![]() ![]() ![]() But what do I know? I'm just a high-school teenager. So really, i don't believe that this poem is religious or anti-religious, but rather it is neutral. ![]() And that we, being the captain of our fate have complete control over the choices that we make, which will inevitably control the course of our destiny. I think he meant by soul that we, as humans, have the unique ability to overcome any obstacle, despite the fell clutch of circumstance, whether this ability was given to us from God or not. Yet despite the many trials of life, he was able to prevail. If you look over his biography, you learn that he suffered many hardships in his life including the death of his six year old daughter as well as an amputation. However, if we were to truly understand the meaning of this poem, we must take into consideration what Henley meant by the word, soul. To put to rest all of the religious/ anti-religious debate over the poem, can I just ask one question? Does it really matter? I consider myself a religious person, but even I recognize this as one of the most powerful and influential poems ever written. Then what of Him who bought thee with His blood? I prefer and have always been blessed by choosing Him. I can be the captain of my soul, or, as Carrie Underwood sang, Jesus Take the Wheel and let Him be the Captain of my soul. Whitney, that is a beautiful Christian response to Invictus. It goes against the idea that I get to be completely self-sufficient no matter what others think or do.I like this poem by W. I know this goes against what the world preaches to us on a regular basis. Why? Because being in the center of God’s will, under his authority and rule, and his loving care is what we were created for. This theocentric idea is the key to living life to the fullest. God is the captain of all souls – “The LORD brings death and makes alive he brings down to the grave and raises up” (1 Samuel 2:6). God is the giver of fate – “I charge you in the presence of of God who gives life to all things… ” (1 Timothy 6:13). Though we can certainly strive, and should strive, toward being better at what we do, loving others well, seeking to improve in life, we must also realize that life is not ours to keep or to give. 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. There is just one problem with the assertion that I get to determine my destiny…death! 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. That folks is called the doctrine of Free Will, which asserts that not even God would force us to make decisions that are outside the realm of our personal choice. We can also safely assert that no one else makes decisions on our behalf. We can safely assert that the decisions we make lead to certain predictable outcomes. Those who walk through the straight, or narrow, gate will ultimately find eternal life, while those who choose the broad, or wide, gate will be led to final destruction.Ī short reflection on the juxtaposition of Jesus’ words and Henley’s then leads to one question…”Am I really the master of my own fate, and the captain of my soul?” At a certain level, yes. In the context of the Gospel of Matthew, Christ is referring to ultimate eternal fate. Poet William Ernest Henley (18491903) penned the words of his immortal Invictus (unconquered in. Though Henley thanks “whatever gods may be” in his despair, his coined phrase is now used to appeal to one particular God: the self! Ironically, however, the first line of the 4th stanza of his poem “It matters not how strait the gate” appears to have been borrowed from Matthew 7:14, from Jesus’ sermon on the Mount. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. It is easy to see how the narrative of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self-adulation appeals to postmodern culture. Today, the famous line from his poem has been interlaced with postmodern thought as a new “mantra” for those who espouse the anthropocentric view that we are in control over our lives no matter what. Henley decided not to heed the medical advice given to him and sought the help of a renown english surgeon by the name of Joseph Lister who was able to save his leg from being amputated! While in recovery Henley wrote his poem as a testament to remaining resolute in the midst of adversity and trials. Henley wrote these now famous words while he received news his left leg might have had to be amputated due to complications from tuberculosis. William Ernest Henley, an English poet who lived in the 1800s crafted a small poem with the famous quip, “I am the master of my fate captain of my soul.” This phrase is the last stanza of his famous poem known as Invictus:įor my unconquerable soul.
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