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Monday, July 27, 2020

William Ernest Henley's Invictus by Kaye Spencer #poetry #firestarpress





I’m continuing this month with another of my favorite poems. My May article HERE was about My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke. My June article HERE was about Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s poem, Casey at the Bat.

The poem I’m writing today is Invictus by William Ernest Henley, which is one of several poems I’ve memorized. You can read the poem HERE.



William Ernest Henley-courtesy Wikipedia 

Here is a bit about his life¹/²

Henley was born in Gloucester, England in 1849 (d. 1903). When he was 12, he was diagnosed with tubercular arthritis that resulted in the amputation of one of his legs just below the knee. Years later, his other foot was saved due to the care of Dr. Joseph Lister. Henley spent three years in the hospital in the care of Dr. Lister, who treated his diseased foot with what was at that time a radical approach.

During this hospital stay, Henley began to write poems. This is also when he met, and became friends with, Robert Louis Stevenson. It is said that Stevenson based his Long John Silver character in Treasure Island on Henley.

Henley and his wife had a daughter, Margaret, but she was a sickly child and only lived to be five years old. J. M. Barrie, a friend of the family, was fond of Margaret. In her speech-challenged way, she called Barrie her fwendy-wendy, which inspired Barrie to use the name Wendy in his story of Peter Pan.

Henley wrote Invictus in 1875. He published it in 1888 in his first volume of poetry, A book of verses. Click HERE for more information. His poetry is available through Project Gutenberg

Invictus is a poem that speaks to us with a universal message that we must reach way down into our Will to Live, grab it with both hands, and never let go despite the challenges we’re facing or experiencing. It tells us to find the courage to go on in the face of hopelessness—whatever that hopelessness is on an individual and personal basis.

Another way to summarize this poem might be controlling what we can (our reactions and attitudes) when things around us are out of control (life’s not-so-pleasant challenges).

My reaction to this poem is this:

The first stanza is affirmation of the spiritual strength that keeps him going. It’s interesting that he doesn’t narrow his spiritual support to a particular denomination or belief. It’s spiritual strength that means something different to each person who reads this poem.

The second stanza explains his steadfast determination to meet adversity, hopelessness, and challenges head on and not only never back down, but to never complain. As my brother-in-law used to tell his kids when they played baseball and were hit in the chest by the pitcher’s fast ball: Don’t let that kid know he can throw hard enough to hurt you.

The third stanza is another affirmation of standing tall and courageous through it all, while also facing the unknown of the future, or even what comes after death, with dignity and fearlessness.

The fourth stanza (with allusion to a phrase from the King James Bible³) wraps up the poem with a declaration of pride that no matter the dire situation he faced in the past or will face in the future, which are both out of his control, he can control how he reacts. Hence, the famous lines…

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

This poem resonates with me because, like all of us, I’ve experienced hopelessness, heartache, injury, illness, and death. I’ve doubted my purpose in life, but I’ve soldiered on. I’ve put one foot in front of the other with the belief that tomorrow is another day.

Back in my teaching days, one of the graduating classes chose this poem as their creed. As a group, they recited Invictus to the audience on graduation day. It was a proud moment for me as their English teacher that the units we did on poetry all through junior high and high school (through which I dragged more than a few of students kicking and screaming) had been worth it.

Here is Morgan Freeman reciting Invictus. His reading is a tribute to Nelson Mandela, who reportedly relied upon this poem to help him through the ordeal he faced for so many years.

Until next time,
Kaye Spencer





 

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6 comments:

  1. Kaye, I think this is the perfect post and poem many of us need right now to soldier on and not give up. And Morgan Freeman's voice adds a richness to the poem. Thanks for this, Kaye. It's perfect.

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    1. Elizabeth,
      Invictus has a universal appeal, for sure. I agree that Morgan Freeman's voice is perfect for this poem, much like Sir Patrick Stewart readings of Shakespeare's sonnets that he's sharing daily (nearly daily) on Facebook and Instagram.

      Thanks for stopping in to comment. *hugs*

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  2. Thank you for this uplifting article about Henley, his life trials, and his encouraging poem INVICTUS. I knew very little about this poet and writer until I read your article, but having read it, I am inspired to meet the challenges I now face. I enjoyed hearing the poem read by Morgan Freeman on the video you included in your post.
    In a time when most of us are feeling weary and wondering when our trials will ever be over, this was a monumental post of support and inspiration.
    I can't help but wonder if the name INVICTUS for the disabled veterans' games Prince Harry supports came about as a result of this poem.
    And here is another revelation I discovered: that you were an English teacher. How wonderful! Although I have always thought highly of you, I have a renewed and elevated esteem for you now.

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    1. Sarah,

      Thank you for your kind words. It is a worried and wearisome world right now, and we need all the support we can muster to give to each other to help us keep our heads up. Invictus is Latin, and it means unconquered, invincible, undefeated. I haven't researched the reason Prince Harry chose that name for the disabled veterans' games, but it certainly is appropriate.

      Yes, I was not only an English teacher, but also history. This was during the last few years of my educational career before I retired. I began my education career as a teacher of students with special needs. I moved on to be a principal, a school psychologist, and the director of exceptional student services for a cooperative of 13 school districts in southeastern Colorado. I loved every bit of all of it.

      Thank you so much for stopping by. I look forward to your 'visits'. *hugs*

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  3. This is just the inspiration I need this morning. Thanks, Kaye.

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