One writer who influenced my life was William Wordsworth. After planning on being a history major and having never taken a literature class before, I signed up for British Literature II at my local college and hoped for some interesting readings. We started with his Odes, particularly "Ode: Intimations of Immortality". Not only did I become fascinated in the theory of children being more intelligent than man, but this piece really had me researching Plato and his theory of pre-existence.
After we started on his poems, I was completely taken aback. Never had I come across a writer who could take a poem about such simple things like daffodils and turn it into a marvelous endeavor. "I wandered lonely as a cloud" is definitely one of the most inspirational poems I have ever read, and I enjoy it to this day. This piece, along with the rest of Wordsworth's works truly gave me an appreciation for nature, and more importantly, served as a prominent reason as to why I switched to the literature major.
Another writer who influenced my life was Oscar Wilde. Although I didn't actually learn about him in a literary respect until I read his play, "The Importance of Being Earnest" (which I thoroughly enjoyed), my mother read the "Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde" to me as a child and I absolutely loved them. My particular favorite was "The Selfish Giant", which stressed the importance of sharing in a beautiful way. The fantastic garden, the joyous children, it is all too much. I definitely get teary eyed at the end of this fantastic piece, and I adored the story so much that I searched everywhere until I tracked down a copy of the 1971 animated version.
I also enjoyed his short story: "The Remarkable Rocket". Detailing the problems that come from being proud and pompous, I often read this story and marvel at the fact that the rocket remains so arrogant, even to the end. Oscar Wilde definitely influenced my life and gave me a new found outlook on fairy tales. They are certainly not just for children; they can have compelling and vivid thematic elements that escape more modern tales. Wilde's small collection certainly had me craving for more fairy tales filled with mysticism, fantasy, exotic creatures and delightful descriptions. Without Wilde's fairy tales I don't think I would have ever been interested in or read Aesop's fables and the brother's Grimm fairy tales.
A final writer who has influenced my life is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I started Goethe with his famous "Faust" and became enthralled. While I didn't think it could get any better than part I, and I read that most people didn't enjoy part II, I actually found it to be just as good, if not better. The confusion and randomness, along with the humor with serious satire definitely impressed and influenced me. I also adore Mephistopheles in this piece, and he has since become my favorite literary character.
After "Faustm" I began researching Goethe's other works, and found "The Sorrows of Young Werther". Fantastically detailing the life of a young man, this book definitely influenced me. The book really gave me an appreciation for the German Strum und Drang (Storm and Stress movement), which focuses on the individual and extreme emotion. I loved how there was emphasis and detail on Werther's feelings rather than his actions throughout the book. This book without a doubt changed my life, and I feel as if I can relate to this novel more than any other I have ever read. Actually, I truly feel that everyone can relate to Werther in some way. This book also shaped how I view many other novels of similar theme. I can't help but compare them all to Werther's epic struggle, which may or may not be good thing. Goethe is definitely a writer who inspired me, and along with Wordsworth and Wilde, definitely influenced my life.