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.
“Invictus” is a powerful and moving poem written by William Ernest Henley in 1875. The poem speaks to the resilience and determination of the human spirit, and its message is one that resonates with people from all walks of life.
At its core, “Invictus” is about taking control of one’s life and refusing to give up no matter what challenges may arise. The poem’s opening lines, “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,” set the tone for the rest of the poem, which speaks to the unyielding determination of the speaker.
The speaker in “Invictus” faces great adversity, but he is not defeated by it. Instead, he embraces it and rises above it. He is “the master of his fate” and “the captain of his soul.” This attitude of refusing to be defeated is one that is shared by winners in all areas of life. Those who succeed are often those who see things through, no matter how difficult the task may be.
On the other hand, those who have a pattern of quitting things they start will never achieve the same level of success as those who persist in the face of adversity. The poem is a powerful reminder that success is not something that is handed to us, but something that we must earn through hard work and determination.
The closing lines of the poem, “I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul,” encapsulate the poem’s message perfectly. These lines remind us that we are in control of our own lives, and that we have the power to shape our own destinies.
This poem speaks to the resilience and determination of the human spirit. It reminds us that we are the masters of our own fate and that we have the power to shape our own destinies. The poem is a powerful reminder that success is not something that is handed to us, but something that we must earn through hard work and determination. It is a poem that inspires us to never give up, no matter what challenges we may face in life.
I have seen both sides of the coin. There have been times when I have thrown in the towel and given up too soon and there have been other times when I think about what my dad said and “see it through.” Admittedly, the satisfaction of seeing things through is great. Usually, the euphoria is equal to the challenge.