Self-Discovery In William Ernest Henley's Poem 'Invictus'

Emerson’s Self Reliance essay is a motivational to say the least. Several quotes from the essay challenge our current society's moral compass, even though it was written 150 years ago. The essay stresses the necessity of relying on oneself for knowledge and guidance. Unlike other writings that are often compared to the Bible, Emerson’s essay conveys the same ideas as the Bible, without using scenes or characters to get his message across.

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

The poem “Invictus” by William E. Henley, and the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, both have common themes that discuss the importance of individuality. Each of the themes that these works have to offer will be discussed throughout the paragraphs of this essay.

In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson adopts the rhetorical strategy of aphorisms to annex what he thinks by enriching his thesis, while allowing a pause in the reader’s mind to comprehend just what he is saying. Emerson’s honest aphorism advises people to actually believe in themselves in order to be triumphant by saying, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men, --- that is genius” (Emerson 1) and “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 3). The aphorism demonstrates that believing in themselves, and what is important to them, the reader, is what everyone else does, that being an individual is a genius idea. Comparing this to what society, especially the younger individuals with in society, they themselves hear differently, that they

In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance,” Emerson calls for each person in society to be wholly true to themselves. He claims that it is most rewarding to the individual and the society for people to believe in one’s own thoughts and not in the thoughts of others. Emerson believes that conformity will ultimately lead to an individual’s demise because by living for others, people are not being true to themselves. Therefore in order to have a well-formed society, citizens should focus inward and have confidence in their own ideas before beginning to look towards other individuals; moreover, Emerson calls individuals not only in “Self-Reliance,” but also in numerous essays to act independently from conformity and to live for themselves.

Dark words and phrases are initially sprinkled throughout the poem giving it a sense of despondence. For example, Oliver uses the phrase, “the dark burred/ faintly belching/ bogs” which describes the swamp as dark and grim (6-8). The imagery of the swamp is very dark because it symbolizes the hardships that people may have during their lifetimes. Crossing the swamp is a very difficult task, and Oliver compares it to the challenges of life. Therefore, she states “My bones/ knock together at the pale/ joints” (13-15). This once again demonstrates the difficulty of crossing the swamp as Oliver faces many physical challenges including the pain of her old bones. The author transitions from these dark and negative images to illustrations of hope and growth in the next few lines. For example, she describes “a poor/ dry stick given/ one more chance by the whims/ of swamp water” to take root and grow (28-30). This demonstrates how people may face tremendously difficult obstacles to overcome in their lifetimes similar to a dry stick having difficulty taking root. However, these challenges allow people to attain success. Without struggle, there would be no achievement in life. It is the hardships in life that truly allow people to appreciate success once it is achieved. Oliver concludes the fabulous piece with more uplifting and positive imagery of a

The experience of darkness is both individual and universal. Within Emily Dickinson’s “We grow accustomed to the Dark” and Robert Frost’s “Acquainted with the Night,” the speakers engage in an understanding of darkness and night as much greater than themselves. Every individual has an experience of the isolation of the night, as chronicled in Frost’s poem, yet it is a global experience that everyone must face, on which Dickinson’s poem elaborates. Through the use of rhythm, point of view, imagery, and mood, each poet makes clear the fact that there is no single darkness that is too difficult to overcome.

The song centres around the warfare associated with change “battle outside And it is ragin’”. The imagery used reflects the society the song was written in and the ideals of a society that was focused solely on war during that era (the 1960s). It also displays the different attitudes that generations have towards change and the warfare that can occur from this. Authoritarian figures “Senators, Congressman...Mothers and fathers” are used to demonstrate the conflict between the older and younger generations. “Don’t stand in the doorway Don’t block up the hall” shows how the older generations, may try to prevent

The darkness in this quote represents the negativity and disadvantages that surround both of their lives in Harlem. The light and darkness in this story both symbolize the hope and struggles that they will continue to face throughout their lives.

Self-discoveries can affirm or challenge an individual’s previously held attitude through acceptance contributing to a change in perception of self and the world. This notion is explored in Michael Gow’s play “Away” where three fractured families go on transformative holiday as they experience discoveries about themselves and others. Self-discovery of a certain individual can stimulate modification for others’ perception and lead them to a more prominent discovery. Similarly, the poem: “the core” by Steve Taylor illustrates the perfect journey of self-discovery and its impact on individual’s perspective on self. These texts illustrate how discoveries challenge an individual’s previously held sense of self.

By thinking for his individual self, he managed to recreate electricity and discovers the light bulb. He then went through a long term and finally got the chance to share his findings with the Home of the Scholars, and they rejected it. With this example, the author tries to suggest that being self-reliant and thinking for oneself can lead to scientific progress, something that this society does not do. She also implies that thinking individually can lead to higher things rather than being a part of dictatorial world and adhere to

Sonny takes the narrator to a bar where he and his band will be playing. The narrator is taken to a table in the corner to listen to the music. The band begins to play and the narrator observes that Creole, the bass fiddler, is telling the audience what the blues were really about. “For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness,” (46). In other words, every single person suffers in their own way. People must find new ways to express their suffering. The light illuminates the darkness and makes it less terrifying, helping ease the reality of racism. Sonny takes the narrator to a bar where he and his band will be playing. The narrator is guided to a table in the corner where he will observe the performance and hear Sonny play. While sitting at the table, the narrator notices that the band was behaving as “if they moved into the light too suddenly, without thinking, they would perish in flame,” (44). The light represents the suffering that is racism, and the darkness that the band is standing in represents a type of safe zone from the racism. The band is scared to step into the light because that means they are open and vulnerable to scrutiny and racism, and it might be too much for them, causing the band to

“You will find the world in your own eyes, if they learn how to see; in your own heart if it learns how to feel; and in your own fingers if they learn how to touch.” (Dunham 188).

The speaker feels that faith has disappeared and has separated her or him from the "ebb and flow" of life. This lost faith is compared to a sea that is very similar to the sea described in the first stanza. Words of lightness and beauty are used once more. The shore "lays like the folds of a bright girdle furl'd." There is a sense of encompassing joy in this phrase. This bright and joyful image is then contrasted by the last five lines of the stanza. "The Sea of Faith" has now retreated, like a tide withdraws from the shore. It is interesting to note the similarities and differences between the words of these five lines and the words from the first stanza. The sweet "night-air"becomes "the night-wind," and the cliffs that were once "glimmering and vast" are still vast, but only dreary edges. The sea that was "round" and "full" has now left the world empty and exposed. Similarly, the speaker has lost his faith and feels alone and vulnerable.

It is a sin for anyone to destroy, in a blink of an eye, what they have been working on for months or even years. Therefore, one should always face the hardships with a strong will, hold their head up high when facing an upcoming storm, because that is the only way they can survive the war that is life. Right towards the end of the song, there is an extremely empowering line that says “this road never looked so lonely, this house doesn’t burn down slowly to ashes” which stands as a reminder that right when the challenge becomes harder, one should never forget what they are fighting for and simply give up. The amount of determination reflected in this line is the reason why I listen to this song whenever I feel defeated by the obstacles. It comes to spark the flame of determination in my heart when I consider backing