I saw the movie, Invictus on Tuesday night, and though I found the movie and Nelson Mandela’s life inspiring, I was left wondering what Invictus is. According to Wickepedia, at the age of 12, poet William Ernest Henley became a victim of tuberculosis of the bone. In spite of this, in 1867 he successfully passed the Oxford local examination as a senior student. His diseased foot had to be amputated directly below the knee; physicians had announced that the only way to save his life was to amputate. Henley persevered and survived with one foot intact. He was discharged in 1875, and was able to lead an active life for nearly 30 years despite his disability. With an artificial foot, he lived until the age of 53. The poem was written from a hospital bed.
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.
“I am the captain of my soul”, what a beautiful sentiment! This is such a powerful truth, that no matter our circumstances in life, whatever pain has been introduced to our lives, we are the captains of our souls. We can always refine, empower, improve, and rise above where we came from. Our legacy can be different from the previous generation’s.
How are you the captain of your soul? What pain have you risen above to leave the world a better place?
