The major themes of this Oscar Wilde story are sacrifice and the nature of love. A nightingale sacrifices its life in exchange for a red rose to help a love-smitten student. The story contrasts the selfless, unconditional love of the nightingale, the student’s naïve infatuation with a fickle girl, and her materialistic love of another. The student, who only knows things that are written down in books, not only laments that the nightingale’s song doesn’t do any practical good but, angry about being rejected, dismisses love as quite unpractical. Other themes include compassion, naivety, materialism, and intellectualism vs. aesthetic appreciation.
The Nightingale and the Rose Text / PDF / Audio (2,350 words)