"For my unconquerable soul"

Swot week has begun and soon all talk will be revolving around exams. Lucky for me my first exam which is English Prose is only on the 11th November but I will be needing that extra swot week to study for English, Journalism and Politics which are straight after each other (not so lucky). But I suppose the bright side of the situation is that I only write for 10 days and then I am done for the year. I began getting all my notes in order today so that I can tackle the task of revision when I stumbled across a copy of one of my favourite poems ‘Invictus’. I decided to put this poem up on the blog for anyone out there reading this that has not read this poem in the hope that it will evoke some sort of emotion from you as it does me.

The title of the poem ‘Invictus’ is latin for ‘unconquerable’ and it was written by William Ernest Henley. William was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the bone when he was 12 years old and had to have his one leg amputated below the knee. Despite his disease and living with a disability he embraced life and believed that his future was what he made it. I find this poem an inspiration for many reasons one of which being that he wrote it from his hospital bed. For me a strength of living life on your own terms and making your situation work for yourself shines through. Whether you like it or not I just wanted to put it out there as a reflection of how I am feeling about my upcoming exams.

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.