William Earnest Henley
(1849-1903)
Invictus[1]
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
The poet endured serious medical problems in his youth. At the age of 16 one leg had to be amputated and he was in danger of losing his other leg. He sought out the medical help he needed, and after multiple surgeries, he was able to save the remaining leg. The poem emerged from his encounter with this frightening medical crisis and his will to persevere.
This poem has been cited many times and included in stories and films. It is emblematic of strength in the face of adversity – keeping a stoic “stiff upper lip” and in that spirit it is often linked to Kipling’s poem If … . It was drawn upon in the film Invictus which focused on the strength of character possessed by Nelson Mandela who endured prison on Robben Island and led South Africa after apartheid.
The poem was untitled when it was first published. The established title "Invictus," Latin for "unconquered," was added by editor Arthur Quiller-Couch when the poem was included in The Oxford Book of English Verse in 1900.
A simple ABAB rhyme scheme gives this poem a structure and pace which makes it immediately appealing. Add to this the talents of Morgan Freeman who played Nelson Mandela in the film Invictus and the poem comes to life.
An aside - Robert Louis Stevenson based the character of Long John Silver in Treasure Island on Mr. Henley.
[1] This is poem 71. It was memorized in 2020, my 71st year.
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