Analysis of After

William Ernest Henley 1849 (Gloucester) – 1903 (Woking)



Like as a flamelet blanketed in smoke,
So through the anaesthetic shows my life;
So flashes and so fades my thought, at strife
With the strong stupor that I heave and choke
And sicken at, it is so foully sweet.
Faces look strange from space-and disappear.
Far voices, sudden loud, offend my ear -
And hush as sudden. Then my senses fleet:
All were a blank, save for this dull, new pain
That grinds my leg and foot; and brokenly
Time and the place glimpse on to me again;
And, unsurprised, out of uncertainty,
I wake-relapsing-somewhat faint and fain,
To an immense, complacent dreamery.


Scheme ABBACDECFGHIFD
Poetic Form
Metre 110110001 1101111 1100111111 1011011101 010111111 101111001 1101010111 0111011101 1001111111 11110101 1001111101 01110100 1101011101 11010101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 581
Words 106
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 459
Words per stanza (avg) 104
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 10, 2023

31 sec read
60

William Ernest Henley

William Ernest Henley was an English poet, critic and editor, best remembered for his 1875 poem "Invictus". more…

All William Ernest Henley poems | William Ernest Henley Books

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