Published posthumously in 1905 by Oscar Wilde's friend Robert Ross, De Profundis (1905) is a long letter written while the author was in prison on trial on charges of having illicit relations with his friend Alfred Douglas. Addressed to Douglas, the letter describes the events that led to Wilde's arrest and punishment and recounts the steps of his downfall. The letter also tells of the resentments and sufferings of his life in prison and provides profound insight into his emotional state.