Invictus By William Ernest Henley: The Truth About Life

The poem Invictus was mainly about if people are making their own choices or if it’s just destiny. The poem says “I am the master of my fate I am the captain of my soul”. I think that means you do what you want and if it's good or bad it's the choice you

“Being unconquerable lies within yourself; being conquerable lies within your enemy” -Sun Tzu. The novella Anthem and the poem “Invictus” both have the same theme of being unconquerable. In the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand the main character, Equality, lives in a society where you do everything for everyone else. Nothing is personal. Equality starts breaking laws and does things for himself.

The poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley forms thorough comparisons regarding theme with Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ as Henley conceives themes of fate, circumstance, and struggle in his literary piece. These thematic connections are shown when the protagonist, Okonkwo, of ‘Things Fall Apart’ is faced with the task of emerging from poverty and becoming a man that is successful, yet feared. He is also challenged with his own inner demons as the white man reshapes his way of life, driving Okonkwo to a fate much different than what he

Strong, optimistic, and hopeful, the narrator of “Invictus” strove against the struggles of everyday life to find the positive in every situation. The narrator states how he faces many struggles such as the bad circumstances, “bludgeonings of chance” (Henley), and shades of horror. In the poem “Invictus,” William E. Henley shows that the narrator had one focus: to stay the man he knew he was and to be positive throughout the struggles he faced, yet, in the play “Macbeth,” by William Shakespeare, the author writes how the main character Macbeth was a strong, brave and a loyal man, but by the choices he made, ruined his life. Both articles show that your life is based on control rather than destiny, but in the poem “Invictus,” the theme is best shown through the plot, setting, and dialogue.

As we journey through life and engage in a myriad of physical and emotional experiences, we renew our understanding of the world and ourselves. Composers Ang Lee and William Ernest Henley amplify the intrinsically complex journey of overcoming obstacles allowing the audience to gain deep insight into the challenges each individual is faced throughout their lives. Through spiritual revelations and realisations Ang Lee's film 'Life of Pi' reveals significant attitudes of individuals in order to survive. Similarly, the poem 'Invictus' composed by William Ernest Henley accurately explores the changes of attitudes in life through emotional and intellectual discoveries. Both composers enable great discoveries about society and ourselves through communicating

The destruction and violence of war are permanent scars in our lives. It’s narrated in memoir style as the narrator recounts some of his experiences as well as alluding to both the physical and emotional trauma of the experience. The poem evokes intense emotion in the reader positioning them to identify with the young soldier at war. Metaphors are cleverly used to highlight the situation the young man is enduring, in the lines, ‘it was a war within yourself’. The repetition of the title ‘I was only nineteen’ deliberately reminds the audience about how young this boy was and that he was naïve. Illustrating to the audience that the soldier’s experience was unusual and worthy of note. This poem is addressing the concept of loss of youth. It is acting as a social comment and reflecting on how the lives of the youth were lost as a result of the wars. It was written as a protest song to convey the writer’s social commentary which is distinctly anti-war and reminds us of the dangers that the war has caused. To share the experience of those who went to war and what they went through. ‘Can you tell me what it means?’ here this rhetorical question creates sympathy from the reader as well as express the idea of that only the leaders really know what was going on in the war while the young men did not have a clue of what and why they

Through, “Invictus”, by William Ernest Henley conveys that people can not let anything stop them from achieving their dream and to fight back. The use of imagery expresses this theme because it shows how terrible the situation is. An example of this is, “My Head is bloody, but unbowed” (Henley 8). By saying that the person's head is bloody it shows that the person is going through something hard or something bad is happening to them, but they are still fighting. They are using imagery to show the pain the person has. The imagery shows they still are getting up and nothing is getting in their way of their goal. The person didn’t let people or things tell them that they can or can not do something, they fought back. Another device Henley uses is diction the speaker’s perseverance. An example of diction is “Under the bludgeonings of chance” (Henley 7). With the use of bludgeonings, which means beat, it gives the phrase a little push to be stronger and it shows more than just saying beaten or tackled. Also using diction can give another meaning to a phrase so it can emphasize a certain part for people to focus on. Another thing is if people use words that people don’t normally use then people will take the time and think what is this person trying to say. By using diction the author is emphasizing that this shows that this person isn’t letting something stop them. Even though this person didn’t make the chance they had that won’t stop them from achieving their dream.

In Richard Taylor’s chapter “Meaning of Life”, he concluded that objectively, life is meaningless. He stressed his opinion by arguing that life tends to be a cycle of goals that cumulate to nothing. These goals require sequences of exhausting work and attempt that will continue throughout the rest of life but will have no meaning. As one goal is reached, the next is sought out for, forgetting the one that was just achieved. I do not support Taylor on his objective meaningless of life. Life has a meaning, even if it is just being alive, we were created by God and he has a plan for us. Goals help us become better people and they are important to us. Taylor explained that we can find meaning in our lives when a will is put behind our actions. This means that meaningfulness can be found within the veins of anyone. I agree with Taylor, that our actions should be of interest to us, yet his account fails to show that they will make our lives have a meaning. There is no validation, that a change of the state of mind will cause our lives to achieve meaning.

