A Book of Verses

by William Ernest Henley

This early work by William Ernest Henley was originally published in 1893 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'A Book of Verses' is an anthology of Henley's beautiful and moving poetry that includes the 'In Hospital' collection, the 'Life and Death' collection, and other ballades and sonnets. William Ernest Henley was born on 23rd August 1849, in Gloucester, England. In 1867, Henley passed the Oxford Local Schools Examination and set off to London to establish himself as a journalist. Unfortunately, his career was frequently interrupted by long stays in hospital due to a diseased right foot which he refused to have amputated. During a three year stay at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Henley wrote and published his collection of poetry 'In Hospital' (1875). This publication is noteworthy in particular for being some of the earliest examples of free verse written in England. Henley's best-remembered work is his poem "Invictus", written in 1888. It is a passionate and defiant poem, reportedly written as a demonstration of resilience following the amputation of his leg.

Genres: Poetry

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 28, 2016

About the author

William Ernest Henley was an English poet, critic and editor. Though he wrote several books of poetry, Henley is remembered most often for his 1875 poem "Invictus". A fixture in London literary circles, the one-legged Henley was also the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's character Long John Silver (Treasure Island, 1883), while his young daughter Margaret Henley inspired J.M. Barrie's choice of the name Wendy for the heroine of his play Peter Pan (1904).

Reviews

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul


I didn't think I knew William Ernest Henley before reading Dans l'ombre de Paris by Morgan of Glencoe; there, I re-discovered "Invictus". And I was convinced Scribd would have, at least, one collection of poems by Henley.

Some poems really moved me: the first ones about being in an hospital, others disseminated in the collection about time, love, age.
I loved the rhymes, the rhythm, the sounds, the way it was written and I fell in love with "O gather me the rose" and "Invictus" - which, actually, is not the name given to the poem in this collection!

I'll probably read other collections by this author!

[Pudd'nhead Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent nightstand, back of the toilet book. It's definitely worth having. Try it. You'll like it.

[Hiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s such a classic poem, this is so damn beautiful. The way he described his feelings is unique.