Strength Through Struggle

W.E Henley | Invictus

Red Frost Motivation
W.E Henley
January 10, 2024

One of the greatest poems ever written; Invictus is a rallying cry for those fighting hard times. It underscores the power of reminding yourself that regardless of what happens, you are the only one who can decide whether it suffocates you or fuels your determination. Will your struggles overpower you, or will you be powered by them? Who is the master of your fate if not you?

After being diagnosed with tuberculosis, W. E. Henley wrote Invictus in the hospital while undergoing treatment on his left leg, which was amputated from the knee down. He was still only a young man at that time and wrote the poem as a demonstration of his personal strength and determination in fighting the disease.

Invictus

Full Poem by W.E. 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.

Acknowledgements

Thank you Red Frost Motivation for amplifying W.E. Henley's message by creating this beautiful video. This content was not created by Boulder Crest Foundation or our partners. It has been added to our PTG Resource Library given the value it provides for our PTG community. Video from Youtube Channel @RedFrostMotivation

About the Authors

Red Frost Motivation
W.E Henley