Invictus: Motifs | SparkNotes

Negations

The speaker of “Invictus” often relies on the grammar of negation to express their capacity to remain strong in the face of adversity. This motif of negation is clearly visible in the first three stanzas, each of which concludes with a key word formed with the negative prefix un-. The first stanza, for instance, ends with the speaker insisting that their soul is “unconquerable” (line 4). Similarly, the second stanza ends with the speaker describing how, despite being battered by experience, their head remains “unbowed” (line 8). The third stanza continues this pattern with the speaker asserting that even though the threat of death is always looming, they are “unafraid” (line 12). The pattern established by this series of un- words reflects the negative logic that governs the speaker’s spirit of self-determination. That is, their outlook doesn’t stem from positive experiences that have helped them forge a life-affirming vision. Rather, they have survived by working against and otherwise rejecting that which has caused their suffering.

Metrical Inversions

One of the key motifs in “Invictus” can only be detected when we pay close attention to the poem’s meter. Henley frequently uses the technique of metrical inversion, in which he substitutes a trochee for an iamb in the first foot of a line. Despite the poem’s overall iambic rhythm (da-DUM), the insertion of trochees periodically disrupts and inverts that rhythm (DUM-da). This technique of inversion has different effects. For example, consider the opening stanza (lines 1–4):

Out of / the night / that co- / vers me,
Black as / the pit / from pole / to pole,
I thank / what-ev- / er gods / may be
For my / un-con- / quer-a- / ble soul.

The first two lines each begin with a trochee substitution that reverse the otherwise iambic rhythm. These reversals emphasize the shift taking place in the speaker’s psychology. The first two lines describe the conditions the speaker wishes to leave behind, and the heavy initial stress of the DUM-da rhythm subtly suggests the feeling of being held back. By contrast, the consistently galloping da-DUM rhythm of last two lines has a clearer sense of forward propulsion, which reflects the speaker’s newfound self-confidence. Just as the poem’s first two lines feature a trochee substitution in the opening foot, so too do the poem’s final two lines (15–16):

I am / the mas- / ter of / my fate,
I am / the cap- / tain of / my soul.

Here again, both lines begin not with an iamb but with a trochee. But whereas the rhythm of the poem’s first lines evokes the speaker’s emergence from a dark psychological space, the rhythm of the final lines reflects their defiant self-confidence. Indeed, both lines begin with the word “I” in a stressed position, which indicates the speaker’s sense of control over their life.

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