Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, IN HOSPITAL: 16. HOUSE-SURGEON, by WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

IN HOSPITAL: 16. HOUSE-SURGEON, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Exceeding tall, but built so well his height
Last Line: And cultivate his mild philistinism.
Alternate Author Name(s): Henley, W. E.
Subject(s): Hospitals; Physicians; Surgery; Doctors


Exceeding tall, but built so well his height
Half-disappears in flow of chest and limb;
Moustache and whisker trooper-like in trim;
Frank-faced, frank-eyed, frank-hearted; always bright
And always punctual -- morning, noon, and night;
Bland as a Jesuit, sober as a hymn;
Humorous, and yet without a trace of whim;
Gentle and amiable, yet full of fight.
His piety, though fresh and true in strain,
Has not yet whitewashed up his common mood
To the dead blank of his particular Schism.
Sweet, unaggressive, tolerant, most humane,
Wild artists like his kindly elderhood,
And cultivate his mild Philistinism.





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net