Praise The Generous Gods

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



Praise the generous gods for giving
In a world of wrath and strife,
With a little time for living,
Unto all the joy of life.

At whatever source we drink it,
Art or life or faith or wine,
In whatever terms we think it,
It is common and divine.

Praise the high gods, for in giving
This for man, and this alone,
They have made his chance for living
Shine the equal of their own.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 16, 2023

23 sec read
314

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD AEAE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 372
Words 77
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4

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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