One of my favourite poems is Invictus, written in 1875 by the British poet William Ernest Henley (1849-1903). It was published in 1888 in his first volume of poems, Book of Verses.
The poem is about strength in the face of adversity. It’s about not giving up. When Henley was a teenager, his left leg had to be amputated owing to complications arising from tuberculosis. Some time later, after seeking treatment for problems with his other leg, he was told it would also need to be amputated.
He then travelled to Edinburgh in August 1873 to get the medical services of Joseph Lister, a renowned surgeon, who was able to save Henley’s leg after many surgical interventions on the foot. While he was recovering, he came up with the verses that became the poem Invictus.
The poem’s central themes of perseverance and self-determination have made it a cultural touchstone. It has been used several times throughout contemporary history and it has been a source of motivation and inspiration.
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.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invictus#Background
Your Turn!
Do you have a favourite poem? What does the poem mean to you?
