Invictus is a Poem written by British poet William Ernest Henley in 1875 which was published in 1891 in his poem collection “In Hospital”. Apparently this poem was written when he was hospitalised due to a tuberculosis infection.
Invictus Poem by Willian Ernest Henley
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.
Stanza wise Summary of the poem Invictus
In the first stanza of Invictus, the speaker talks about the night that covers him like a physical thing. This night seems to have covered the entire world. The speaker thanks god(s) who have given him this braveness and calls his soul unconquerable.
The speaker talks about the hardships he has faced in the second stanza. He compares the hardships to being clutched by the fist of circumstance. He says even through all that he has never complained or cried. He says that chance beats his head up and makes it bloody, yet he has never accepted defeat.
Third stanza talks about a place beyond where the speaker currently is. It is a reference to his future and the speaker says that his future looms with horrors like a shadow. However, no threats in the past have found the speaker afraid and they will not find him afraid in future either.
The Speaker in the fourth stanza says that it does not matter to him how difficult his life gets with a biblical reference (how strait the gate). He says that he alone is the master of his fate, he is the person in control of his soul like a captain in control of a ship.
Themes in the Poem Invictus
Main Idea/Central Theme of Invictus
The central theme of Invictus is bravery and resilience in the face of hardships in life. The poem inspires anyone going through difficulties or anyone anticipating hardships to face it with courage and to be headstrong.
The poet was going through a really difficult phase in his life when he wrote this poem. He was in the hospital battling tuberculosis. As a child he had constantly battled tuberculosis of bone and had his left leg amputated. He was hospitalised in 1873 when the infection in his right leg became severe. He also witnessed his fellow patients fighting for life. That is when this poem was written.
The Poet distinctly talks about the past, the present and the future, referencing his endurance through past hardships, his strong will to face his current difficulties and his courage to face anything the future holds for him.
Though the word Invictus does not appear in the four stanza’s of William Ernest Henley’s poem, the word unconquerable appears in the first stanza.
This word amplifies the main theme and adds additional ideas like persevering and never falling down or being defeated. It is interesting to note that emphasis is on being undefeated and not on winning every time. This humanizes the speaker as it shows a fighting spirit rather than a god like capability to win over all problems.
Other Themes in the poem Invictus
Chance and fate is another theme explored in this poem. The speaker talks about impact chance and fate has had on him.
However, the poem focuses more on navigating our way through the problems we are given, “the hand we’ve been dealt with“, rather than leaving everything up to fate and chance. This is evident in the last few lines of the poem. He says he will be in control of his soul no matter what happens to his physical body, or what fate brings upon him.
Death is a theme that is faintly hinted in the poem, when the poet talks about what his future holds for him. Third stanza ends with the speaker saying he will not show any fear in the future, even in the face of death.
Religion is interpreted by many as theme in the poem. The speaker expresses his gratitude to “Whatever Gods” for his soul being unconquerable. He also makes a biblical reference as he says “how strait the gate“. Though religion seems to have been referenced in the poem, the speaker’s choice to use the word “Gods” as opposed to “God” seems to point that he may not be necessarily referencing Christianity. However it is clear that the speaker believes in some form of force that is above him and that he is grateful to whatever it is.
Line by Line meaning of the poem Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
The speaker uses night to symbolise the hardship he faces in life. He compares the night to be as dark as “the pit“. This night seems to cover entire world (or his entire world). The use of the word night may have been used because, dawn breaks at the end of the night and the poet sees hope of daylight in the darkest night. The adage “The darkest hour is just before the dawn” may also have been referenced by the speaker since he says that the night is dark as a pit, to mean that he at the worst stage of dealing with his problems and after this there will be daylight.
It is also possible to interpret that the poet is lost in the darkness of the night and he does not have any other option to endure it and wait for dawn.
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
The choice of the words “Whatever Gods” points that the speaker is skeptical about God(s). However he finds courage and evidence that his soul has stood the test of time and it is still unconquered and thus he thinks that, there must be someone looking over him and he is grateful for it.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
The speaker says that his life is in an evil grip of fate that has unfairly affected his life. He is proud that no matter the circumstances he has not given up or complained about his misfortunes.
The speaker uses the words “cried aloud” which can be interpreted to mean that he has felt the pain and cried within himself but not cried aloud. It means that he has gulped down his pain and put on a brave face in the battle of his life.
“Blugeonings of chance” means that chance has presented the speaker with situations that have hurt him deeply.
Chance has been cruel to him and it has affected him very much in his life. But he is still ready to face whatever it throws at him.
The phrase “Bloody but Unbowed” is used to say that he is wounded but undefeated. It represents a sense of pride in not accepting defeat in spite of the pain the speaker suffers.
The speaker shows vulnerability in this line as he agrees to have been beaten up badly. He presents himself as human and relatable, like any other person who gets affected by their problems. At the same time he gives courage to the reader to not give up, because he has not given up and accepted defeat.
