'Invictus', written by William Ernest Henley in 1875, is one of my very favourite poems. Invictus is Latin for 'unconquerable' and 'undefeated'. In the present article, Morgan Freeman celebrates the poem and his hero Nelson Mandela. What clues does the poem give about the Hero's Journey of BEing unconquerable?
'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
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.
Morgan Freeman reciting 'Invictus' by William Ernest Henley by heart, describing how the poem gave Nelson Mandela the courage and what he needed to go on during adversity. It anchored his soul in the beautiful stormy sea that is life. Lord Byron wrote "Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray."
Nelson Mandela and 'Invictus'
In today’s tumultuous, toxic, drama-fuelled world, poetry has an invaluable place for recording events, feelings, and our responses to them. For centuries, leaders throughout the world have turned to poetry for solace and for a call to action. 'Invictus' stands out amongst the crowd of poetic artistry.
Nelson Mandela, the inspirational anti-apartheid leader, who was imprisoned for 27 years for his activism, regularly recited the poem 'Invictus' during challenging times. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, becoming the President of South Africa in 1994.
William Ernest Henley
Born in Gloucester, England, poet, editor, and critic William Ernest Henley was educated at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. His father was a struggling bookseller who died when Henley was a teenager. At age 12 Henley was diagnosed with tubercular arthritis that necessitated the amputation of one of his legs just below the knee; the other foot was saved only through a radical surgery performed by Joseph Lister. As he healed in the infirmary, despite his childhood emotional and physcial trauma, and undoubtedly inspired by it, Henley began to write poems, including 'Invictus', which concludes with the oft-referenced lines “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.” Henley’s poems often engaged themes of inner strength and perseverance.
Henley edited the Scots Observer (which later became the National Observer), through which he befriended writer Rudyard Kipling, who wrote one of my other favourite poems 'If' (my article about this is coming soon). Henley also edited the Magazine of Art, in which he lauded the work of emerging artist and sculptor Auguste Rodin. Henley was a close friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, who reportedly based his Long John Silver character in Treasure Island in part on Henley.
What clues does the poem give about the Hero's Journey of BEing unconquerable?
To be unconquerable and abundant on your own Hero's Journey you must practice an attitude of gratitude. Invictus says "I thank whatever gods may be. For my unconquerable soul." This also suggests that it doesn't matter what 'Gods may be': Indeed the power, intelligence, and creativity of the Universe do not require us to name a God. The feeling of Truth is unknowable and cannot be put into words. God in essence is our awareness of who we truly are. We are unconquerable souls who have forgotten who we truly are: That is our only problem in life. So, the only solution, then, is the great remembering of who we are. I suggest that this is why 'Invictus' can carry someone from despair to joy and peace. It encapsulates the transformative path.
Fear and Faith do not live in the same house. The poem indicates this "And yet the menace of the years; Finds and shall find me unafraid." This reminds me of the very short story: "Fear knocked on the door: Faith answered. There was no-one there."
How do you become unconquerable?
How do you remain undefeated, unassailable, undefeatable, unconquerable, and invincible? You do this by BEing the master of your own fate; the captain of your soul. How do you do this? It's simply a choice of who you are BEing:
Choice 1: 'The wounded inner child'; the ego; 'King Baby'; your false self.
Choice 2: Your higher Self; your higher power; your true Self.
If you want to be unconquerable, choose wisely as to who you are allowing to run your life: Your wounded child or your higher Self? You are the master of your fate: You are the captain of your soul. Fear is a liar. The ego is a liar. Trauma is a liar. Peace is to return to remembering that you, and only you, are the captain of your soul. The future is yours by choosing from love in the present moment.
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I have a Bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity College, Cambridge; a Master's Degree in Philosophy from Trinity College, Cambridge; a PhD Doctorate in Scientific Research from University College London (UCL); a Medical Degree (MD/MBBS) from The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London and have been a doctor and reconstructive trauma and cancer surgeon in London for 20 years. I have published over 50 peer reviewed scientific journal articles, have been an associate editor and frequent scientific faculty member, and am the author of several scientific books. I have been awarded my Diploma in Transformative Life Coaching in London, which has International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accreditation, as well as the UK Association for Coaching (AC), and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I have been on my own transformative journey full time for four years and I am ready to be your guide to you finding out who you really are and how the world works.