Invictus by William Ernest Henley Interpretation 

By Cynthia Loh

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 

      My head is bloody, but unbowed. 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears 

      Looms but the Horror of the shade, 

And yet the menace of the years 

      Finds and shall find me unafraid. 

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. 

The idea of "killing the author" came up in English class recently. By kill, I don't mean to murder the author or having the author physically die. To "kill the author" means to destroy the identity of the author in your mind while reading and interpreting the piece of literature. This means to understand the message regardless of the author's personality or biography guiding you. For this blog, I will read and interpret the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley while "killing the author". Afterwards, I will use the author's biography to interpret the poem. 

My Interpretation

From my interpretation, the author is surrounded by oppression and conformity. In the sentence, "Out of the night that covers me," the night represents darkness and evil that the author is faced with in life. To be more specific, I view "night" as rejection from society and/or other people, for example, something like bullying, racism, or gender inequality. However, even in face of all this hate and rejection the author faces, he has an "unconquerable soul" which shows that the author won't back down to the evil in his life. The term unconquerable means incapable of being overcome by force and incapable of being subdued. This evil in his life will not overcome him or subdue him. Henley says, "My head is bloody, but unbowed" showing that even though the author is hurt and being constrained, he will not submit to his oppressors and he can not accept this reality as destiny. The author is currently in a place of hate and fear, but he will not be intimidated. The last two lines and undoubtedly the most important and striking lines in this poem, "I am the master of my fate/ I am the captain of my soul," Henley expresses his unshakable will to live a better life. By calling himself the master of his fate and the captain of his soul, Henley refutes the idea that others can control or rule over his life. The message that I brought out of this poem is to have perseverance through the hard times because in the end, the only one who truly has power over you is yourself.

Author's Biography

When Henley was 12 years old he was diagnosed tuberculosis. One of his legs had to be amputated just below the knee and his other leg was barely saved from his disease by a radical surgery performed by his doctor. Henley became an inmate of his hospital. In his poem, the sentence, "In the fell clutch of circumstance," Henley was referring to his tuberculosis and his circumstance of having one leg. Even though he suffered since he was a boy, Henley communicates his tenacity and strength from his unfortunate situation. His tuberculosis will not and can not control him. Unlike what I interpreted, the author wasn't facing rejection from society but he was dealing with an inner struggle with himself.