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Invictus Notes 1

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Madhapur

Date - 27th January’2022

INVICTUS
by WILLIAM ERNST HENLEY

About the Author - William Ernest Henley (23 August 1849 – 11 July 1903) was an
English poet, writer, ‘critic and editor in late Victorian England. From the age of 12, Henley
suffered from tuberculosis of the bone that resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the
knee in 1868–69. His literary career was marred by failing health, but his memory has been
immortalised by his poem 'Invictus-a poem. Henley published a collection of poems called In
Hospital and edited the literary journal, National Observer during his lifetime.

Theme of the Poem -


The central idea of the poem is that the poet thanks God for giving him an unconquerable
soul. Even in wicked circumstances, it encourages to never give up. The poem is all about
how one must never give up no matter how difficult our troubles are. Poet here says to keep
the resilience of the human spirit in the face of extreme personal suffering. No matter what
life throws on us, or how bad it is, never let it crumble you and get you down.

Important Poetic devices to know-


1. Onomatopoeia - Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically
imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also
called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as
“cuckoo”, “buzz”, "oink", "meow", "roar" and "chirp".
2. Anaphora is the repetition of words or phrases in a group of sentences, clauses, or
poetic lines.
● Last two lines of the poem, Invictus is an example of anaphora. Repetition of words,
“I am the & of my”.
3. Assonance is the repetition of the vowel sounds in the same line such as the sounds of
/a/ and /u/ come in quick succession.”
4. Consonance (same as Alliteration): Consonance is the repetition of consonant
sounds.
5. Repetition is a literary device that involves intentionally using a word or phrase for
effect, two or more times in a speech or written work. Ex.from poem - pole to pole.
6. Alliteration the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or stressed
syllables. Ex.from poem - pit from pole to pole.
Making connections (DO IN TEXTBOOK)
1. Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.
a. Night is a (simile/metaphor) for suffering
Metaphor
b. Black as the pit from pole to pole is a (simile/metaphor). It is also (a
hyperbole/an understatement).
Simile & Hyperbole
c. In the poem, circumstance has been (personified/used in a simile).
Personified
d. The repetition of sounds in the following lines is an example of
(onomatopoeia/alliteration).
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed
Bludgeonings - Onomatopoeia
My head is bloody, but unbowed - Alliteration
e. Repetition of the first few words in the following lines is an example of
(anaphora/alliteration).
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Anaphora
f. The rhyme scheme of Invictus is (abcb/abab).
abab
g. Invictus is a (lyric/narrative/dramatic) poem.
Dramatic

2. Read the following lines and then answer the questions that follow.
a. 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.
i. What atmosphere do the first two lines create?
The first two lines create an atmosphere that seems to be rather dark and hopeless
where there is perhaps no room for light or hope.
ii. Which word does the poet-speaker use to describe his soul?
The poet uses the word ‘unconquerable’ to define his soul.
iii. Who is the poet-speaker thanking in these lines? Although he is in an
extremely difficult situation, why is he still grateful?
The poet-speaker is thanking the gods who might or might not exist in these lines. He
is grateful in spite of being in a difficult situation because his soul is unconquerable
which gives him the strength to pull through these dark times.

b. In the fell clutch of circumstance


I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed
i. Show how circumstance is personified in these lines.
The poet-speaker says that he has fallen into the ‘clutch of circumstance’, thus
personifying circumstance by attributing a human quality to the word.
ii. What do people tend to do when caught in the clutch of circumstance?
People generally fall prey to circumstance and more often than not give up all hope
and become pessimistic.
iii. Paraphrase the last two lines.
Although the poet’s head is bloody under the heavy blows dealt on him by chance, he
still remains unbowed & undefeated.

c. 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. Identify the phrases that the poet-speaker uses to describe challenges.
The lines used by the poet-speaker to describe challenges are – ‘It matters not how
strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll.’
ii. Which two words imply the poet-speaker's control over his destiny and
himself?
He describes himself as the ‘captain’ of his soul and the ‘master’ of his fate to show
that despite hardships he is still the one in control of his own destiny
iii. How would you describe the tone of this last verse?
The last lines of the poem show the indomitable spirit of the poet who refuses to give
up hope even in the difficult times. Despite hardships, he believes in his own abilities
to control his own destiny and overcome all obstacles. The last lines therefore,
emphasise a feeling of hope in the face of the worst of challenges.

3. Does the poet-speaker say that he has always been courageous? Quote from
the poem to justify your answer.
Yes, the poet-speaker claims to have always been courageous. In the first stanza he
thanks the gods for giving him such an unconquerable soul. In the third stanza he says
again that despite the ‘menace’ of the years, he will stand straight and face all the
challenges that come his way.
4. What image does the poet-speaker use to describe his present life? What,
according to him, lies beyond this present?
The poet-speaker draws the image of a night which is so dark that one cannot make
out the end or the beginning of it, in order to describe his present life. The poet also
mentions that even though he is facing such hard times, his unconquerable soul will
help him face every challenge. For the poet-speaker, beyond this present lies only the
horrors of Hell but he will overcome the onslaught of age that is only rushing him
towards it in order to emerge strong and victorious.
5. Which line in particular expresses the idea that the poet's life has not been an
easy one?
The line that expresses the idea that the poet’s life has not been an easy one is— ‘And
yet the menace of the years’.
H.W.
6. Do you believe that you are the master of your fate or is it governed by other
people and external circumstances? Give reasons to support your opinion.
7. Find out two synonyms of each word and form one sentence each -
● Menace
● Wrath
8. Find out two antonyms of each word and form one sentence each -
● Unconquerable

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