Through “Invictus,” Henley conveys that people decide their own fate. The use of imagery expresses this theme because Henley uses strong words that convey an image in the reader’s mind to help them create an image of someone who is dying, but not hanging their head and getting up to fight. This is expressed in the text through the quote, “My head is bloody, but unbowed” (Henley 8). This imagery is used to to show how he is very close to death but his head is unbowed. This evidence supports the theme because by not bowing his head he is overcoming his near death experience. If he were to bow his head it would mean he would die, and he has decided he doesn’t want to die yet. By bowing his head, he is succumbing to death, and he makes the decision to keep up. Another device Henley uses is diction. He uses diction because it expresses how he acts differently than other people. When other people bow their head and get conquered, his head remains unbowed and unconquered. For example, “Under the bludgeonings of chance/ My head is bloody, but unbowed” (Henley 7-8). This quote uses the word unbowed. It explains how in his situation other people would bow their head and give up, but he isn’t going to just bow his head and succumb to death. This evidence supports the theme because everybody goes through a hardship at some point, and they have multiple different ways of dealing with it. They can either sit there and let it ruin them, or they can keep fighting it and do something about it.

When people invest an abundant amount of time in a task, whether it be trivial and mundane like finishing the laundry, or important and time consuming like attaining a degree, they tend to want to be validated that they are spending their time in a meaningful way. Philosophers are often sought out for their wisdom and to answer the deep and mind-bending questions common people don’t intensely ponder. Though what the meaning of life is seems to be unique to each individual, when a philosopher asserts they have revelated the meaning of life, it is imperative to investigate their claims. In an article entitled Revealed-the meaning of life, philosopher Julian Baggini claims he knows the answer to one of life’s most burning question, what is

As Iain Duncan Smith, a British politician, once exclaimed, “Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man.” In William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus,” he demonstrates the strength of a person to keep going despite all odds. Determination is the key for surviving through any kind of situation. Diction describes the rebellions that continue fighting over the control of the body. For example, regardless of the torture, the speaker has “not winced nor cried aloud” (6).

Finally, the most prominent and profound part of the poem, which confirms spiritual resilience. Firstly, Lines 12 and 13 are strongly related to Christian concepts. As (line 12) refers to a scripture from the book of Matthew 7:13 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction…“ ,this is not a renunciation of the straight and narrow path, but rather an acceptance of its challenge .In line 13,Henley also references judgement day , when he refers to “punishments with the scroll” he is referencing “the scroll of life” , a Christian belief concerning eternal life. This line also suggests that the poet is fearless and brave as he states it does not matter what punishments one may endure

Medical professionals resolute to amputate his leg under his knee to save his life. Henley had his leg amputated at the young age of 17, shortly after the amputation he wrote the poem “Invictus”. Medical issues can leave a person feeling helpless and morose. You have been given a gift you did not want to receive. Henley opened up his creative cap and spread his hardships and troubles to essentially give new hope to others. This piece of literature is a true example of courage and inspiration that was presented in powerful way. In line four It stated, “For my unconquerable soul,” Henley refused to let his illness take him and he showed tremendous courage and strength. “My head is bloody, but unbowed,”(line 8), this represents the way that an illness can make you feel like you are losing a battle with

In contrast to The Motorcycle Diaries where Guevara’s initial understandings and perspectives of the world are influenced by the experiences of others, in the poem, Invictus, it is the persona’s constant exposure to his physical tribulations which catalyses inevitable changes and renewed outlooks on life. Henley’s use of personification, “in the fell clutch of circumstance/I have not winced nor cried aloud/ under the bludgeonings of chance,” presents responders with strong connotations of despair which reinforces the constant difficulties associated with his physical state. However, the contrast with the visual imagery, “My head is blood, but unbowed,” emphasises his fearlessness and courage to overcome the hardships. Furthermore, Henley’s confrontation with physical struggles which necessitates his development of self-determination, resulting in a renewed perception of life, is revealed through the quote, “Finds and shall find me unafraid.” The shift from present to future tense reinforces Henley’s resilient nature as well as showcasing his shift in perspective in both himself and the

William Ernest Henley’s poem, “Invictus,” contains a line saying, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Sadly, too many people, including believers, live by this belief, actually believing they are the masters of their fate. Subsequently, we find ourselves living between two wills, God’s and our own, and our proclivity is often to fulfill our will rather than God’s if we are completely honest. It really is a struggle because our senses are constantly bombarded with media enticing us to fulfill our pleasures, pursue our dreams, and believe we are entitled to this or that. Instead of asking the Lord to show us what He wants us to have or do, we tell the Lord what we are going to do and request His blessing, usually after