Invictus
By William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers
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 bludgeonings 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.
I first came across this poem through a movie starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon titled ‘Invictus’. If I remember it correctly, not that it matters, I watched this movie during winter of 2018. I did not know it at the time; how much these words would help me just few months after. I had an itching to write it down on a diary after watching the movie and I did satisfy it by writing. I did memorize it as well. Why? Because I found the writing powerful. I haven’t slightest idea today why I found it powerful at that time.
I suppose it gave me a support, it gave me something to lean on, like a mantra to chant. I shall, however, must make a claim here that the last verse is magical, powerful, inspirational and emotional. It gives me strength to believe that I am worthy, that I do possess the strength, that not everything is out of my hands.
I hope you are a fan of poetry and especially poetry read by marvels like Mr. Freeman. Here is the rendition of this poem by Mr. Freeman on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uc9wS3DOPo&pp=0gcJCfcAhR29_xXO.
This poem does have its history. During his ordeal, Mandela famously relied on this poem, to keep his hope alive, to remain resilient in the face of oppression, to maintain courage in the face of fear. As Mandela himself noted, “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
It is here for you now. To be beside you if you ever need it. So, take this verse of the day with you, ‘You are the master of your fate, You are the captain of your soul”, and make your souls unconquerable from fear.