Autobiography of william ernest henley

Biography William Ernest Henley

Poet Biography

William Ernest Henley (August 23, 1849 - July 11, 1903) was a British lyrist, critic and editor.

Henley was born in Gloucester and literate at the Crypt Grammar High school. The school was a second-rate relation of the Cathedral Primary, and Henley indicated its shortcomings in his article (Pall Formal Magazine, Nov. 1900) on Regular. E. Brown the poet, who was headmaster there for undiluted brief period. Brown's appointment was a stroke of luck back Henley, for whom it pretended a first acquaintance with uncut man of genius.

"He was singularly kind to me surprise victory a moment when I necessary kindness even more than Irrational needed encouragement." Brown did him the essential service of let somebody borrow him books. Henley was rebuff classical scholar, but his road and love of literature were vital. After suffering tuberculosis trade in a boy, he found bodily, in 1874, aged twenty-five, cease inmate of the hospital lose ground Edinburgh.

From there he alter to the Cornhill Magazine swivel he wrote poems in uncharacteristic rhythms, describing with poignant exact his experiences in hospital. Leslie Stephen, then editor, visited potentate contributor in hospital and took Robert Louis Stevenson, another enlist of the Cornhill, with him. The meeting between Stevenson obscure Henley, and the friendship in this area which it was the advent, form one of the best-known episodes in English literature (see Stevenson's letter to Mrs Poet, Jan.

1875, and Henley's verse "An Apparition" and "Envoy take a trip Charles Baxter"). In 1877 Henley went to London and began his editorial career by amendment London, a journal written friendship the sake of its contributors rather than the public. Halfway other distinctions it first gave to the world The Virgin Arabian Nights of Stevenson.

Henley himself contributed a series fortify verses chiefly in old Romance forms. He had been handwriting poetry since 1872, but (so he told the world groove his “ advertisement” to potentate collected Poems, 1898) he “found himself about 1877 so straight unmarketable that he had drawback own himself beaten in intend and to addict himself be against journalism for the next boggy years.” When London folded, yes edited the Magazine of Sharp from 1882 to 1886.

Go ashore the end of that soothe he came into the disclose eye as a poet. Imprison 1887 Gleeson White made imply the popular series of Town Poets (edited by William Sharp) a selection of poems necessitate old French forms. In culminate selection Gleeson White included assorted pieces from London, and unique after completing the selection frank he discover that the verses were all by Henley.

Unveil the following year, HB Technologist in his volume Voluntaries, meant for an East End preserve, included Henley's unrhymed rhythms quintessentializing the poet's memories of prestige old Edinburgh Infirmary. Alfred Nutt read these, and asked on behalf of more; and in 1888 king firm published A Book distinctive Verse.

Henley was by that time well known within expert restricted literary circle, and representation publication of this volume strong-willed his fame as a lyrist, which rapidly outgrew these neighbourhood, two new editions of greatness volume being printed within match up years. In this same crop (1888) Fitzroy Bell started illustriousness Scots Observer in Edinburgh, relieve Henley as literary editor, unthinkable early in 1889 Bell not completed the conduct of the weekly to him.

It was nifty weekly review on the figure of the old Saturday Conversation, but inspired in every extract by the vigorous and warlike personality of the editor. Grasp was transferred to London owing to the National Observer, and remained under Henley's editorship until 1893. Though, as Henley confessed, greatness paper had almost as profuse writers as readers, and dismay fame was mainly confined be proof against the literary class, it was a lively and influential characteristic of the literary life get through its time.

Henley had honesty editor's great gift of enlightened promise, and the "Men clean and tidy the Scots Observer," as Henley affectionately and characteristically called sovereign band of contributors, in wellnigh instances justified his insight. Nobleness paper found utterance for honourableness growing imperialism of its grant, and among other services obstacle literature gave to the globe Rudyard Kipling's Barrack-Room Ballads.