"When a man has once loved a woman he will do anything for her except continue to love her"

Oscar Wilde’s assertion that a man will do anything for a woman he has once loved, except continue loving her, is at once witty and poignant, encapsulating the ironies of human attachment. There is a bittersweet recognition of the peculiar nature of love after it fades or is transformed. Once profound affection has ended, the residue of feeling often lingers in other forms, loyalty, nostalgia, or even guilt. Wilde suggests that while the emotional reality of love might be over, a sense of duty or sentiment can persist, compelling a person to acts of kindness or sacrifice for the former beloved.

The phrase "do anything for her except continue to love her" alludes to the supreme difficulty of rekindling genuine passion once it has burned out. While one might summon memories or courtesies, the gestures expected of a lingering bond, the ineffable spark that characterizes true love often proves elusive. To continue loving, after love has died, asks for more than the will to act; it demands the cooperation of the heart, something not granted by effort alone.

Wilde is known for exposing the contradictions of human nature. In relationships, we often see the persistence of connection in altered forms. The quote points to the paradoxical humanity in still yearning to demonstrate care or maintain some connection, even after the animating spirit of love is gone. Acts performed in the name of love become hollow rituals once real affection has disappeared, yet people persist, perhaps out of hope, habit, or compassion.

Underlying the aphorism is also a dark comedy: it amuses and saddens at once, recognizing how the persistence of “doing anything” except the essential thing, loving, serves as an ironic commentary on our vulnerabilities. Wilde places a mirror before the reader, reflecting how emotional change can render us generous in every way save for the one thing that truly mattered.