Invictus: Selected Poems and Prose of W. E. Henley

by John Howlett

This book title derives from Henley's most famous poem 'Invictus', which has been used as the name of a Hollywood film and for the International Paralympic Games sport event created by Britain's Prince Harry. The poem's stanzas have been popularised by Winston Churchill, Aung San Suu Ky and President Obama, and used to literary effect by C. S. Lewis, Oscar Wilde and in Casablanca. But this fine short lyric has unfortunately overshadowed Henley's other considerable literary output. Henley was the archetypal Man of Letters -- a poet, reviewer, essayist, journalist, historian and newspaper hack. His friendships with Robert Louis Stevenson, J. M. Barrie, and Yeats places him at the centre of the Victorian literary milieu. As editor of the National Observer he published writers as diverse as Kipling, Shaw, Hardy and Wells. He promoted new forms of expression in literature and art, and was a close friend of Rodin and Degas. The book reproduces key essays which relate to Henley's
thinking on poetry, poets

200 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2017

Reviews

[Lukas Slavik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the poem Invictus. For that one full 5 stars! Some other were also good, some less. I found the comments and that much was just quoting, not full poems annoying.. the book suits better to poetry students.