nvictus by William Ernest Henley is one of the most powerful poems ever written about courage, resilience, and inner strength. Composed in 1875 while Henley was recovering from a severe illness, the poem reflects his refusal to surrender to despair or fear. Through bold and uncompromising language, the speaker declares mastery over his own fate, regardless of suffering or hardship. The famous closing lines — “I am the master of my fate, / I am the captain of my soul” — have made Invictus a global symbol of mental strength, personal dignity, and unbreakable will.
Invictus – 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.