Invictus
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.
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.
By William Ernest Henley (1875)
Should glory be an object of desire? If glory should be given to God for all accomplishments, what role does human will play in structuring a life worthy of giving due praise and kudos to the Almighty Creator? In the case of poet William Ernest Henley, one can see a need for unflappable determination and fortitude in the face of a nemesis that cripples body and spirit.
How easy it is to bow to unkind fate. The mindset of those who refuse to "give in" to extreme misfortune deserves study. What do they find within to become indomitable? Every human being needs a strong will to supply the strength and energy necessary to withstand adversity. Henley wrote one of the most memorable poems dealing with this subject. It has been a great gift to so many.
William Ernest Henley
William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) was born in Gloucester, England, and was the oldest of a family of six children, five sons and a daughter. His father, William, a bookseller and stationer, died in 1868 and was survived by young children and creditors. His mother, Mary Morgan, was descended from the poet and critic Joseph Wharton.
As a child of 12, Henley developed tuberculosis of the bone that resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee in 1868–69. Early in life, frequent illness often kept him from school, although the misfortunes of his father's business may also have contributed.
In 1867, Henley passed the Oxford Local Schools Examination and soon moved to London where he attempted to establish himself as a journalist. However, his work over the next eight years was interrupted by long stays in the hospital because his right foot had also grown diseased.
His other leg was saved only through the skill and radical new methods of the surgeon Joseph Lister, the founder of antiseptic medicine and a pioneer in preventive medicine, whom he sought out in Edinburgh.
Forced to stay in an infirmary in Edinburgh for 20 months (1873–75), he began writing impressionistic poems (some in free verse) about hospital life that established his poetic reputation. Some of these were published in The Cornhill Magazine in 1875; the whole sequence appeared in A Book of Verses (1888). Dating from the same period is his most popular poem, “Invictus” (1875).
Henley’s long, close friendship with Robert Louis Stevenson, best known for his novels -- Treasure Island (1881), Kidnapped (1886), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), and The Master of Ballantrae (1889) -- began in 1874 when he was still a patient.
Stevenson's stepson, Lloyd Osbourne, described Henley as...
"... a great, glowing, massive-shouldered fellow with a big red beard and a crutch; jovial, astoundingly clever, and with a laugh that rolled like music; he had an unimaginable fire and vitality; he swept one off one's feet."
Robert Louis Stephenson wrote in a letter:
“It was the sight of your maimed strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver...the idea of the maimed man, ruling and dreaded by the sound, was entirely taken from you."
Although Lister's treatment had not effected a complete cure, Henley enjoyed a relatively active life for nearly thirty more years.
On 22 January 1878, Henley married Hannah (Anna) Johnson Boyle, the youngest daughter of Edward Boyle, a mechanical engineer from Edinburgh, and his wife, Mary Ann née Mackie.
Should glory be an object of desire? If glory should be given to God for all accomplishments, what role does human will play in structuring a life worthy of giving due praise and kudos to the Almighty Creator? In the case of poet William Ernest Henley, one can see a need for unflappable determination and fortitude in the face of a nemesis that cripples body and spirit.
How easy it is to bow to unkind fate. The mindset of those who refuse to "give in" to extreme misfortune deserves study. What do they find within to become indomitable? Every human being needs a strong will to supply the strength and energy necessary to withstand adversity. Henley wrote one of the most memorable poems dealing with this subject. It has been a great gift to so many.
William Ernest Henley
William Ernest Henley (1849-1903) was born in Gloucester, England, and was the oldest of a family of six children, five sons and a daughter. His father, William, a bookseller and stationer, died in 1868 and was survived by young children and creditors. His mother, Mary Morgan, was descended from the poet and critic Joseph Wharton.
As a child of 12, Henley developed tuberculosis of the bone that resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee in 1868–69. Early in life, frequent illness often kept him from school, although the misfortunes of his father's business may also have contributed.
In 1867, Henley passed the Oxford Local Schools Examination and soon moved to London where he attempted to establish himself as a journalist. However, his work over the next eight years was interrupted by long stays in the hospital because his right foot had also grown diseased.