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.
“Beyond this place of wrath and tears” has been generally interpreted to be the future, as the speaker talks about “menace of the years“, in the next lines which talks about the past. However it can also be interpreted to be the place where the speaker actually was when he wrote this poem, i.e., the hospital. He says beyond the hospital, in the future horror appears in a threatening way like a shadow.
The speaker says he has always faced all the dangers in his life over the years by not showing any fear and he says that all threats, dangers or horrors that future may hold will see him the same way.
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.
“Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). The speaker alludes to the biblical verse which says that it is difficult to follow the right path and easier to follow the wrong path. He knows that his path is difficult and narrow and filled with difficulties, and yet he consciously goes down that path.
Punishments of the scroll may be a reference to punishments one faces in his afterlife or the punishments he may face being alive. The speaker clearly affirms that the narrow difficult path that he has to follow, or the punishments that he may face in afterlife will not affect his perception of his life and his decisions in the future. He says he will fearlessly and boldly follow his path.
The Phrase “Master of my fate” means that the speaker is in control of his life and that he navigates successfully through any situations that befall him. Captain of my soul means to be in control of one’s emotion and spiritual conscience.
Speaker ends off on a powerful note saying that chance or luck does not determine his life or future, he controls his fate. And even in all the pain in his life, he is in command of his soul. He will navigate through this sea of life and lead his soul being undefeated-Invictus.
Invictus Poem Analysis
In this poem, William Ernest Henley makes readers realise the importance of fighting back even in the last minute of life. There is an immediate start seen in the poem without any introduction for setting the mood. We can observe that the poem seems to be written on his own life connecting to the hardships that his has undergone using it as a symbol to convey.
Though the poem interests reader about the courage and need for standing up against hardships, there are few phrases in the poem that are unspecific. Poet in the initial lines speaks about the night that is as black as pit from pole, he also speaks about the Shade of Horror in the third stanza. We can assume that the poet is trying to say that future might not be as dark as past and but the traces of past, that is menace of the years might be endured in the shadows as a representation of the darkness.
He thank Gods for giving him unconquerable soul where it seems like he is guided by supreme power, yet he says in the last stanza that he is the master of his fate and captain of his soul which portrays that he is not guided by any supreme force.
The poem has four stanzas each having four lines in it. We can also note that every fourth line of each stanzas highlight the qualities of the poet. The rhyme scheme of the poem is abab in all the stanzas.
The poem is structured in a way that he speaks about his past and struggles in the first two stanzas, where as in the third stanza he speaks about the future which is uncertain yet he has hopes that he shall never give up. Only in the last stanza poet addresses the present need to strive no matter what life offers, by choosing the right path he says he is the master of his own fate.
Poetic Devices
Simile:
Black as the pit from pole to pole – Night is compared to as black as pit.
Enjambment:
Most of the lines are in the form of enjambment where a line has been continued without pause beyond the end of line, for example:
“And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.”
Suggested Reading
How did you die poem by Edmund Vance Cooke.
FAQs on Invictus by William Ernest Henley
When was Invictus poem written?
Invictus poem was written by William Ernest Henley in 1875.
What is the central idea of the poem invictus?
The central theme of Invictus is bravery and resilience in the face of hardships in life. The poem inspires anyone going through difficulties or anyone anticipating hardships to face it with courage and to be headstrong.
What is the meaning of the word invictus?
Invictus is a Latin word which means Unconquerable or Undefeated.
Why is Invictus the title of the poem?
William Ernest Henley uses the word unconquerable to define his soul in the first stanza of the poem. The name of the poem is Invictus to represent the speaker’s unconquerable soul.
Who is the speaker in the poem Invictus?
The speaker in the poem invictus can be assumed to be the poet, W. E. Henley himself, and it is addressed to the readers.
What does night Symbolises in the poem Invictus?
In the first line of the poem Invictus, the night symbolises the difficulties and hardships in life that the speaker is facing.
What does "Fell Clutch of Circumstance" mean?
Fell Clutch of circumstance means the evil grip of fate. It shows the unfair control fate has over a person’s life.
What does Bludgeonings of chance mean in the poem Invictus?
Bludgeon means to hit with a heavy object. “Blugeonings of chance” means that chance has presented the speaker with situations that have hurt him deeply.
What does the phrase "My head Bloody but Unbowed" mean in the poem Invictus?
“Bloody but Unbowed” means to have been hurt, but not giving up. It is like the phrase wounded but undefeated. It represents a sense of pride in not accepting defeat in spite of the pain someone suffers.
What does "how strait the gate" mean in the poem invictus?
It is a biblical allusion to “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14), In the poem Invictus, “Strait the gate” means the difficult and narrow path that lies in front of the speaker.
What does the phrase "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." mean in the poem Invictus?
To be “Master of my fate” means to be in control of one’s life. It means to navigate successfully through any situations that befall a person. Captain of my soul means to be in control of one’s emotion and spiritual conscience.
