‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley: Poem Analysis

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The word ‘Invictus’ is a Latin word that means ‘unconquerable, unsubdued or undefeated’. This poem, written by William Ernest Henley in 1875, emphasizes the power of the human soul.

Henley suffered from tubercular arthritis from when he was 12 until he died at 53. When he was 17, his doctors had to amputate one of his legs to keep the disease from spreading. Soon after, they told him they might have to amputate the other leg. While he was in the hospital receiving treatment, he wrote ‘Invictus’ and some other poems.

This poem was one of Nelson Mandela’s favourite poems. According to him, Invictus was a source of hope and inspiration during the 27 years he spent at Robben prison. 

The two final lines are some of the most famous lines from Victorian literature. People worldwide have been reciting them for decades due to their ability to inspire determination and resilience.

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Summary

The poem explores the themes of suffering, bravery, resilience, and revitalization. It also touches briefly on spirituality and death. Part of what makes the poem so powerful is that the speaker writes about his suffering and triumph with an insistent, rational, optimistic tone.

In the first stanza, he opens with a vivid description of his pain, then expresses that he’s thankful that he has a soul that the darkness cannot conquer. In the following two stanzas, he writes about how he has endured undeserved suffering and fallen victim to chance. Yet, regardless of these, he stands tall and fears nothing, not even death.

In the last stanza, he maintains that, in the end, no external circumstance is strong enough to change his disposition. The poem concludes in those two renowned sentences– “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”  

Rhythm and Structure

The poem consists of four verses or stanzas and sixteen lines. It has a relatively consistent metrical pattern of four iambs per line, making it an iambic tetrameter. An iamb is made up of one unstressed syllable and one stressed syllable.

This rising rhythm makes the poem sound insistent and hopeful.

Verse-by-Verse Analysis

The speaker begins this verse with a vivid image of the darkness surrounding him. The metaphor ‘night’ can mean suffering or pain. The poet further bolsters the image of the night by comparing its darkness to that of the pit extending from the north pole to the south pole-that is, as wide as the earth itself.

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

Some critics read this part as ironic because, towards the end of the poem, the speaker establishes that he is, in fact, not controlled by religion at all. However, I believe Henley’s use of gods rather than God indicates that he merely appreciated the powers that blessed him with such a resilient soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

The speaker refuses to complain or give in to the unfortunate circumstances that befall him.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

In this whole stanza, the poet clarifies that all his suffering is due to chance and circumstance. Although he doesn’t try to pass blame, he also doesn’t wilfully succumb to chance. He acknowledges that he is wounded by the blows inflicted by Chance personified. However, he refuses to ‘bow’ or cave in.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

At this point, the mood of the poem shifts slightly into pessimism. The speaker uses ‘wrath and tears’ as a metonym for the earth. He states that beyond this place, all that lies ahead is gloom. Because there is such a distinct capitalization of ‘horror’, he could be referring to hell or death. Either way, it is clear that ‘the shade’ the poet paints is supposed to be scary.

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

The conjunction of contrast ‘yet’ indicates that the speaker recognizes that he should be afraid, but he is not. ‘The menace of the years’ could be referring to the adverse effects of growing old. This ties into his earlier reference to death or hell.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

In this stanza, the mood notably shifts to authoritative. The first line is an allusion to Matthew 7:14: “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life…”.

By ‘scroll,’ Henley could be referring to the Bible still or holy books in general. The first line directly contrasts the second because while the first references the gate to heaven, the second talks about punishments. The speaker is clearly saying that neither the appeal of heaven nor the dread of punishments matters to him.

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

The poem ends in a decidedly homocentric manner—the speaker kicks against religious ideas that state that the soul belongs to God. By repeating the phrase ‘I am, the poet uses the literary device called anaphora to establish his point. The entire poem leads up to these two lines. They sum up the central theme:

I control my own fate regardless of whatever might befall me. I drive my soul.