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The poem “Invictus” is by the English poet William Ernest Henley. It is a short Victorian poem written in 1875 and published in 1888. The poem originally went unnamed until Arthur Quiller-Couch included the poem in his book with a title The Oxford Book of English Verses in 1900.

To understand this piece, it is important to understand the life of William Ernest Henley. As a child, Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone. A few years later, at the age of 25, the disease spread to his foot. To save his life, doctors announced they would amputate just below his knee. Henley wrote the poem “Invictus” in his hospital bed.

“Invictus” is a poem of sixteen lines divided into four stanzas. It follows the rhyme scheme abab-cdcd-efefef-ghgh. It is relatively short, containing only eight syllables per line. The poem is best analyzed by relating the stanzas to his life.

1. The first stanza begins “From the night that covers me” and describes the predicament he finds himself in. He is covered “from pole to pole” with something black, or rather something terrible. Fortunately, his soul is not affected by the disease.
2. The second stanza begins “In the fall clutch of circumstance” and goes on to say what’s happening, but he’s still in high spirits about his life. His head may be bloody, but he doesn’t lower his head in shame.
3. The third stanza, “Beyond this place of anger and tears”, states that he may not know what is to come, perhaps terrors for years to come, but he is not afraid and is ready for whatever it is.
4. The fourth and final stanza, “It doesn’t matter how narrow the gate is,” says that although his future with the disease may already be set, his life will go on as he controls his fate and soul in the time remaining can in his own life.

This is a masterful poem and has been quoted over and over again lately. The film, titled “Invictus”, refers to the poem often, it is read in “The Capture of the Green River Killer” and it was the last words of Timothy McVeigh.

This poem remains one of the most influential poetic writings in modern history and can be considered Henley’s greatest work. Scripture tells us that no matter what disease or bad hand we are dealt in life, only we control our destiny.

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