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Invictus

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"Invictus" is a short poem by the Victorian era British poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903). Henley wrote it in 1875, and in 1888 he published it in his first volume of poems, Book of Verses, in the section titled "Life and Death (Echoes)".

BackgroundEdit

File:Portrait of William Ernest Henley.jpg
William Ernest Henley

When Henley was 16 years old, his left leg required amputation below the knee owing to complications arising from tuberculosis.<ref name="MG87">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp In the early 1870s, after seeking treatment for problems with his other leg at Margate, he was told that it would require a similar procedure.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite journal</ref>

He instead chose to travel to Edinburgh in August 1873 to enlist the services of the distinguished English surgeon Joseph Lister,<ref name="MG87"/>Template:Rp<ref name="EC04">Template:Cite journal</ref> who was able to save Henley's remaining leg after multiple surgical interventions on the foot.<ref>"Invictus analysis". jreed.eshs Template:Webarchive</ref> While recovering in the infirmary, he was moved to write the verses that became the poem "Invictus". A memorable evocation of Victorian stoicism—the "stiff upper lip" of self-discipline and fortitude in adversity, which popular culture rendered into a British character trait—"Invictus" remains a cultural touchstone.<ref name="Icons">Spartans and Stoics – Stiff Upper Lip – Icons of England Template:Webarchive Retrieved 20 February 2011</ref>

PoemEdit

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A reading of the poem "Invictus"

INVICTUS <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.</poem>

AnalysisEdit

Latin for "unconquered",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the poem "Invictus" is a deeply descriptive and motivational work filled with vivid imagery. With four stanzas and sixteen lines, each containing eight syllables, the poem has a rather uncomplicated structure.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> The poem is most known for its themes of willpower and strength in the face of adversity, much of which is drawn from the horrible fate assigned to many amputees of the day—gangrene and death.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Each stanza takes considerable note of William Ernest Henley's perseverance and fearlessness throughout his early life and over twenty months under Lister's care.<ref name=":0" /> In the second stanza, Henley refers to the strength that helped him through a childhood defined by his struggles with tuberculosis when he says "I have not winced nor cried aloud."<ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the fourth stanza, Henley alludes to the fact that each individual's destiny is under the jurisdiction of themselves, not at the mercy of the obstacles they face, nor other worldly powers.

Those who have taken time to analyze "Invictus" have also taken notice of religious themes, or the lack thereof, that exist in this piece. There is agreement that much of the dark descriptions in the opening lines make reference to Hell. Later, the fourth stanza of the poem alludes to a phrase from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount in the King James Bible, which says, at Matthew 7:14, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Despite Henley's evocative tellings of perseverance and determination, worry was on his mind; in a letter to a close companion, William Ernest Henley later confided, "I am afeard my marching days are over"<ref name=":0" /> when asked about the condition of his leg.

Publication historyEdit

The second edition of Henley's Book of Verses added a dedication "To R. T. H. B."—a reference to Robert Thomas Hamilton Bruce, a successful Scottish flour merchant, baker, and literary patron.<ref> Template:Cite book </ref> The 1900 edition of Henley's Poems, published after Bruce's death, altered the dedication to "I. M. R. T. Hamilton Bruce (1846–1899)," whereby I. M. stands for "in memoriam."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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Arthur Quiller-Couch, the editor who came up with the title, "Invictus"

TitleEdit

The poem was published in 1888 in his first volume of poems, Book of Verses, with no title,<ref name="1sted">Template:Cite book</ref> but would later be reprinted in 19th-century newspapers under various titles, including:

The established title "Invictus" was added by editor Arthur Quiller-Couch when the poem was included in the Oxford Book of English Verse (1900).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable usesEdit

HistoryEdit

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LiteratureEdit

  • In Oscar Wilde's De Profundis letter in 1897, he reminisces that "I was no longer the Captain of my soul."
  • In Book Five, chapter III ("The Self-Sufficiency of Vertue") of his early autobiographical work, The Pilgrim's Regress (1933), C. S. Lewis included a quote from the last two lines (paraphrased by the character Vertue): "I cannot put myself under anyone's orders. I must be the captain of my soul and the master of my fate. But thank you for your offer."
  • In W. E. B. Du Bois' The Quest of the Silver Fleece, the last stanza is sent anonymously from one character to another to encourage him to stay strong in the face of tests to his manhood.
  • In "Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit," by P.G. Wodehouse, Jeeves refers to the phrase "bloody but unbowed" in relation to Bertie Wooster, highlighting Bertie's resilience despite his troubles.
  • The phrase "bloody, but unbowed" was quoted by Lord Peter Wimsey in Dorothy Sayers' novel Clouds of Witness (1926), referring to his (temporary) failure to exonerate his brother of the charge of murder.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Dead link</ref>
  • In Huey Long’s 1935 book ‘’My First Days in the White House,’’ Huey Long fantasizes about a speculative cartoon published in the newspapers in which an unflattering image of himself among the words “Invictus.”
  • The last line in the poem is used as the title for Gwen Harwood's 1960 poem "I am the Captain of My Soul", which presents a different view of the titular captain.

