A Poem To Stand On Invictus Poem

“Invictus": a Poem to Stand on

The topic of this paper is perseverance. The poem that personifies me best is “Invictus”, written by William Ernest Henley. “Invictus” is a poem that I can relate to when thinking about where I am and where I am heading. Even when things seem their darkest, there is always hope. “The poem's last stanza was quoted by the United States President, Barack Obama, at the end of his speech at Nelson Mandela's memorial service on 10 December, 2013” (The Economist). This poem inspires me, it speaks to me of overcoming obstacles, and it mirrors my mantra of life. First, “Invictus” inspires me. Invictus is Latin, meaning unconquered. W. E. H. had his left leg amputated due to tuberculosis of the bone at the young age of

When I first married, I wished for the powdered milk that I had as a child. My wife and I were full time college students and worked more hours than we slept. We had an old car called a Delta 88. When it rained, water filled the floorboard on the passenger side, and my wife would often have to ride with her feet on the dash. While driving to work one night, the heater coil burst and white smoke billowed from the dash, making the car seem like a full-blown Reggae pot fest. The sub-par trailer that we lived in had leaking pipes and roof. One day right before leaving for work, I found a poisonous snake encircling our kitchen garbage can. I am terrified of snakes. Grabbing a gun, I blasted that sucker to hell, leaving our kitchen a crimson mess. When my new wife came home after work, she found the kitchen a bloody, disheveled wreck. She promptly drove to my dead end job and inquired if I needed to go to the hospital or if a body needed to be buried. Ernest pulls me in saying: “It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll” (Henley). I know all too well what Ernest is expressing here. Strait refers to narrow. Henley knows that he has a terrible disease and has already lost his leg, but that does not deny his place or meaning in life. He knows that the odds are against him, however, he will continue to do his best. Every misfortune we manage can teach us a valuable lesson. It doesn't matter how bad

Recently, my life changed once again. I remember having a knot in my stomach from anticipating the phone call which would notify me of my future employment status with AT&T. Would I still be working there or would I be let go, discarded, or released? It seems funny to refer to someone losing their job as released. Was I held captive? Henley proclaims: "In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud” (Henley). Ernest feels like he has been laid low, but he knows he has two choices: he can lay down and wallow in his pity or he can make the most of his situation. How can you express bad news any more poetic than I fell into the clutch of circumstance? It was not W.E.H’s fault that he became ill. Circumstance, a cousin to fate, can provide a boon or a dismal affliction. A powerful line in “Invictus” states: “Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole” (Henley). Henley conveys a dark sense of dread. All is dark for him; he is in a pit, not literally, but he feels his essence is wrapped in darkness. I lost my wonderful job with AT&T. I lost more than my position, money, and stature. I lost the certainty of how I fit in this world. What would I do next? Did I not perform well enough to keep my job? Am I a failure? I know, like Henley, what the darkest night feels like, but thanks to my difficult past I know that I will always persevere. “Invictus” sums this up best with, “Beyond this place