Themes and message

Resilience and hardship

The main theme of the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley is that of resilience in the face of suffering and hardship. From the start, the poem presents a difficult, hopeless situation: “Out of the night that covers me,/ Black as the pit from pole to pole” (ll. 1-2). However, despite the darkness that surrounds the speaker, he does not complain, but shows gratitude for his “unconquerable soul” (l. 4).

The entire poem presents the hardships that the speaker has faced or that still await him. These are contrasted with his attitude, which remains positive and defiant despite the obstacles he faces. The second stanza talks about “the fell clutch of circumstance” (l. 5) and “the bludgeonings of chance” (l. 7). Here, the speaker acknowledges that he has been affected by his unfortunate circumstances, as he claims that his head is “bloody” (l. 8). However, he refuses to bow down and admit defeat.

Another way in which the speaker shows resilience is in his attitude to death. Although he refers to death as “the Horror of the shade” (l. 10), and “the menace of the years” (l. 11) he insists that he will always r...