Invictus Poem
Posted: November 11th, 2009 | Author: John | Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »The poem “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.
It’s a poignant poem when recited by an elderly person – the old vocal chords crying out against the inevitable dying of the light. After hearing old Mr. James Murdock give an impassioned recitation of this poem at the close of the UCLA Conference on Aging and Technology, I googled it. Sure enough, Mr. Murdock (billionaire owner of Dole fruit company) has recited this poem at the end of other events, including at the Charlotte Chamber last month in North Carolina. Some poems stay with us as personal credos.
I mention this because I think the poem is a powerful expression of what it takes to succeed, in a billionaire kind of way. A bloody, yet unbowed head is a compelling image of human freedom. And what does this have to do with the world of entertainment? There’s an Oscar-buzzing movie by the same title coming out soon, starring Matt Damon. Listen to Morgan Freeman read the last lines of “Invictus” in the movie trailer.
Do you have a poem that you’ve memorized and that you return to? Why do you memorize poetry? Are there any other good movies that feature poetry? Please do share in the comments.
Milton's "When I consider how my light is spent" is for me a classic to return to. I like memorizing poetry because it's a well formed statement about life, containing both a beginning and an end, though perhaps unresolved. It creates a little moment of wholeness that gives sense to the chaos. That's why meter and rhythm are so necessary, because without which it would be nonsensical…a cheat. Does Richard V (Kenneth Branagh) count as poetry in a movie? Cause that one's pretty good. And also 8 Mile.
Henry V? He counts.