Invictus

William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)

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 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.

Comments

Jenn Casey said…
This poem lives in my head. :)
March 25, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Realist Theorist said…
Not sure if you've seen this, from the movie of the same name.

Also, this from an advertisement.

I like Morgan Freeman's version, because I think it takes the call to heroism in the poem, and shows that any man can be heroic.
March 25, 2011 at 9:35 AM
Lynne said…
Jenn: it needs to live in my head, too.

Realist Theorist: thanks for the links! The entire USB Thoughts That Transcend Time series is terrific!

I've yet to see the movie,Invictus, but know we will at some point soon.
March 25, 2011 at 11:51 AM
Anna Fay said…
This poem was given to me by a teacher when I was hospitalized. The last two lines are my favorite. We are the masters of our fate because of each choice we make daily. And if we direct our fate, we can indeed captain our souls.
March 25, 2011 at 6:29 PM
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