Through personally watching my auntie battle with the hardships and persistent demands of raising an autistic daughter and two young boys ,while desperately trying to maintain normalcy in her life and the lives surrounding her, it has become evident to me that humans posses an extraordinary ability to keep on going even when in the firing line of adversity.
Perseverance and consistent dedication is a quality in which is hard to maintain and yet we see it in those courageous, select few every day. The following poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley (1875) is one in which I greatly admire as an inspirational reminder that we as humans determine and create our own road to follow.
Invictus
By William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
The title explains it all, Invictus a Latin word meaning unconquered. The great significance about this poem is that no matter a person’s situation or hardship it is still identifiable by everyone. In general this poem speaks of a darkness surrounding one’s life. The poet holds a firm ideology which is showcased in Invictus that no matter the darkness, the circumstance or the harshness in which life brings, a person should not accept his supposed fate but has the choice as a human to control their own destiny and be unafraid to make their own decisions to where their life will lead.
The author of this poem William Henley is an inspiring voice who speaks of defying all odds and instead of succumbing to the tortures and pain that life often brings he fights against it. Henley himself was a victim to Tubercular Arthritis which led to the amputation of his left foot and a prolonged exposure to hospital life.However, he refused to accept the notion of a second amputation and instead pursued more informed information about his condition and from then began antiseptic treatment. In 1875 he was dismissed from the hospital as the Tubercular germ that plagued him had deceased, this factor only further serving as a testament of Henley’s personal philosophy to the nature of the human spirit and to what can be achieved when one doesn’t take the easy option.
The line “I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul” ultimately shows Henleys true character portraying his appreciative attitude towards the life he has. It is uncommon for a person who has gone through so much to be thankful for being granted with the gift of willpower (an unconquerable soul) which allows him to live fully rather than being resentful for the sufferings that he has endured.
Modern day movies such as ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ set in the 1980’s nearly a century after Invictus was written, is another emphasises to the corresponding ideology of Henley’s poem that from nothing you can still become something if you put your mind to it. Just as Chris Gardner did (played by Will Smith in the Pursuit of Happyness) when he makes a life altering change and decision to raise himself and his child above the chaos and poverty that was their current existence to have a successful life.
Perseverance and consistent dedication is a quality in which is hard to maintain and yet we see it in those courageous, select few every day. The following poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley (1875) is one in which I greatly admire as an inspirational reminder that we as humans determine and create our own road to follow.
Invictus
By William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
The title explains it all, Invictus a Latin word meaning unconquered. The great significance about this poem is that no matter a person’s situation or hardship it is still identifiable by everyone. In general this poem speaks of a darkness surrounding one’s life. The poet holds a firm ideology which is showcased in Invictus that no matter the darkness, the circumstance or the harshness in which life brings, a person should not accept his supposed fate but has the choice as a human to control their own destiny and be unafraid to make their own decisions to where their life will lead.
The author of this poem William Henley is an inspiring voice who speaks of defying all odds and instead of succumbing to the tortures and pain that life often brings he fights against it. Henley himself was a victim to Tubercular Arthritis which led to the amputation of his left foot and a prolonged exposure to hospital life.However, he refused to accept the notion of a second amputation and instead pursued more informed information about his condition and from then began antiseptic treatment. In 1875 he was dismissed from the hospital as the Tubercular germ that plagued him had deceased, this factor only further serving as a testament of Henley’s personal philosophy to the nature of the human spirit and to what can be achieved when one doesn’t take the easy option.
The line “I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul” ultimately shows Henleys true character portraying his appreciative attitude towards the life he has. It is uncommon for a person who has gone through so much to be thankful for being granted with the gift of willpower (an unconquerable soul) which allows him to live fully rather than being resentful for the sufferings that he has endured.
Modern day movies such as ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ set in the 1980’s nearly a century after Invictus was written, is another emphasises to the corresponding ideology of Henley’s poem that from nothing you can still become something if you put your mind to it. Just as Chris Gardner did (played by Will Smith in the Pursuit of Happyness) when he makes a life altering change and decision to raise himself and his child above the chaos and poverty that was their current existence to have a successful life.
Henley illustrates above all else that he is in charge of his own life, the last two lines “I am the master of my fate, I am the Captain of my soul” concludes the poem with a firm lasting impression which captures the readers emotions calling them to action to as well become masters of their own lives.
