Close Reading: Invictus By William Hernesst Henley
Invictus Close Reading
The poem Invictus by William Hernest Henley is a quite unusual poem that tells the story of a man trying to overcome and survive when faced with a difficult situation. It starts off with him saying that the “night” covers him, which in my opinion refers to suffering and darkness of some sort. This first line plays into the second line because it states darkness again, which I believe is talking about a literal hell on earth the way it is worded and it even mentions the north and south poles. I think it’s interesting how he mentions “gods” in line three but doesn’t give us a link to any particular religion. In line four I think unconquerable is a very interesting word choice as it ties in with the theme of the poem.
The poem Invictus by William Hernest Henley is a quite unusual poem that tells the story of a man trying to overcome and survive when faced with a difficult situation. It starts off with him saying that the “night” covers him, which in my opinion refers to suffering and darkness of some sort. This first line plays into the second line because it states darkness again, which I believe is talking about a literal hell on earth the way it is worded and it even mentions the north and south poles. I think it’s interesting how he mentions “gods” in line three but doesn’t give us a link to any particular religion. In line four I think unconquerable is a very interesting word choice as it ties in with the theme of the poem.