DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF INVICTUS

A PAPER

For Complying Final Assignment of Advanced Writing Lecture

Lectured by
Dwi Cahyono, M.Pd.

Mudhiah Umamah
(163211055)

ENGLISH LITERATURE DEPARTEMENT

TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
SURAKARTA STATE ISLAMIC INSTITUTE
SURAKARTA

2017
A. Introduction
Poetry is a precious legacy of culture which is heredity continued in
speech or writing form to strength its extinction as a national legacy. To a poet,
poetry is means to say what exist in his thought, feeling, and imagination. It seems
like offering the anxiety by means of the words and meaning belonged to. Poem is
still read by some society classes, from some people in academic level such
doctor, politicians, statesmen, cultural observer, and so on for either their
entertainment or study to compare it with other works. Poetry will never die as
Shakespeare said in his sonnet in which he praises poem in his last two lines, “so
long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to
thee”. As long as human can breathe, or eyes can see, that is where poem is,
constantly exist and live your life (Siswantoro, 2002, p. 02) According to Perrine,
poetry might be defined as a kind language that says more and says it more
intensely than does ordinary language (Siswantoro, 2002, p. 03). This statement
emphasizes that poetry is about the specialized language, because it is expressed
more intensely. Intense means no applying words in unadorned.
A poet intends to extend the information covered into a concentrated form
for a personal life, romance narrative, minds, biographies, etc. The writer urges
the reader to come to his world in to flow in the emotion constructed in.
According to Siswantoro, Poetry seizes life with its various manifestations that
can be captured and reached by the human senses and poets. Therefore, the main
focus of poetry is not the beauty of the philosophical moral teachings, but the
experiences (2002:06). Ririn Tri Pratiwi argues that A poet just expresses himself
to devote his thought, feeling to some words which is written in many senses in
order to read and impact to the reader (2017, March).
A poem has some of internal scopes to accomplish the central purpose of it
in which we can analyze. And the significant for analysis is how the building
elements can fully support the central goal of a poem. Those are commonly such
forms of poetry, diction, imagery, and rhyme. The forms of poetry are such as
sonnet, blank verse, heroic couplet, and Ballad stanza. According to Lee
Jamleson, A sonnet is a simply a poem written in a certain format. You can
identify a sonnet if the poem has the some characteristics such having 14 lines
which can be broken down into four sections called quatrains and rhyming in
ABAB/CDCD/EFEF/GG (2017, March). For example is Petrarchan Sonnet in
vision, the by Fransisco Petrarchan introduced by 14th century (Siswantoro, 2002,
p. 102)
Blank Verse is unrhymed, because it doesn’t include the sound and rhyme.
This type is no stanza and no limitation in its lines. Wordsworth told his
childhood by using blank verse in his poetry entitled there was a boy (Siswantoro,
2002, p. 100). Heroic couplet is arranged in two of iambic pentameter rhymes. It
involves two lines in its stanza with iambic pentameter. For the example, we can
see the poem of Alexander Pope, He wrote Essay on man in heroic couplet
(Siswantoro, 2002, p. 106). The last is Ballad Stanza. Ballad is known as common
meter, because it is commonly applied in English poetry for long period. It is
arranged in four lines iambic tetrameter or trimester. It is rhymed in abab or abcb.
So, each of its stanza involves four lines (Siswantoro, 2002, P. 108). A poem
Invictus written by William Ernest Henley takes place on this type.
Diction is choosing words. That is we choose the appropriate words to say,
write, or express something. Diction is one of the significant scopes in written or
oral expression (Awwaludin: 2002). LiteraryDevices Editors wrote (2014, Nov)
that It is also known as style of speaking or writing as dependent upon
choice of words. Diction is varied based on the contexts and settings. Diction has
denotation and connotation meaning in its outline. According to Perrie, denotation
refers to one-to-one correspondence between word and meaning. It is found that a
word has its own meaning because the word is practice and not the long-winded
word, e.g. a sharp sword is for a war (Siswantoro, 2002, p. 24). The sentence
provides the simple word in which the reader can catch the meaning. That is we
call denotation. Connotation implies to the figure of speech.
According to Wren and Martin, Figure of speech is a departure from the
ordinary form of expression or the ordinary course of ideas in order to produce a
greater effect (Siswantoro, 2002, p. 23). Talking about figure of speech, we will
know the types of it, such simile, personification, metaphor, and hyperbole.
According to Siswantoro, Simile is defined as comparison between two different
things but it has the similarity. it is commonly used with words like, as, so,
appear, seem, and more than, e.g. O my luve is like the melodie by Robert Burns.
Personifiication is describing thing (no human) as if it traits human activity, e.g.
the teeming autumn, big with rich increase by Shakespeare in his sonnet.
Metaphor is as same as simile to compare two things except those words, e.g. you
are a tulip seen to-day by Robert Herrick in A Meditation for His Mistress.
According to Wren and Martin, In hyperbole, a statement is made emphatic by
overstatement, e.g. he clasps the crag with croocked hands by Alfred, Lord
Tennyson in The Eagle (Siswantoro, 2002, p. 24-36).
