Although William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) suffered from tuberculosis at an early age, he led an active life. He published various volumes of books and poems which reflect the pain of a tuberculosis patient during his stays in the infirmary for several years. He was able to survive 30 years and worked as an editor, critic and poet. During his adult life, Henley often received criticism from people who did not understand his perspective on poetry, drama, etc. One of his famous and well-known poems was called “Invictus”. In the poem “Invictus,” he sends a powerful message to the audience using figurative language. Biography William Ernest Henley was born on August 23, 1849 in Gloucester, England. He was the eldest of five sons and one daughter. His father, William Henley, was a poor bookseller and stationer. In 1868 his father died and left his family in debt. His mother, Mary Morgan, is descended from the poet and critic Joseph Wharton. Between 1861 and 1867 he was educated at Crypt Grammar School. Then, in 1867, he passed the exam. However, he did not go to a higher institution due to his illness and lack of financial support. Then he moved to London and worked as a journalist. At the age of 12, he suffered from bone tuberculosis which led to the amputation of his left leg below the knee. Then, in 1873, his right leg was also diagnosed as tuberculous. He was fortunate to be treated by Dr Lister at the Edinburgh Infirmary. He remained in the hospital for almost two years and used this time to write and publish the poems In Hospital which reflected his traumatic experiences as a patient. In 1878, he married Anna Boyle, the youngest daughter of a mechanical engineer father, and...... middle of paper ......the. Henley wrote Invictus during his life of disability in the hospital. He describes this suffering from tuberculosis. The message he sent was that although your physical body was suffering, your spiritual soul was not yet defeated. Therefore, do not let anyone or anything control your destiny. You must be the master of your destiny and the captain of your soul. Works Cited Dillingham, William B. “Kipling, WE Henley, St. Paul and Discipleship.” “WISCONSIN STATE LIBRARY. Np, July 14, 2012. Web. April 3, 2014. “William Ernest Henley: a biographical sketch. » The Victorian Web. Ed. Andrzej Diniejko.Np, July 9, 2011. Web. March 27, 2014 “William Ernest Henley”. British Encyclopedia. Ed. Gloria Lotha, JE Luebering and Marco Sampaolo. Np, July 20, 2006. Web. March 27, 2014. “William Ernest Henley.” Literary Reference Center Plus. Salem Press, January 2003. Web. April 22.2014.