier between him and the girl. Since there cannot be any smoke without fire, it would not be impossible to figure out what Wilde was training the spotlight on.

The character of the Nightingale in the story is very interesting. She is the protagonist of this story----the valiant heroine who sacrifices her life at the altar of love. However, ultimately her sacrifice goes in vain, as the fruit of her singing, the red rose, meets an untimely end in a gutter. The Nightingale marvels at the Student's longing for his love, and so she relents to give up her life. This act of sacrifice instantly reminds of the connect between the Nightingale and St. Valentine.

Please post your comments.....would love to hear from everyone else.

Regards,

Rony

Hi all!

First of all, it's great to be back. I know we gauchos have been away for months, but it's a hard time for us on this side of the Equator right now.

I'd like to say that it's the first time I come across a story like this one, which is relatively short and yet can make the reader experience so many different emotions: tenderness, sadness, compassion, astonishment and pure anger. This is proof of Wilde's expertise as a writer and the excellence (not to mention ravishing beauty) of his prose.

The story also invites readers to reflect upon the subject of Love. And my reflection has to do with the fact that although it was written so many years ago, it is still so relevant for today's world. As we as a society are becoming increasingly individualistic and selfish, I wonder how many of us feel like the Nightingale, how many of us still put Love above all earthly things. There are still some people who will sacrifice anything for love, and indeed, could there be a worthier sacrifice? But unfortunately a great number of individuals behave more like the girl, seeking always material (or other kinds of) success, hurting other people's feelings without thinking about it twice, and putting their hearts in the wrong places without understanding that there is no greater joy and happiness in this life than loving and being loved.

I just hope we can all be Nightingales at least once in our lives.

Waiting for your comments!

Hugs,

Florencia

     It is a wonderful story; more like a poem in prose. I read it as a child and I never forgot it. It has made such a deep impression on me! I remember being angry not at the foolish girl, but mostly at the student. Having spent so much time learning, he was supposed to better understand life, the meaning of love... But, after all he was just a young student who thought he was in love. Isn't it exactly Wilde who tells us in a comment that he only knew things which were in books?

   It seems to me the story unfolds on three levels. One is the material level to which the professor's daughter belongs; she does not know love,  she just fancies the young man who could offer her the most precious gift. To this, maybe the first song the nightingale sings would apply - the love between a boy and a girl, no complications, no wish for going beyond any barriers. 

   Then comes the dimension of knowledge, of learning, of acquiring information - but sterile information, theoretical, deep though it may be. This is the level of the student. Obviously his infatuation with the beautiful but shallow girl is adorned by his dreams, hopes and visions of them being together on a higher level - but it's still just infatuation, although he mistakenly takes it for love. The second song of the nightingale about the love between a man and a maiden may be compatible with this dimension.

   But love in the highest sense is the love that cannot be destroyed by death, the love the nightingale sings of just before dying, the love seen as a union of souls. You can see clearly in the monologues of the student and the nightingale, the parallel between a love in the wordly sense and spiritual love, though the nightingale mistakenly believes the student to be animated by love of the latter kind. This is a level the student has not yet reached. Although he has searched and searched his books, he did not yet reach wisdom - he only possesses knowledge, but he does not understand life in all its complexity. The nightingale does and so do the other animals I think, since they are still connected to nature, to the fundamental principles that govern our world. But it seems the other animals are wiser to dismiss the student cries, even to laugh at him, as the cynical lizard does (could this be Wilde in disguise?). Only the nightingale makes the mistake of taking the student for more than he is. I sometimes think that Wilde is mad at the nightingale too for not being able to see the truth about the student, for sacrificing itself in vain. Maybe this is what heroes really are: they see the best in their fellow beings and do their best to protect them, without ever questioning the others' value.

    On the other hand, the student is still at the beginning of his road. Who's to say that he will not change, in time, gaining more experience, and, with it, a deeper understanding of life? Maybe he is Wilde as a young man, while the nightingale could present the author at another stage in his journey through life, experienced, understanding a lot, reproaching himself the fact he had sacrificed a lot for friends who were not worthed and could not understand his sacrifice anyway... yet, somehow still glad that he has done it. Or maybe he lets us, the readers, judge the facts?

    There is much to be said; like the others before me have said, this is a short, yet very profound and impressive story. I hope my students will read it and try to discover its deeper meanings, or just enjoy its beauty of expression.

Hello everybody!

I think one of the aims Wilde had in mind when writing this story was to encourage us to analyse which are our main priorities in life. Do we consider love as an silly thing? as the student did when he didn´t get what he expected, or Do we consider love as the nightingale? Who was ready to die for what she recognized as extremely important..

THe bird acted according to her convictions. Are we as brave as the nightingale was? The answer is yours..  

Hi everybody!!!

What a short story,indeed! I think that though it is a short story,  you do need more than a short time to analyse and appreciate this piece of art.

  Though the Nightingale and the Student are both earthly beings, how different they experience as well as feel love. This story mirrors not only that society(when the story was written) but also our nowadays society. On the one hand,many aspects have undoubtely changed when comparing both societies. Unfortunately, on the other hand, the way in which each of us expresses love hasn't changed yet.  That is why I firmly agree with the mates that state that the world would change if all of us could be the Nightingale and, I strongly suggest that by basing our realtionships on love and encouring cultural diversity, not division, we could lay the first foundations of a new society. Let's start, shall we??

Best!

Let ;)