tHe TrEaSuRe Of My HuNt

Invictus

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.                        
                   

-William Ernest Henley

William Ernest Henley: 

Birth: Aug 23, 1849

Died: July 11, 1903

From Gloucester, England

After some medical issues that caused one of his feet to be removed -and surgery on the other leg -Henley spent a lot of time in hospitals where he wrote free verse poetry mostly concerning his experiences with hospital life.

I don't know what to say about this poem other than it has significant sentimental value to me. I've had this poem memorized for the last 4 years and every year it has helped me to overcome the different challenges that are placed before me and become a better person because of them.
This poem is about being your own person; your best self. Taking the reins of life and jerking them in the direction You want to go.

It's about Rising above Overwhelming odds. And thanking whoever it is that you Worship that they have Given you such a Powerful Will so that Nothing can hold you back.

It's about strength and Withstanding all of the miserable circumstances that have been Thrust upon you. I particularly like the line: Under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody but unbowed." It shows that Even after the Beating you've taken, you are still Looking to the challenges that lie ahead.

You fear that the Future that is Beyond the place you are already in will be even Worse than the Horrors you Face now. However, you challenge both, head-on; daring them to give you cause to truly be afraid.

It doesn't matter how easy it will be, You Will ControL your Future and Be who it is You want to Become.

It's about being unstoppable.