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Poems

by William Ernest Henley
Henley, William Ernest (1849-1903)

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[section]
  
TO MY WIFE
  
[Ask me not how they came]
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IN HOSPITAL
 I. 
I ENTER PATIENT
 II. 
II WAITING
 III. 
III INTERIOR
 IV. 
IV BEFORE
 V. 
V OPERATION
 VI. 
VI AFTER
 VII. 
VII VIGIL
 VIII. 
VIII STAFF-NURSE: OLD STYLE
 IX. 
IX LADY-PROBATIONER
 X. 
X STAFF-NURSE: NEW STYLE
 XI. 
XI CLINICAL
 XII. 
XII ETCHING
 XIII. 
XIII CASUALTY
 XIV. 
XIV AVE, CAESAR!
 XV. 
XV ‘THE CHIEF’
 XVI. 
XVI HOUSE-SURGEON
 XVII. 
XVII INTERLUDE
 XVIII. 
XVIII CHILDREN: PRIVATE WARD
 XIX. 
XIX SCRUBBER
 XX. 
XX VISITOR
 XXI. 
XXI ROMANCE
 XXII. 
XXII PASTORAL
 XXIII. 
XXIII MUSIC
 XXIV. 
XXIV SUICIDE
 XXV. 
XXV APPARITION
 XXVI. 
XXVI ANTEROTICS
 XXVII. 
XXVII NOCTURN
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII DISCHARGED
  
ENVOY
  
THE SONG OF THE SWORD
  
ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS
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BRIC-A-BRAC
  
BALLADE OF A TOYOKUNI COLOUR-PRINT
  
BALLADE (DOUBLE REFRAIN) OF YOUTH AND AGE
  
BALLADE (DOUBLE REFRAIN) OF MIDSUMMER DAYS AND NIGHTS
  
BALLADE OF DEAD ACTORS
  
BALLADE MADE IN THE HOT WEATHER
  
BALLADE OF TRUISMS
  
DOUBLE BALLADE OF LIFE AND FATE
  
DOUBLE BALLADE OF THE NOTHINGNESS OF THINGS
  
AT QUEENSFERRY
  
ORIENTALE
  
IN FISHERROW
  
BACK-VIEW
  
CROQUIS
  
ATTADALE, WEST HIGHLANDS
  
FROM A WINDOW IN PRINCES STREET
  
IN THE DIALS
  
[The gods are dead? Perhaps they are! Who knows?]
  
To F. W.
  
[When you are old, and I am passed away—]
  
[Beside the idle summer sea]
  
I. M. R. G. C. B. 1878
  
[We shall surely die]
  
[What is to come we know not. But we know]
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ECHOES
 I. 
I TO MY MOTHER
 II. 
II
 III. 
III
 IV. 
IV I. M. R. T. HAMILTON BRUCE (1846–1899)
 V. 
V
 VI. 
VI
 VII. 
VII
 VIII. 
VIII
 IX. 
IX To W. R.
 X. 
X
 XI. 
XI To W. R.
 XII. 
XII
 XIII. 
XIII
 XIV. 
XIV
 XV. 
XV
 XVI. 
XVI
 XVII. 
XVII
 XVIII. 
XVIII To A. D.
 XIX. 
XIX
 XX. 
XX
 XXI. 
XXI
 XXII. 
XXII
 XXIII. 
XXIII
 XXIV. 
XXIV
 XXV. 
XXV
 XXVI. 
XXVI
 XXVII. 
XXVII
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII To S. C.
 XXIX. 
XXIX To R. L. S.
 XXX. 
XXX
 XXXI. 
XXXI
 XXXII. 
XXXII To D. H.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV To K. de M.
 XXXV. 
XXXV I. M. MARGARITÆ SORORIS (1886)
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII To W. A.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX
 XL. 
XL
 XLI. 
XLI To R. A. M. S.
 XLII. 
XLII
 XLIII. 
XLIII
 XLIV. 
XLIV
 XLV. 
XLV To W. B. B.
 XLVI. 
XLVI MATRI DILECTISSIMÆ I. M.
 XLVII. 
XLVII
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RHYMES AND RHYTHMS
  
PROLOGUE
 I. 
I To H. B. M. W.
 II. 
II To R. F. B.
 III. 
III
 IV. 
IV
 V. 
V
 VI. 
VI
 VII. 
VII
 VIII. 
VIII To A. J. H.
 IX. 
IX
 X. 
X
 XI. 
XI
 XII. 
XII
 XIII. 
XIII To JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER
 XIV. 
XIV To J. A. C.
 XV. 
XV
 XVI. 
XVI
 XVII. 
XVII CARMEN PATIBULARE To H. S.
 XVIII. 
XVIII I. M. MARGARET EMMA HENLEY (1888–1894)
 XIX. 
XIX I. M. R. L. S. (1850–1894)
 XX. 
XX
 XXI. 
XXI
 XXII. 
XXII To P. A. G.
 XXIII. 
XXIII To A. C.
  