Imagery means mental picture, portrait, or imagination of the reader’s
reaction when they read and try to get what poem means. Sometimes the poem we
read is some foreign languages. So, the comprehension in reading while mastering
the vocabularies, grammatical structure, and understanding the other culture are
needed. Imagery includes five senses, touching, seeing, smelling, hearing,
tasting/internal feeling, e.g. hear the sledges with the bells, Silver Bells! by Edgar
Allan Poe in The Bells (Siswantoro, 2002, p. 53).
Poetry needs rhyme to make sense in its sound. This repetition sound is set
in the last of word in a line. Rhyme will be founded in a pair of word like love and
dove, best and rest, laugh and calf, beauty and duty, and so on. So, rhyme
emphasizes the same vocal in last word to pronounce. It is divided into three
types. Those are exact (full of rhyme), approximate (a half of rhyme), and medial
rhyme (middle rhyme) (Siswantoro, 2002, p. 88-89)
One of the famous British poets is William Ernest Henley, a British poet
born on 23th of August, in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England. He was a critic
and editor who in his journals introduced the early work of many of the great
English writers of the 1890s. He was dead on 11th of July 1903 in near London.
The editors of Encyclopedia of Britannica wrote in an article (1998, June), at 12
of his age, Son of a Gloucester bookseller and a pupil of the poet T.E. Brown,
Henley contracted a tubercular disease that later necessitated the amputation of
one foot. His other leg was saved only through the skill and radical new methods
of the surgeon Joseph Lister, whom he sought out in Edinburgh. Forced to stay in
an infirmary in Edinburgh for 20 months (1873–1875), he began writing
impressionistic poems (some in free verse) about hospital life that established his
poetic reputation. Henley wrote some his popular poems, a love by the sea, I am
the reaper, O Gather me the rose, madam life’s a piece in bloom, and so on. Some
of these were published in The Cornhill Magazine in 1875; the whole sequence
appeared in A Book of Verses (1888). Subsequent volumes of verse include
London Voluntaries (1893), Poems (1898), Hawthorn and Lavender (1899), and
For England’s Sake (1900). But the most popular poem In his verses is “Invictus”
(1875), which concludes with the lines “I am the master of my fate, I am the
captain of my soul.”
Invictus, a poem from Victoria in 1888, is formed from Latin which is
similar with unconquerable, undefeated. He described the condition of hospital
where he was. Henley tried to strengthen himself about what his condition his
through the poem. It is written to tell us that nothing can defeat us as what he said
in the last two lines sounds “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my
soul”. We are the manager of our life No tear is needed when something bad
happen to us, because we control our world and destiny. No contrary can work on
it. This poem inspired Nelson Mandela which is played by Morgan Freeman in
movie Invictus that told about when Nelson Mandela, the first president of Africa,
got into the prison. After reading this poem he knew that he must bear on
everything he walked on in the prison for years.
Invictus, a Ballad Stanza poetry, is the elected poem in this paper. It is an
inspiration poem for whoever reads. As the writer said above that poem is related
with Nelson Mandela, a historical human of Africa story. From the poem, He get
into the stronger man to force his hard time for he was in prison. How great the
poem is. If for Henley, that poem is to strengthen him of his fate, it works on
Mandela too. Invictus inspires both of them to be kind of whatever their life
being. Because we are the master of our fate, that is Henley powered sentence.
Henley succeeds to channel his emotion to the reader. And Such Invictus has
written, beside the story of Mandela after reading this poem, the writer feels
 curious how fully those elements poetry accomplished to support this poem
construction. So, the writer is interested to analyze this poem to find in those
internal scopes of poetry which have been discussed above.
B. Result and Discussionn
Henley wrote this poem in 25 of his age. He lied on the bed in a hospital
because he was hospitalized of his disease, tuberculosis caused him spent his 20
years of his life in a hospital room. Invictus is his expression to imagine how his
life was, how his feeling was, and how he had to struggle and stand on his life still
whatever his life he faced. Invictus is shown us what Henley wanted to say to the
other people if they have the unwanted life someday.
One day, in Africa, Nelson Mandela, a historical man of Africa who
struggle for Justice for all of Africans, got into a prison. He spent his life for 27
years there. It’s a hard life for everybody hears this story. Nelson Mandela read
this poem to himself and to other prisoners too. The writer is curious how this
poem inspires Mandela and others. Mandela was more than ready to walk on his
life even though it is not the convenience life he had before. It was a prison, but
Mandela got his power back to be the stiff man. Both of those two great people
had the same situation for this poem.
This poem is their inspiration for the reason to live well and say “ready”
for now, tomorrow and whenever the hard time comes to them. Through those
story, one thing we know well that this poem has special things inside. Therefore,
the writer reads this poem many times and tries to find and analyze this poem
based on theory above, because, what is inside there is the big question for the
writer.
1. Result
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.

