Nelson Mandela's inspiration

William Ernest Henley's (1849-1903) poem "Invictus" is now inextricably linked with Nelson Mandela. The 2009 Mandela biopic named Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood  strengthened this association. It is said that Mandela often turned to this poem for inspiration during his long and lonely years in prison. Mandela was so deeply influenced by this poem that he introduced it to not only  fellow prisoners like Eddie Daniels, but also to others after he was freed. Mandela  shared the poem with rugby star Francois Piennar during their first meeting; Piennar later famously  led South Africa to victory in the historic 1995 rugby world championships beating New Zealand in the finals.

Invictus is a powerful poem in its own right, but the story of its author, and the circumstances under which it was written makes it both poignant and tenacious at once. Henley was inflicted with  arthritic tuberculosis from childhood, and suffered from ill health for most of his life. Invictus; Latin for unconquered, is said to have been written as a defiant confrontation with fate during his hospitalization after the amputation of his leg below the knee in 1875. Henley himself was an inspiration to his contemporaries including R.L Stevenson, who supposedly credited his "maimed strength"  and masterfulness as the inspiration for Long John Silver in Treasure Island. Other eminent leaders inspired by Invictus include Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill etc.


Invictus 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


 Scholars like English professor Marion Hoctor suggest that the poem is more about stoicism than inspiration. Stoics believe that a virtuous life is essential for happiness, and no external forces -even god- matter. Whatever the interpretation, Invictus is testimony to the resilience of the human spirit.

Henley picture credit
Mandela picture credit