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Invictus: The Unconquerable
W E Henley
About W E Henley
W E Henley (1849 − 1903) was an English poet of great significance during the late Victorian era. he was an editor of many literary magazines and journals of the time, and had significant influence on the culture and literary perspectives during the period.
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, unfriend.
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.
Available Answers
- 1.
What does the word 'night' stand for in stanza 1?
- 2.
What do you think the poet is attempting to convey through the second line of the poem?
- 3.
Explain the expression 'fell clutch of circumstance'.
- 4.
What role does chance play in our lives?
- 5.
What quality does the poet hope to retain all through his life and why?
- 6.
What does the word 'shade' imply in stanza 3?
10 more answer(s) available.