I find it extremely distressing that although we are now in the modern era with advanced technology which is only continuing and even greater opportunities such as education being available for nearly everyone, in general it seems that our problems or our complaints are only multiplying. It appears that more and more we have lost the will to fight our own battles.It is nearly as though we find comfort in being consumed by the darkness of our lives or only obtaining second best as though the pursuit of true happiness is simply just too hard a road to follow.
C.D
I find it extremely distressing that although we are now in the modern era with advanced technology which is only continuing and even greater opportunities such as education being available for nearly everyone, in general it seems that our problems or our complaints are only multiplying. It appears that more and more we have lost the will to fight our own battles.It is nearly as though we find comfort in being consumed by the darkness of our lives or only obtaining second best as though the pursuit of true happiness is simply just too hard a road to follow.
C.D
2 comments:
Thanks for your assessment of that meaningful poem Invictus by William Henley. You highlighted a valid argument when you express that we are in an era with an abundance of opportunities that were just not available years ago especially in the time when Henley wrote Invictus and yet it seems that we have more problems than ever.
I myself was exposed to the idea of the characterisation that is given to groups of people of a certain age through an article I read in the Heraldsun. It just so happens that people born between 1982-1995 are known as generation Y, at first I was sceptical of the satirical article that gave an over expecting, apathetic, spoilt impression of these youngsters. I myself would rather not generalise a mass group of people just as I do not like the generalisation that as soon as people hit their 40s they become old and boring.
It has become evident to me after reading Invictus which is set in a time period a whole century before generation Y began that it is possible that these youngsters do expect too much and have certainly lost sight of the definition of hard work, how to fight their own battles and not give into the temptation of taking the easy road. Saying this I certainly do not condone that it is all generation’s Y’s fault or that all of this group can fit under this category. however, the easy road defiantly becomes more tempting through supposed simple options. For example you become low on cash no problem here is a credit card, you get sick and instead of fighting it naturally which may take longer let’s take some medicinal drugs or you have problems and are diagnosed with depression no problem have some ant-depressants. I myself am guilty of taking the easy road on occasion however I feel that it is irresponsible to blame generation Y for the characterisation that they have been granted which they may or may not deserve. Who is it that supplied the easy road that they follow, who created the technology that they have taken advantage of?
I will conclude with this Greek proverb “It is not good for all our wishes to be filled; through sickness we recognize the value of health; through evil, the value of good; through hunger, the value of food; through exertion, the value of rest”.
H.G
Thanks H.G it is great to see someone else who enjoys William Henley’s poem Invictus and takes as much meaning out of it as I do. I also agree and appreciate your thoughtful insight towards generation Y. It started me thinking whether there are other poems like Invictus however written in a more modern era which could possible explain the change that we see in how we categorise different generations. I am happy to say that upon my quest I discovered another inspirational poem the ship of Life by Jessica Balcom, which relates more positively, I feel to generation Y’s supposed attitude.
The Ship of Life,
By Jessica M. Balcom
The ship of life
Across the shore awaits a boat
Though sea's are rough, it’s still
afloat
Raise the sails, held up by mast
Forget the troubles of distant
past
As wave crash down upon the deck
Steady the boat; not quite a
wreak
Tend the mast, and fix the scratch
light the lantern with one last
match
The storm will end, pull anchor
and rope.
Look up to see the stars of hope.
The title the ship of life is symbolic in that the ship represents the unphysical vessel that carries a person through life. Unlike the poem Invictus this poem does not speak in first person however is expressing to its audience a tale of anyone’s life.
The line “through sea’s are rough, it’s still afloat” refers to the hardships in someone’s life however they are still standing and will continue on. The stanza “raise the sails, help up by mast, forget the troubles of distant past” says to forget the past only focus on what you can do and stand for in the present.
The lines in which I feel relate to generations Y’s attitude most and are different to what Invictus represents is “The storm will end, pull anchor and rope, look up to see the stars of hope” this alludes to the idea that with we can only do so much as humans and eventually we will need to have faith or hope to get us where we want to go.
I say to every generation no matter whether you need faith or hope one thing is certain “challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful” (Joshua J. Marine).
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