a. Denotation
As the writer explains above that denotation is the use of certain and
concrete words. Invictus is written in simple words which are most of those are
familiar. The choosing word is mostly heard and got in daily life like covers,
night, unconquerable, and etc. It almost has no strange word, except word
bludgeonings in the second stanza. The poet shows the real meaning of each word
and line literally without any abstract words. There are any words either in slang
or collocation expression on it. It is felt that this poem provided in more formal
feeling.
b. Connotation
This term refers to figure of speech. Connotation word gives no literary
meaning. The poet utilizes diction in connotation to add any senses especially in
its meaning. Henley uses some certain figure of speech in this Invictus through
personification in the first stanza Out of the night that covers me, for my
unconquerable soul. in the third stanza the writer finds the use of personification
in line beyond the place of wrath and tears, and yet the menace of the years.
 Simile in following line black as the pit from pole to pole, metaphor like in two
last lines in the last stanza I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.,
And hyperbole, the overstatement part, such in the first stanza in the fell clutch of
circumstance and in the third line of the second stanza, Under the bludgeonings of
chance.
c. Imagery
The effect constructed from diction of specific words and the use of
certain figure of speech produces some senses building imagination to the reader.
The poet brings us to agree with what he sees, touches, smells, hears, and tastes /
feels. The writer finds the use of sense of sight in the second line of the first
stanza Black as the pit from pole to pole. The other is in the third stanza looms but
the horror of the shade see and the line it matters not how the strait the gate see.
And the thought sense is used in the line how charged with punishments the
scroll.
d. Rhyme
The writer has mentioned three kinds of rhyme. They are Exact,
approximate, and medial rhyme. Exact is a poetry which has full rhyme. Full
rhyme is signed by the same of vocal sound between two words or more.
Approximate is rhyme with a bit similar vocal sound. But it is not exactly the
same vocal sound. It also can be a half of resemblance such flash and flush, pass
and peace. We call medial rhyme because its position is in the centre of line not in
the last of line. But those words are placed in the one line, so its position is easy to
identify. And this poem is grouped into exact rhyme.
2. Discussion
Invictus is the fourth poem in chapter Life and Death in Oxford Book of
English Verse Book of Verse. The term Invictus is not from English, but it is from
Latin which has the similar meaning with unconquerable. The word
unconquerable is familiar and often to meet. Invictus didn’t come from the writer
originally. The editor, Arthur Quiller-Couch, added the term invictus for the title
of the poem when it was published in and added in the Oxford Book of English
Verse Book of Verses.
 The writer doesn’t find the difficult words in. the writer can feel that some
of the words are written in concrete words such night which we know as the dark
one. In this poem the night is written with black thing. That is the real description
representing the how the night is. I Thank whatever gods may be, the poet
expressed the grateful feeling to the god who gives him the patient and string soul
for everything fights his life. Whatever gods used by the poet describes that the
poet’s life was influenced by belief to many gods. So he said that his gratefulness
is for whatever gods exist in this world for all of the goods gods give to his soul.
The writer also doesn’t find any slang word. The effect of this poem is felt as
formal.
Personification is utilized by the poet in the first line out of the night that
covers me. Covers is action that is as an attribute of human. But the poet
intentionally put human attribute activity to the night to show that when he wrote
the poem was in the night, the night when he sat on his bad while writing some
words. The poet wants to show what condition of his environment was when he
had some ideas to write. In the next line the poet compared the night by simile
figure of speech with line black as the pit from pole to pole. The poet described
how deeply he felt the darkness in that night. He emphasized it in detail feeling.
The line for my unconquerable soul is also written in personification. Soul here
seems a strong human in a battle zone.
