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Invictus
William Ernest Henley
About William Ernest Henley
William Ernest Henley (1849 - 1930) was an English poet and literary editor. His literary career was marred by falling health, but his memory has been immortalized by his poem 'Invictus' - a poem which has ironically been parodied or its excessive patriotism by the likes of D H Lwarence and Allen Benett, but has also been eulogized by the great South African leader Nelson Mandela as a source of inspiration for the anti-apartheid movement. Henely published a collection of poem called In Hospital and edited the literary journal, National Observer during his life time.
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 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.
the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Available Answers
- 1.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
- Night is a (simile/metaphor) for 'suffering'.
- Black as the pit from pole to pole is a (simile/metaphor). It is also (a hyperbole/an understatement).
- In the poem, circumstance has been (personified/used in a simile).
- The repetition of sounds in the following lines is an example of (onomatopoeia/alliteration).
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed - Repetition of the first for words in the following lines is an example of (anaphora/alliteration).
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. - The rhyme scheme of Invictus is (abcb/abab).
- Invictus is a (Iyric/narrative/dramatic) poem.
- 2.
Out of the night that covers me,
Black at the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.- what atmosphere do the first two lines create?
- Which word does the poet-speaker use to describe his soul?
- Who is the poet-speaker thanking in these lines? Although he is in an extremely difficult situation. why is he still grateful?
- 3.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor med aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of change
My head is bloody, but unbowed- Show how circumstance is personified in these lines.
- What do people tend to do when caught in the clutch of circumstance?
- Paraphrase the last two lines.
- 4.
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.- Identify the phrases that the poet-speaker uses to describe challenges.
- Which two words imply the poet-speaker's control over his destiny and himself?
- How would you describe the tone of this last verse?
- 5.Does the poet-speaker say that he has always been courageous? Quote from the poem to justify your answer.
- 6.What image does the poet-speaker use to describe his present life? What, according to him, lies beyond this present?
2 more answer(s) available.