PARIS - For no special reason other than his life and times, I have long been  fascinated by the life of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde. I took that interest to a new level on Friday with a visit to his massive tomb.

 Wilde became a martyr to homosexuality when he was convicted of indecency involving a younger male companion and served difficult time in prison. Visiting his tomb in the wake of recent, historic developments in same-sex marriage and gay rights in many countries seemed especially appropriate this week.

  Wilde was ostracized after his conviction in London and exiled to Paris after his release from prison. He died at age 46, a weak and broken man.

  While Wilde received critical acclaim for his plays, it is his wit that has always impressed me more. One example, perhaps exaggerated, is when he arrived in New York for what turned out to be a near year-long tour. A customs agent asked Wilde if he  had anything to declare. "Only my intellect," Wilde reportedly answered.

  Wilde is buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, where some 70,000 of France's rich and famous as well as military, cultural and intellectual elites reside in eternity.

   Legions of Wilde's admirers have made the trek to the tomb since his death in 1900. Many of the admirers have insisted on leaving kisses and permanent reminders of their devotion to Wilde at the tomb, which has had to undergo restoration from such damage twice, once in 1992 and again in 2011. The tomb is now protected by glass.

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