William Ernest Henley
William Ernest Henley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 August 1849 Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England |
| Died | 11 July 1903 (aged 53) Woking, Surrey, England |
| Occupation | Poet, critic, and editor |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | The Crypt School, Gloucester. St Andrews University. |
| Period | c. 1870–1903 |
| Notable works | "Invictus" |
| Spouse | Hannah Johnson Boyle |
| Children | Margaret Henley |
William Ernest Henley (23 August 1849 – 11 July 1903) was a British poet, writer, critic and editor. Though he wrote several books of poetry, Henley is remembered most often for his 1875 poem "Invictus". A fixture in London literary circles, the one-legged Henley was an inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's character Long John Silver (Treasure Island, 1883), while his young daughter Margaret Henley inspired J. M. Barrie's choice of the name Wendy for the heroine of his play Peter Pan (1904).