Henley, William Ernest (1849-1903), was an English poet, editor, and critic. He wrote his works in spite of suffering from tuberculosis. The illness caused doctors to amputate a foot and forced Henley to spend 20 months in a hospital from 1873 to 1875. While in the hospital, Henley began writing poetry about hospital life that established him as a writer. The poems were published in Book of Verses (1888), which included his popular, optimistic poem “Invictus.” His other collections of poetry include The Song of the Sword (1892), London Voluntaries (1893), For England’s Sake (1900), In Hospital (1903), and A Song of Speed (1903).
Henley played a major role in the literary life of Britain as the editor of several journals, especially the Scots Observer (later the National Observer, 1889-1894). As an editor, he published significant work by such major writers as Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, William Butler Yeats, Henry James, Thomas Hardy, H. G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, and J. M. Barrie. Henley wrote four plays with Stevenson, none successful. Stevenson used Henley as the model for the character of Long John Silver in his adventure novel Treasure Island. Henley edited several anthologies and an important edition of the poems of Robert Burns (1896-1897). Henley’s journalism on art and literature was collected in Views and Reviews I (1890) and Views and Reviews II (1892).
Henley was born on Aug. 23, 1849, in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. He died on July 11, 1903.
