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Rhymes And Rhythms - XV

By William Ernest Henley

Topics: classic

You played and sang a snatch of song,      A song that all-too well we knew;     But whither had flown the ancient wrong;      And was it really I and you?     O since the end of life's to live      And pay in pence the common debt,     What should it cost us to forgive      Whose daily task is to forget?     You babbled in the well-known voice,      Not new, not new, the words you said.     You touched me off that famous poise,      That old effect, of neck and head.     Dear, was it really you and I?      In truth the riddle's ill to read,     So many are the deaths we die      Before we can be dead indeed.

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"You played and sang a snatch of song,..."

This evocative piece by William Ernest Henley, titled "Rhymes And Rhythms - XV", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### 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

"You played and sang a snatch of song,..." 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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