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'Interpretation Of William Ernest Henley's Invictus'

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"Invictus" is a well known poem that basically explains the vision and interpretations of the author. With this poem being written by William Ernest Henley in 1875, the reader can already infer that this poem is going to be very deep and meaningful. William Ernest Henley did not have it easy as he was growing up. For one, his father was a struggling book seller that passed away during his early teen years. To add on to that, William, at age 12, was diagnosed with tubercular arthritis causing him to have his legs amputated just below the knee. Because he was ill and was sent to an infirmary to rest, William found himself to have a lot of free time and this lead him to begin writing Invictus. What does Invictus even mean you might ask? This word …show more content…

With him being in the infirmary and not having a lot to do, William found himself writing Invictus. The sickness that he had was found to take over his body, tubercular arthritis, and his battle with it, inspired "Invictus". Even though the doctors advised Henley that his other foot was to suffer the same fate, Henley refused to let it happen. With his determination and strength, Henley lived a full life until the age of …show more content…

One can tell that it is negative presence by looking at "Out of the night that covers me". "Night" meaning Henley's challenges, more specifically, his tubercular arthritis. The poem describes the "night" to be "Black as the Pit from pole to pole". Meaning that this "night" is no mere obstacle. It is something warranting fear, being large, and dark, something able to "cover" or take over him if he did not have the strength to overcome it. Yet, he states in the last stanzas of the paragraph that he has just that, strength. "I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul". His "unconquerable soul" is the strength that he possesses that does not allow him to be taken over by illness, or "night".
In the second paragraph, he states that "In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud". This is simply saying that whatever he may be going through, the has not directly expressed the agony inside of him. "Under the bludgeons of chance, My head is bloody, but unbowed." Through the cruelty of fate, whatever he suffered through, he may have been hurt physically, emotionally, or mentally he did not give up. He did not bow down, he held his head high against his demons and showed no fear for his future. This shows his courage, determination and

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