Henley Background+Information

William Ernest Henley was known for his many jobs within the literary spectrum including critic, editor, journalist, and poet. He often wrote about accepting death in his poems, since he had many health issues. “His most famous poem, //Invictus//, was written about his resilience following the amputation of his foot due to tubercular infection” (Connell 31). He was very passionate and defiant in his poems, since the topic was very sensitive. He wrote mainly as a release of all of the tension in his life. His daughter died from a health issue and he had both legs amputated because of diseases, so he feared death greatly. Writing poems was a way to release that fear and not be as afraid of it. Since he wrote about very personal matters, there were not any historical implications behind his works. He mainly wrote about his feelings. In the time when he began to publish his work, tuberculosis was very prominent in England. His poems helped many people through the gruesome and difficult times they had. Henley was an inspiration to many, writing about the things most sensitive to him.

Works Cited: Connell, John. //W.E. Henley//. London: Constable, 1949. Print.