JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<p>This is a bunch of content to illustrate the effects of text-indent.
   Notice how only the first line is indented, much the same as if you'd inserted &amp;nbsp;'s
   or other such nonsense.

CSS

p  { background-color: yellow; }
p:first-letter { border-left: 1ex solid red; }
p:before {content: "\00a0 "; background: #000; }
p:before {content: "\00a0 "; background: #F00; }
p:before {content: "\00a0 "; background: #0F0; }
p:before {content: "\00a0 "; background: #00F; }
p:before {content+: "\00a0 "; background: #0FF; }