W. E. Henley

Joseph M. Flora (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

Among other distinctions, William Ernest Henley was the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s Long John Silver. Through his pirate, Stevenson paid tribute to his friend’s courage, vigor, and strong will. Indeed, many found Henley an intimidating figure. Like Dr. Samuel Johnson, with whom he has been compared, he was an arbiter of taste to be reckoned with. Henley helped define the literary climate of Great Britain in the last years of the nineteenth century. Henley’s image of manly bravado was the polar opposite of the green carnations of Oscar Wilde and the Aesthetes, and critic Jerome Hamilton Buckley identified him as the leading figure of the “counter-decadence” of the 1890s.

Early in his career, Henley was positioned to carry influence. He held a series of editorships,

898 words

Citation: Flora, Joseph M.. "W. E. Henley". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 March 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2081, accessed 19 March 2024.]

2081 W. E. Henley 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.