EPILOGUE
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HAWTHORN AND LAVENDER
  
ENVOY
  
PRÆLUDIUM
 I. 
I
 II. 
II
 III. 
III
 IV. 
IV
 V. 
V
 VI. 
VI
 VII. 
VII
 VIII. 
VIII
 IX. 
IX
 X. 
X
 XI. 
XI
 XII. 
XII
 XIII. 
XIII
 XIV. 
XIV
 XV. 
XV
 XVI. 
XVI
 XVII. 
XVII
 XVIII. 
XVIII
 XIX. 
XIX
 XX. 
XX
 XXI. 
XXI
 XXII. 
XXII
 XXIII. 
XXIII
 XXIV. 
XXIV
 XXV. 
XXV
 XXVI. 
XXVI
 XXVII. 
XXVII
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII
 XXIX. 
XXIX
 XXX. 
XXX
 XXXI. 
XXXI
 XXXII. 
XXXII
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV
 XXXV. 
XXXV
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX
 XL. 
XL
 XLI. 
XLI
 XLII. 
XLII
 XLIII. 
XLIII
 XLIV. 
XLIV
 XLV. 
XLV
 XLVI. 
XLVI
 XLVII. 
XLVII
 XLVIII. 
XLVIII
 XLIX. 
XLIX
 L. 
L
  
FINALE
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LONDON VOLUNTARIES
  
[dedication]
 I. 
I
 II. 
II
 III. 
III
 IV. 
IV.
 V. 
V
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LONDON TYPES
  
[dedication]
 I. 
I 'BUS-DRIVER
 II. 
II LIFE-GUARDSMAN
 III. 
III HAWKER
 IV. 
IV BEEF-EATER
 V. 
V SANDWICH-MAN
 VI. 
VI 'LIZA
 VII. 
VII ‘LADY’
 VIII. 
VIII BLUECOAT BOY
 IX. 
IX MOUNTED POLICE
 X. 
X NEWS-BOY
 XI. 
XI DRUM-MAJOR
 XII. 
XII FLOWER-GIRL
 XIII. 
XIII BARMAID
  
[The Artist muses at his ease]
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THREE PROLOGUES
 I. 
I BEAU AUSTIN
 II. 
II RICHARD SAVAGE
 III. 
III ADMIRAL GUINEA
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FOR ENGLAND'S SAKE
  
[dedication]
  
PROLOGUE
 I. 
I REMONSTRANCE
 II. 
II THE MAN IN THE STREET
 III. 
III PRO REGE NOSTRO
 IV. 
IV THE LEVY OF SHIELDS
 V. 
V MUSIC HALL
 VI. 
VI A NEW SONG TO AN OLD TUNE
 VII. 
VII ‘OUR CHIEF OF MEN’
 VIII. 
VIII ‘A HEALTH UNTO HER MAJESTY’
 IX. 
IX LAST POST
  
EPILOGUE
  
ENVOY
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EPICEDIA
  
TWO DAYS
  
IN MEMORIAM THOMAS EDWARD BROWN
  
IN MEMORIAM GEORGE WARRINGTON STEEVENS
  
IN MEMORIAM REGINAE DILECTISSIMAE VICTORIAE
  
A SONG OF SPEED
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APPENDIX
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ECHOES
  
[In the time of snows]
  
[The pretty washermaiden]
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BRIC-À-BRAC
  
OF THE FROWARDNESS OF WOMAN
  
OF RAIN
  
OF ANTIQUE DANCES
  
OF SPRING MUSIC
  
OF JUNE
  
OF LADIES' NAMES
  
[In the street of By-and-By]
  
[‘Felicity. Enquire within.]
  
[We 'll to the woods and gather may]
  
FORENOON
  
RAIN
  
JENNY WREN
  
[My love to me is always kind]
  
[With strawberries we filled a tray]
  
[The leaves are sere, and on the ground]
  
To H. D. C.
  
INTER SODALES
  
MY MEERSCHAUM PIPE
  
PIPE OF MY SOUL
  
A FLIRTED FAN
  
IN ROTTEN ROW
  
WITH A FAN FROM RIMMEL'S
  
VILLANELLE
  
VILLANELLE
  
VILLANELLE
  
VILLON'S STRAIGHT TIP TO ALL CROSS COVES

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VII
‘OUR CHIEF OF MEN’

Did he say to himself, did he say at the start:—
‘I 'll take this thing in hand,
And in England's name, for a dead boy's sake,
I 'll make them understand.
236

‘They have given us war, good war so far as
their burgher souls knew how:
In a dead boy's name, and for England's sake,
I 'll set my hand to the plow.
‘They have beaten us, trapped us, foiled and
fouled, been with us like a disease,
But as yet they know but the best of the brew;
they shall learn the taste of the lees?’
Did he promise thus in the thought of his dead?
We must do as we must—not will!
If he did, by the Lord he has kept his word, for
they 've had of him thrice their fill.
By the dismal fords, the thankless hills, the deso-
late, half-dead flats
He has shepherded them like silly sheep, and
cornered them like rats.
He has driven and headed them strength by
strength, as a hunter deals with his deer,
And has filled the place of the heart in their
breast with a living devil of fear.
They have seen themselves out-marched, out-
fought, out-captained early and late.
They've scarce a decent town to their name but
he's ridden in at the gate.
Desert and distance, treason and drought, he has
mopped them up as he went,
And only those he must shed in the rush of his
swoops were discontent.
237

Patient, hardy, masterful, merciful, high, irre-
sistible, just,
For a dead man's sake, and in England's name,
he has done as he would and must.
So three times three, and nine times nine, and a
hundred times and ten,
England, you, and you junior Englands, all, hats
off to our Chief of Men!
May 1900.
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