The poem
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.
I think this poem truly describes what it feels like to be young, to feel as if we have the world at our feet. It's such a fantastic emotion that shouldn't be easily forgotten.
I feel the poet was describing a feeling that his
life was trying to be taken from him, but no one could take his soul
That's a really interesting thought actually! He could be talking about the feeling of being invincible (which one mostly feels during youth) and that eventhough he will grow older nothing can take away that feeling
I see this poem from a different perspective. To me it is not the poem of a young person looking forward to an invicible life ahead. I see someone looking back and realizing that he survived a life of turmoil and hardship. Despite this, one constant has always been there for him - he is the designer of his life. He creates his reactions to that which has been done to him. Regardless of the extent of travesties thrown at him, he controls how he deals with them and therefore is the captain of his fate and the master of his soul.
This is a person who has been through a lot in his life. He feels his life isn`t over yet & he thanks his Gods, whomever they may be, for giving him the strength to overcome all the obstacles placed in his path. Sounds like he had a lot of them. He never complains about his lot in life & doesn`t fear death. He is in complete control of his life & his destiny (His soul & his Fate). We should all have his strength & beliefs. Great poem, it is here to stay.
This poem shows the indomitable spirit of mankind, even in the face of great adversity Henley did not bow down or succumb to depression he stayed fighting, he was going to go on his own terms as he was "the captain of his fate and master of his soul", this poem is truly inspirational.
This is a very well thought over poem and i belive it has to do with how a preson can be strong when everything is going bad in the world like war ...and this shows that u can have a sould that*((uncinquerable))*which is hard to do ..but it can happen ...take care!
I memorized this poem off of the hit tv show One tree hill about a year ago... its one of my favorite poems... I think it shows the strength of this character, even in the end he struggles but has his head held high, he concurs what he believes will be the demise of him. He is the own master of his fate!
From the moment our teacher introduced the poem, I had this eagerness to memorize it… This poem really reached my inner self. One thing funny about this poem is that, I win because I recited it in front of a thousand people, a sort of an “on-the-spot talent”… Many remembered my name, they remember how I present the poem, getting its sense… This poem is part of my history forever…
It's one of the best poems I've ever read, and I read quite a few. It's all about the strength of being yourself, no matter what.
Having just undergone a craniotomy February 2008, reading this poem was quite powerful. I remained the captain of my soul from the time I discovered the 1.5" brain tumor and refused to be afraid which I decided would serve no purpose and instead embraced the 41 years I had lived up to that point. By keeping my bald head held high and a smile on my face, I controlled my blood pressure, and helped my family and friends stay calm. My doctors were amazed but they released me from the hospital after only 2 days and then allowed me to go back to work after 2 weeks. Positive thinking and belief in what you can do are powerful tools. I think I will hang this poem in my office.
Obviously, to me, The poet makes a case for Atheism--"whatever Gods may be"; "my unconquerable soul"; "I am the master of my fate'; etc.
The poem speaks of survival, the strength of character one finds only in retrospect. I see it as an acknowledgment of victory over what appears to be dire circumstance.I read that this poem was written shortly after the death of Henley's child which, if true, is telling. I also see it as a proclamation of his belief in his ability to survive whatever the future may hold. My final comment is this: I can't help but…
Read the whole commentThe poem speaks of survival, the strength of character one finds only in retrospect. I see it as an acknowledgment of victory over what appears to be dire circumstance.I read that this poem was written shortly after the death of Henley's child which, if true, is telling. I also see it as a proclamation of his belief in his ability to survive whatever the future may hold. My final comment is this: I can't help but feel that he is like a boy whistling in the dark to keep his spirits up. I can tell myself that I am in charge, undefeatable, and the sole author of my destiny. Yet, his almost exaggerated level of confidence suggests that, at one time perhaps not too long ago, he stood at the precipice, uncertain as to whether he would come out of the night that covered him. I like the tension that it suggests existed between the implied state of near powerlessness and the resulting victory over that.
Bye...
Invictus
This poem represents a classic conflict of philosophical paradigms. Is Henley a nihilistic materialist or a theistic metaphysical libertarian? Both paradigms can be supported here.
The poem
The poem shows that mankind is a spiritual being, and that the spirit has unlimited courage for survival of the soul though our physical bodies can be destroyed. The best motivation for staying alive.