William Ernest Henley Comments

So glad to know that the English poet William Ernest Henley is The Poet Of TODAY. Congratulations for this choice!

i like chicken it is so succulent mandem you don't understand mmm so bumboclatin ting chicken chicken mmmm i so involve with da chicken

I’m here looking at William Ernest Henley because I was reading a fan fiction and the main character was a big fan of him.

Jnana Eshwar, dont worry about not knowing, because its better know exactly what you dont know in order to get to know that unknown, than to think that you known and deeply mistaken

William Ernest Henley is really an excellent author. I really don't know much about him as i am only 9 and a half years old.

amrita81

I love his poems. They are enchanting, profound, leave a lasting impression. He is unquestionably one of the great poets.

Member

Nice piece of work indeed

In 2004, at age 75, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. one of the things that helped me was remembering Invictus which I had memorized as a teenager. It gave me the inner strength and courage to fight back and survive!

In answer to Suresh, I believe Henley was referring to death with no afterlife. If you place his life within a historical context, the theory of Evolution had emerged as a dominate force in science. Many people despaired that the theory killed the idea of God. They came to think that there was no God, heaven, or indeed any kind of life after death. I think Henley embraced this and hence the line. This idea is further re-enforced by his final line I am the captain of my soul...in other words, I am responsible for my life, my actions, my spirit and answerable to myself (not to God) . This is one of my all time favorite poems.

to me this poet had a will to fight. he did not let his struggles no matter how hard it seemed conquered him. He seem very much in touch with pain and hardship and some how his spirit is unbreakable.

I find that the life of this man is very interesting and sad.

Invictus: Can someone elaborate the line about the 'Horror of the shade'? Is this a biblical reference?

I just saw the phenomenal movie Invictus five hours ago. This movie, about Nelson Mandela and his ressurrection from being a prisoner to being the president of South Africa, show that iron bars can not stop some men. He rehearsed the words of hope from his prison cell in the Poem Invictus, and the power of spirit over matter was manifested. As president, he also quelled the post-apartheid tension, transforming enemies into friends. It is a story about someone with a vision of an ideal world who was able to embrace his nation, both black and white, as his family. His heart will not be forgotten, because without people like him a better world will never come. You will feel so uplifted by this movie! ! !