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To W. B. - From The Brake The Nightingale

By William Ernest Henley

Topics: classic

From the brake the Nightingale     Sings exulting to the Rose;     Though he sees her waxing pale     In her passionate repose,     While she triumphs waxing frail,     Fading even while she glows;     Though he knows     How it goes -     Knows of last year's Nightingale     Dead with last year's Rose.     Wise the enamoured Nightingale,     Wise the well-beloved Rose!     Love and life shall still prevail,     Nor the silence at the close     Break the magic of the tale     In the telling, though it shows -     Who but knows     How it goes! -     Life a last year's Nightingale,     Love a last year's Rose.

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"From the brake the Nightingale..."

"To W. B. - From The Brake The Nightingale" is a quintessential example of William Ernest Henley's signature style... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:William Ernest Henley

"From the brake the Nightingale..." by William Ernest Henley

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William Ernest Henley

About William Ernest Henley

William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) was an English poet, critic, and editor best known for his poem "Invictus" ("I am the master of my fate / I am the captain of my soul"). Written while recovering from tuberculosis of the bone, it has become one of the most quoted poems of courage and resilience.

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"What have I done for you,     England, my England?..."

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