1. Invictus

2. THE POET William Ernest Henley born 23 August 1849 Henley was born in Gloucester and was the oldest of a family of six children. From the age of 12, Henley suffered from tuberculosis of the bone that resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee in 1868–69 His right foot also grew diseased. Henley contested the diagnosis that a second amputation was the only means to save his life by seeking a consultation with a pioneering surgeon. After three years in the hospital (1873–75), during which Henley wrote and published the poem Invictus, he was later discharged. Although the treatment was not a complete cure, Henley enjoyed a relatively active life for nearly thirty more years before he died of tuberculosis in 1903 at the age of 53 at his home in Woking.

3. Stanza 1 “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.” The speaker is in a metaphorical darkness – could be the darkness of despair – symbolises evil, death, pain, despair and sadness. The persona is praying a prayer of thanks to “whatever God may be”. He isn’t praying for more strength – he is thanking God for the strength he already holds.

4. Stanza 2 “In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeoning of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.” Suggests agnosticism – denial about God’s will – which is continued from the first stanza. The persona doesn’t talk about God’s will – he talks about “the fell clutch of circumstance” and “the bludgeoning of chance”. This portrays that he has overcome these bravely without complaining or giving up.

5. Stanza 3 "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.” Even in the face of pain and problems there is still no guaranteed happiness being in the shade where you are supposed to be safe. "Horror of the shade" implies that being in the kind of naivety where one is sheltered from harm.

6. Stanza 4 "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.” It doesn't matter what fate has in store for him or what difficulties he is faced with, the speaker will remain in control of what happens in his life. He will not let his destiny be ruled by anyone but himself.

7. THEMES The will to survive in the face of a severe test “My head is bloody, but unbowed” This line shows how the persona is probably injured or severely damaged (mentally or physically). “bloody but unbowed” meaning that he is still not giving up. The belief and confidence in ones self that he or she can go through any challenges in life. “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul” This strong statement emphasises confidence. These two lines clearly show how the persona goes on confidently despite any obstacles or challenges and says that he controls his life, his fate and his soul. Signifies that the persona is very well in control of his life even though in the hardships that may have killed or damaged him.

8. Persona in ‘Invictus’ ‘Invictus’, the Latin for ‘unconquerable’, carries a remarkable effect from the outset, emphasizing Henley’s intention to show might in the face of adversity. Henley - since handicapped by an amputation - spoke of the “night”, a metaphor for Henley’s sustained suffering and invented the persona as a means of communicating his message of determination. Henley employs hyperbole through the line “night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole". This quote emphasizes the notion of Henley’s suffering not only having personal connotations but referencing more worldly types of suffering, such as death, prosecution or poverty. Here, the persona is seen as resilient. Moreover, the line “I thank whatever gods may be/for my unconquerable soul” suggests that that the soul is something of higher order, perhaps more powerful than religion itself. However, the phrase ‘whatever’ expresses Henley’s own doubt over his spirituality. This implies to the reader that whilst he is not profoundly religious, he seeks comfort in the idea of god’s presence watching over him, guiding him through his pain and giving him the strength to continue in spite of his pain.

9. Quotes
“Black as the pit”
Darkness is being compare to the personas life, pit is referring how dark it is and has connotations to hell.
“From pole to pole”
Is a reference to the North and South Pole of the earth and illustrates that the persona has no escape from this darkness.
“I thank Whatever gods may be for my unconquerable sole ”
This conveys the personas desperation as people who typically pray to a specific god but the persona is thanking “Whatever gods” so it shows he is not particularly religious. The persona also doesn’t beg the gods for help he thanks them for the strength he has which portrays his determination to get over this situation.
“In the fell clutch of circumstance”
This reinforces that the persona is not a religious person as he does not blame his circumstance on the gods but just portrays it as a misfortune

10. “Bludgeoning of chance” The personification of chance emphasises how misfortunate the persona has been as been as “bludgeoning” refers to being repeatedly been heavily unlucky. “My head is bloody, but unbowed” This reinforces the determination of the persona to make it through this situation. “This place of wrath and tears” The “place” is the personas life which shows his dull view of his life as it is full of pain. “and shall find, me unafraid” The comma that separates find and me unafraid emphasises that the persona is not afraid of death but welcomes it as it will be an end to his suffering.

11. “Strait the gate” “Strait” is a clear reference to a narrow stripe of water which coveys the difficulty of trying to escape this situation but the persona believes he can do this despite the pain. “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul” This illustrates that the persona accepts no master but himself, he bows to no authority, and he is his own god, guide, and judge. He is the captain.

12. Possible Essay Questions
2009
Choose a poem in which the poet explores one of the following emotions: anguish,
dissatisfaction, regret, loss.
Show how the poet explores the emotion and discuss to what extent he or she is
successful in deepening your understanding of it.
2010
Choose a poem in which the central concern(s) is/are clarified for you in the closing
lines.
Show how these closing lines provide an effective clarification of the central concern(s)
of the poem.

13. 2011 Choose a poem in which either nature or time is presented as a destructive force. Discuss how effectively the poet presents nature or time in this way Choose a poem in which aspects of structure (such as verse form, rhyme, metre, repetition, climax, contrast, narrative development …) play a significant role. Show how the poet uses at least two structural features to enhance your appreciation of the poem as a whole.