His other leg was saved only through the skill and radical new methods of the surgeon Joseph Lister, the founder of antiseptic medicine and a pioneer in preventive medicine, whom he sought out in Edinburgh.
Forced to stay in an infirmary in Edinburgh for 20 months (1873–75), he began writing impressionistic poems (some in free verse) about hospital life that established his poetic reputation. Some of these were published in The Cornhill Magazine in 1875; the whole sequence appeared in A Book of Verses (1888). Dating from the same period is his most popular poem, “Invictus” (1875).
Henley’s long, close friendship with Robert Louis Stevenson, best known for his novels -- Treasure Island (1881), Kidnapped (1886), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), and The Master of Ballantrae (1889) -- began in 1874 when he was still a patient.
Stevenson's stepson, Lloyd Osbourne, described Henley as...
"... a great, glowing, massive-shouldered fellow with a big red beard and a crutch; jovial, astoundingly clever, and with a laugh that rolled like music; he had an unimaginable fire and vitality; he swept one off one's feet."
Robert Louis Stephenson wrote in a letter:
“It was the sight of your maimed strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver...the idea of the maimed man, ruling and dreaded by the sound, was entirely taken from you."
Although Lister's treatment had not effected a complete cure, Henley enjoyed a relatively active life for nearly thirty more years.
On 22 January 1878, Henley married Hannah (Anna) Johnson Boyle, the youngest daughter of Edward Boyle, a mechanical engineer from Edinburgh, and his wife, Mary Ann née Mackie.
Henley's sickly young daughter, Margaret Henley (born 4 September 1888), was immortalized by J. M. Barrie in his children's classic, Peter Pan. Unable to speak clearly, young Margaret had called her friend Barrie
her "fwendy-wendy." resulting in the use of "Wendy" in the book.
Tragically, Margaret died on February 11, 1894, at the age of five, so she didn't survive long enough to read the book.
In 1889 Henley became editor of the Scots Observer, an Edinburgh journal of the arts and current events and precursor of the National Observer (UK).
"Invictus"
"Invictus" is a poem about the triumph of an individual over human weakness. In Latin, the word invictus is an adjective meaning "unconquerable" or "undefeated." Stoicism inspired William Henley to write the poem. Thus, the poem is about strength and power from within. The reader can readily see the strong relationship of the poem with the many trials overcome by Henley during his 54 years of life.
The poem is composed of four
quatrains. The mood of the poem is menacing and gloomy as evidenced by the diction comprised of many dark words. Yet, in the midst of all the gloom and doom, the voice of the speaker is optimistic and indomitable. "Invictus" has been read on two levels:
* First, it could be viewed as the punishment assigned by a society to an
individual whose intellectual and moral values go against the norm.
* Second, it could read as a poet's reaction to bad fate.
"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."
Blackness is symbolic of evil, ugly circumstances that have physically befallen the speaker in the poem. Without mention of pity for himself and his fate, the speaker instead thanks the gods for having given him an “unconquerable soul” or the inborn spirit of "invictus."
The use of the words whatever and may in line three is sardonic (sarcastic), implying that his strength is innate and divine intervention would not make a difference. Thanking a god (lower-case g)whose nature and existence is uncertain ("whatever gods may be") makes it more sarcastic.
The word pit is synonymous with abyss, which, in turn, connotes hell, and the phrase "pole to pole" suggests that it is as deep as the longitudinal length of the earth. That is hyperbole and, of course, reference to a very very deep Pit (capitalized for emphasis). The Pit could also be the earth/world itself, which the persona views as a place of gloom. This connotation coincides with his description of the world as a "place of wrath and tears."
"In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed."
These classic lines have been repeated in many, many allusions since Henley penned them long ago. "In the fell (cruel) clutch of circumstance," the speaker accepts his fateful misfortune. He claims to have never "winced not cried aloud"even though "chance" has "bloodied his head." The speaker has remained strong, determined and stoic despite being "bludgeoned" by his cruel destiny.
Although the speaker cannot control the things that happen around him (being "held" or "clutched" by them, rather than being the one "holding" control of their overtaking him), he is able to bear the stipulations without turning away or withdrawing from them.