FilmEdit

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  • The last two lines "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul" are shown in a picture during the 25th minute of the film The Big Short (2015).
  • Star Trek: Renegades (2015) opens with Lexxa Singh reciting the poem and writing it on the wall of her prison cell.

TelevisionEdit

  • In the 5th episode of the 2nd season of Archer, "The Double Deuce" (2011), Woodhouse describes Reggie as "in the words of Henley, 'bloody, but unbowed'".
  • In the 8th episode of the 5th season of TV series The Blacklist, "Ian Garvey", Raymond 'Red' Reddington (played by James Spader) reads the poem to Elizabeth Keen when she wakes up from a ten-month coma.
  • In the 6th episode of the third season of One Tree Hill, "Locked Hearts & Hand Grenades" (2006), Lucas Scott (played by Chad Michael Murray) references the poem in an argument with Haley James Scott (played by Bethany Joy Lenz) over his heart condition and playing basketball. The episode ends with Lucas reading the whole poem over a series of images that link the various characters to the themes of the poem.
  • In season 1, episode 2 of New Amsterdam, "Ritual", Dr. Floyd Reynolds (played by Jocko Sims) references the poem while prepping hands for surgery prior to a conversation with his fellow doctor Dr. Lauren Bloom (played by Janet Montgomery).
  • In the episode "Interlude" of the series The Lieutenant, the lead character and the woman he is infatuated with jointly recite the poem after she has said it is her favorite poem. His reciting is flawed by lapses, which she fills in.
  • In season 4, episode 14 of New Amsterdam, "...Unto the Breach", Dr. Floyd Reynolds (played by Jocko Sims) recites the poem while prepping for surgery.
  • In season 1, episode 3 of Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers, Napoleon Marconi (played by Michael Shannon) references the poem in his one-on-one with Masha (played by Nicole Kidman) when referring to his son who died by suicide. Napoleon states, "Zach chose to be the master of his fate" referencing the line "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul" by Henley.
  • In episode 22, season 5 of 30 Rock, “Everything Sunny All the Time Always”, Jack Donaghy quotes the last two lines of the poem in to Liz Lemon.

SportsEdit

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  • The Invictus Games—The Invictus games were founded by Prince Harry, the Ministry of Defense, and Sir Keith Mills. Prior to the inaugural games in London in 2014, entertainers including Daniel Craig and Tom Hardy, and athletes including Louis Smith and Iwan Thomas, read the poem in a promotional video.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Video gamesEdit

  • The second stanza is recited by Lieutenant-Commander Ashley Williams in the 2012 video game Mass Effect 3
  • The game Sunless Sea features an "Invictus Token" for players who forgo the right to create backups of their current game state. The item text includes the last two lines of the poem.
  • The poem was recited in an early commercial for the Microsoft Xbox One.
  • The game Robotics;Notes features the last two lines of the poem in its epigraph.

MusicEdit

  • The lines "I am the master of my fate... I am the captain of my soul" are paraphrased in Lana Del Rey's song "Lust for Life" featuring The Weeknd. The lyrics are changed from "I" to "we," alluding to a relationship.
  • Belgian Black / Folk Metal band Ancient Rites use the poem as a song on their album Rvbicon (Latin form of Rubicon)
  • The prominent classical contemporary Indonesian composer Ananda Sukarlan (b. 1968) made a song for soprano, cello and piano in 2023. It was premiered by the soprano Ratnaganadi Paramita in Jakarta, Indonesia.
  • The Canadian punk band D.O.A. released a record entitled Bloodied but Unbowed (The Damage to Date 1978-83) in 1983.
  • British composer Howard Goodall created a setting of the Passion narrative in 2017 titled "Invictus: A Passion". The work uses many texts in telling the story but the titular movement features this poem in its entirety. The composer's notes may be found here.

See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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