Invictus
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.
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Who wrote the poem "Invictus"?
William Ernest Henley (August 23, 1849 - July 11, 1903)
William Ernest Henley was an English poet, writer, critic, and editor in late Victorian era. From 12, Henley suffered from tuberculosis and lost his left leg below the knee as a result at 16. In his early life, he periodically suffered from extreme pain due to the draining of his tuberculosis abscesses. After such painful treatments, the young Henley hopped around the room laughing loudly as if the pain couldn't reach him. His strong physique and contrasting mental and creative capacities inspired his close friend, Robert Louis Stevenson, to create the famous character, Long John Silver, in "Treasure Island (1883)."
"Invictus" explanation
In his early 20's, after being diagnosed that a second amputation of his remaining right leg was the only way to save his life, Henley spent three years in hospital to fight the diagnosis, eventually saving his right leg. While recovering in the hospital, he wrote this poem. "Invictus" is a latin word which means "unconquered," "invincible," or "undefeated." The poem remains a cultural touchstone as a model of Victorian stoicism of self-discipline and fortitude in adversity, which became a British character trait.
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