The persona prefers his being "unconquered" to be seen and not to be felt nor heard. He evidently does not want the reader to feel sorry for his tribulation, nor to sympathize with him. Rather, he would have them witness his dispassionate glory.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeon of Citium in the early 3rd century BC. The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul."
Blackness is symbolic of evil, ugly circumstances that have physically befallen the speaker in the poem. Without mention of pity for himself and his fate, the speaker instead thanks the gods for having given him an “unconquerable soul” or the inborn spirit of "invictus."
The use of the words whatever and may in line three is sardonic (sarcastic), implying that his strength is innate and divine intervention would not make a difference. Thanking a god (lower-case g)whose nature and existence is uncertain ("whatever gods may be") makes it more sarcastic.
The word pit is synonymous with abyss, which, in turn, connotes hell, and the phrase "pole to pole" suggests that it is as deep as the longitudinal length of the earth. That is hyperbole and, of course, reference to a very very deep Pit (capitalized for emphasis). The Pit could also be the earth/world itself, which the persona views as a place of gloom. This connotation coincides with his description of the world as a "place of wrath and tears."
"In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed."
These classic lines have been repeated in many, many allusions since Henley penned them long ago. "In the fell (cruel) clutch of circumstance," the speaker accepts his fateful misfortune. He claims to have never "winced not cried aloud"even though "chance" has "bloodied his head." The speaker has remained strong, determined and stoic despite being "bludgeoned" by his cruel destiny.
Although the speaker cannot control the things that happen around him (being "held" or "clutched" by them, rather than being the one "holding" control of their overtaking him), he is able to bear the stipulations without turning away or withdrawing from them.
The persona prefers his being "unconquered" to be seen and not to be felt nor heard. He evidently does not want the reader to feel sorry for his tribulation, nor to sympathize with him. Rather, he would have them witness his dispassionate glory.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeon of Citium in the early 3rd century BC. The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.
Stoics were concerned with the active relationship between cosmic determinism and human freedom, and the belief that it is virtuous to maintain a will
that is in accord with nature. Because of this, the Stoics presented
their philosophy as a way of life, and they thought that the best
indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said but
how he behaved.
Stoicism teaches the development of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions; the philosophy holds that becoming a clear and unbiased thinker allows one to understand the universal reason (logos). A primary aspect of Stoicism involves improving the individual's ethical and moral well-being
Stoic philosophical and spiritual practices included logic, Socratic dialog and self-dialog, contemplation of death, training attention to remain in the present moment (similar to some forms of Eastern meditation), and daily reflection on everyday problems and possible solutions. Philosophy for a Stoic is an active process of constant practice and self-reminder.
"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."
The speaker proudly announces that the unkind design of his life has not intimidated his strong will. And, even more important, that he will not fear the "Horror of the shade" in his future. The word shade is derived from the Greek word skotos meaning "darkness," and connotes unforeseen misfortune and death. Dealing with suffering is something the stoic William Henley would surely know well.
"Horror" also implies that death is feared by people, something that obliterates their existence. This death is present yet the persona cannot tell when and where it will come since it "looms." Despite this uncertainty, the persona is not afraid, and whatever threat or menace of misfortune may come, he shall be brave as always, as he is at present.
The phrase ‘it matters not’ is the direct statement of the indifference implied in lines 3, 6, and 12. The phrase itself could be considered the theme of the whole poem, indifference to suffering and the importance of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions.
"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 fourth and final stanza of "Invictus" contains two of the most-quoted lines of personal conviction in English poetry: "I am master of my fate:/ I am captain of my soul."
The "strait gate" is a biblical reference to a tight and narrow passageway. as opposed to the broad path of sin and evil. As "captain" of his own soul," the speaker is confident he can "steer" his own course through fate while crossing the difficult terrain, passing through the gate, and entering glory.
The scroll is an image used repeatedly in the book of Revelation. Both gate and scroll are biblical images which the persona is indifferent towards. This implies that divine intervention could only do so much, and it is man who decides for himself. This illustrates the poem’s staunchly humanistic attitude.
The last line reinforces the title of the poem. It is man who makes decisions for himself. Until he decides to give up, he shall remain Invictus, Unconquered.
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