Invictus

A young William Ernest Henley penned this poem in 1875 at the age of 26 while recovering in an infirmary post-surgery. After losing his left leg to Tuberculosis at 16, he travelled to Edinburgh in 1873 to undergo multiple surgeries to save his right leg from the same fate, and it was there, recovering from two years of treatments, where he wrote this poem asserting that he was the master of his own fate. This poem was later published in 1888, in Henley's first book, titled Book of Verses. Invictus being Latin for invincible, undefeated, or unconquered.

The internet is ripe with various analyses of the themes of the poem and of the poet; it clearly still hits powerfully today. Pretty sure I've heard Morgan Freeman narrate it at least once. Nelson Mandela apparently frequently recited it during his incarceration to keep hope alive for himself and for his inmates, and I've only just realized that obviously it was Morgan Freeman who I've heard reciting the poem, because Morgan played Mandela in the movie, Invictus.

As I've been looking up the history of this poem for this brain dump of a page (follow the dopamine!), it surprises me to learn that Henley was an avowed atheist. It's surprising because the phrase "how strait the gate" is a reference to a biblical passage, Matthew 7:14, which reads: "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Then again, I suppose being well read or well versed in a religious text doesn't imply belief, it's more a sign of intelligence, to be able to entertain a thought without adopting it, to be able to educate oneself in the beliefs of others without needing them to be your own beliefs. How different the world would be, if we were all as well read on the beliefs of those on the other sides of the fence than we find ourselves. Wording?

Anyway, I love this poem, I love poetry. May we all find the strength and conviction inside ourselves to become masters of our own fates, captains of our own souls.