Hi, Ardith Hinton!   
   I read your message from  02.11.2016 16:37   
   about William Ernest Henley.   
      
    ak>> Having remembered that King Arthas "smelled like horse"   
      
    AH> Uh... in what context? If the reference is to King Arthur or to   
    AH> some other person who lived long ago in a faraway land, I'll accept   
    AH> that.   
      
   No, we once discussed it, it was from "Arthas: Rise of the Lich King", by   
   Golden.   
      
   -----Beginning of the citation-----   
       Arthas was silent and did not look up at Uther. He was angry,   
   embarrassed, and hurting, and wanted nothing more than a hot bath and   
   some briarthorn tea to ease the pain. His right knee was starting to   
   swell.   
       "At least you are in time for the prayer session this afternoon."   
   Uther eyed him up and down. "Though you'll need to wash up." Arthas was   
   indeed sweaty and knew he smelled like horse. It was a good smell, he   
   thought. An honest one. "Hurry up. We'll be assembling in the chapel."   
   ----- The end of the citation -----   
      
   So we see here a rather modern language.   
      
      
      
    ak>> I would remove an article before "ball" -- the verse   
    aK>> will be read easier.   
      
    ak>> Out of the night that covers me, Black as like inside of ball,   
      
      
    AH>           Pattern #1 (i.e. the way I was taught):   
    AH>                 (as) black as the Ace of Spades   
    AH>                 (as) cute as a bug's ear   
    AH>                 (as) drunk as a skunk   
    AH>                 (as) warm as toast   
    AH>                 (as) slow as molasses in January   
    AH>           Pattern #2 (i.e. teenage lingo, not generally recommended):   
    AH>                 (as) black as, like, well, you know....   
      
    AH> I'd say "(as) black as the inside of a ball". Re what a 19th   
    AH> century poet may or may not have been thinking, I'll expand on that   
    AH> later. :-)   
      
   Thinking it over I thought that "a ball" is not a serious object, and it   
   cannot be used in such a serious verse. But we can use "coal" instead:   
      
   "Out of the night that covers me,   
   Black as a piece of coal, I thank whatever gods may be   
   For my unconquerable soul."   
      
   It's even simpler and easier for reciting. ;-)   
      
   Bye, Ardith!   
   Alexander Koryagin   
   ENGLISH_TUTOR 2016   
      
   --- Paul's Win98SE VirtualBox   
    * Origin: Quinn's Post - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384)