Imagery In Sophocles 'Invictus'

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” (Invictus 4). “Invictus”, a poem by William Ernest Henley, is an influential poem about tackling fate and controlling the events in life. Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, depicts a story of a girl following her morals and dealing with the consequences that follow. William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” best represents the theme of there being honor in bravery in Sophocles’ Antigone through the use of a prideful tone and powerful imagery. The poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley demonstrates a powerful, indomitable tone, much like Sophocles’ tone in his play Antigone. Throughout Antigone, the main character, Antigone, keeps her invulnerable tone and stands her ground. The person

In the beginning of his poem “Invictus”, William Ernest Henley sets the scene by describing the surroundings of the character in which this poem is written in the point of view of. Depicting the night, Henley writes, “Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul” (2-4). This stirring imagery creates a sense of it being difficult to see and, therefore, hard to be brave. Since it is difficult to be brave at this time for the individual communicating the story, there can be strength found in this person continuing to have an “unconquerable soul.” The strength and difficulty found in staying strong show how honorable the person is for being brave. In addition, the poem says, “My head is bloody, but unbowed” (8). This imagery does not only create an image in your mind but also creates a tone of defiance. They refuse to back down, as described previously in the poem. This effectively describes the same theme as one of the ones from Antigone, bravery is honorable, because Henley implements many examples, like this one, that exemplify how they will not be conquered, which is honorable even in death. In brief, the powerful imagery in William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” excellently establishes the theme that coordinates with one of the themes shown in Sophocles’