Invictus by William Earnest 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.

To say the least, this poem is incredibly inspirational to me.  Henley begins this poem by illustrating where he has come from.  He says he has come from a night as black as the pit. Then he continues to say that he has been a victim of the 'fell clutch of circumstance' and he has taken 'the bludgeonings of chance.'  These two comments that Henley makes lead us to believe that Henley has been through rough times, and they have changed him.  He now realizes that it will take more than bad circumstances to bring him down.  In the first stanza, Henley thanks whatever higher power he believes in for his strength.  He is unconquerable, and it took being at a very low point in his life to realize it.  In the second stanza, he says that even though he has faced extreme hardships and they have left him bloodied, his head remains unbowed.  Here he is saying that no matter how hard things get, and no matter how down he might be, he will not give in.  In the third stanza, he says "And yet the menace of the years finds, and shall find me, unafraid."  He here is saying that he is not afraid of whatever may come his way.  He is ready to face the world.  And then, my favorite part of the poem.  I first read this stanza a few years ago, and I will never forget it.  Here, Henley delivers his ultimatum.  He says that no matter how hard things may become, he is in control of his life.  "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." Good words to live by.  

Edgar Allen Poe's 'A Dream Within A Dream'

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow-

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.



I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of the golden sand-

How few! yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep- while I weep!

O God! can I not grasp

Them with a tighter clasp?

O God! can I not save

One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream?




I think that in this poem, Poe is trying to remind us that even though we may work towards something our whole life, nothing is guaranteed.  He is telling us that no matter how hard we try to hold on to the grains of sand that make up our lives, sometimes they still slip away.  Our dreams don't last forever, we all wake up eventually...it's the same with our lives.  No moment can last forever, so we have to enjoy it while we have the chance.  I think that Poe also feels like he has been defeated in a sense.  He is ad that he can't save the grains of sand from falling into the ocean and being washed away. Maybe this is because he has recently lost something and he feels guilty about it.  Or maybe he just misses something or someone who slipped away from him.  This poem can be interpreted many ways, and I admire Poe for creating a poem with such versatility.  It allows everyone to get something out of it.  Great poem.

Edgar Allen Poe's Eldorado

Gaily bedight, A gallant knight, In sunshine and in shadow, Had journeyed long, Singing a song, In search of Eldorado. But he grew old- This knight so bold- And o'er his heart a shadow Fell as he found No spot of ground That looked like Eldorado. And, as his strength Failed him at length, He met a pilgrim shadow- "Shadow," said he, "Where can it be- This land of Eldorado?" "Over the Mountains Of the Moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow, Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied- "If you seek for Eldorado!"

I love this poem because Poe does an excellent job in illustrating the emotional journey that the traveler experienced.  He went from an enthusiastic man in search of Eldorado, and over time his heart grew weaker and shadows bean to fall on him as he began to give up hope.  It is a very sad poem, and I can't help but wonder who/what Poe meant for the shadow in the poem to symbolize.  Maybe it was a distraction, or maybe it was his own self-doubt.  Either way, the shadow tells the traveler that the thing he seeks lies in an unreachable place "Over the mountains of the moon, Down the Valley of the Shadow."  This may be Poe's way of expressing the fact that the traveler will never reach what he is looking for...which is kind of sad.  Whichever way you choose to interpret the symbolism, this is a great poem.

All About ME!!

So...this blogging thing...yea...it's pretty nice actually, at least it gives me another excuse to use my shiny laptop.  So, on that note, I approve.