Search results
Invictus International School is a K-12 institution offering curricula designed to nurture the growth of every student. Our school offers the UK Cambridge Primary, Lower Secondary, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and Cambridge International A-Levels (Advanced Levels). Learn more.
"Invictus" is a short poem by the Victorian era British poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903). Henley wrote it in 1875, and in 1888 he published it in his first volume of poems, Book of Verses , in the section titled "Life and Death (Echoes)".
Invictus. By William Ernest Henley. 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.
Invictus is a 2009 biographical sports film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, making it the third collaboration between Eastwood and Freeman after Unforgiven (1992) and Million Dollar Baby (2004).
The belief that one’s soul could not be tarnished, no matter the hardships one experienced, is reflected in both this line and the poem as a whole. The popularity of “Invictus” helped reinforce this attitude, as did many other works of Victorian poetry and literature.
William Ernest Henley, born August 23, 1849, was an influential British poet, perhaps best known for his poem “Invictus” (1875). He is the author of A Song of Speed (D. Nutt, 1903), Hawthorn & Lavender with Other Verses (D. Nutt, 1901), and For England’s Sake: Verses and Songs in Time of War (D. Nutt, 1900), among others.
‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley talks about the invincibility of a person who trusts himself or herself. In this poem, the speaker is faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. Throughout it all, however, he perseveres and is successful in his endeavors.