The next stanza, especially in the first line, shows us the use of hyperbole
figure of speech in the fell clutch of circumstance. In the line, the poet described
what his feeling at that time. His feeling about what happened to him. It was about
his disease that causes him got amputation on his foot. And for whole 20 years he
had to get hospitalization in a box room. He felt that he was in the dark and
suffered life. And the following line, the poet gave the detail through line I have
not winced nor cried aloud. The poet said that he would never beef about. He
passes all of the pieces of his life without complaining or mourning over for
anything.
The line Under the bludgeonings of chance is identified as hyperbole.
Bludgeonings is a plural form. Henley showed us when he got a bad condition of
his foot and his health, he felt like he was hit by some bludgeonings blowing him
for many times. He said that it makes his head is bloody but he never bowed down
his head. It means that he never worried about his life. through the last line of the
second stanza, he would never leave and give up to face his condition till his life
ended. He will always live his life while he still opens his eyes. That is what he
wants to say to himself and everyone.
Some senses that build imagination from the poet to the reader are sense of
sight in black as the pit form pole to pole. Without seeing, Henley couldn’t know
what the color of night. And in line looms but the horror of the shade see, the
word looms identify they this line was written based on his sight and imagination.
Personification figure of speech is still implemented in this line the horror shade
see. See is action for human activity. Henley applied it for describing that he
seemed like he saw some terrible future always sees at him and will approach him.
or that his life for years will get worst day by day. B In the next line he wrote and
yet the menace of the years finds, and shall find, me unafraid. The writer argues
that it seems that he said life will not be quiet of hard times. Those terrible things
will always come to anyone’s life. And Henley, for himself, he said that how
many days will worse his life for year say by day, he will never stop to live his
life. Furthermore, he said in the poem that we have to act always ready, and no
scared. How far we go, as we live, hard times will find us. So, for Henley, fear is
vain to have for something certainly will happen.
In the last stanza, especially the line It matters not how strait the gate see,
the poet uses the sense of sight on it. The writer can feel the sense of seeing which
indentify the use of sight. It can be known through the description of how strait
the gate is. It means the poet want to say what he saw about the gate. He saw gate
locked strongly. It seems that no one can open the gate with anyway. The writer
thinks that the poet means when he is in the room alone seems he is in the place
with high gate where he can go nowhere. The poet knows that he couldn’t do
anything. He couldn’t fight the God decision. He couldn’t throw his disease and
free to the normal life.
 He continues his words in the following line which explain the detail thing
about the pervious line. The writer continues to analyze the second line how
charged with punishment the scroll, the poet tells that he will not care about the
heavy things he experiences. The sense of thought can be felt in this line. The
writer supposes that the poet try to show how heavy life of being charged with
many punishments in scrolls. The poet’s life is felt as heavy as being charged. The
poet makes us to think and imagine if we become a defendant who accepts
demands. But once more the poet says that he doesn’t care about where and how
his life is. The one he believes and nurtures is his life is on his hand.
In his last two magic lines does the poet use metaphor figure of speech.
Through his writing, the poet says that I am the master of my fate, I am the
captain of my soul. He would live or die is his option. No one could manage other
human life. Nobody could decide the human fate. The one who can change the
fate is himself. The poet means when someone gets into the unwanted life, he is
the head of everything. Someone has to be the master of his life who is controlling
the fate and not to be controlled. Someone has to be power rangers who always
face monsters and not to be controlled. Someone has to be power rangers who
always face monsters destroying the world and human life. Someone has to be the
captain of merchants who can command all of the marines about where they have
to go and when they have to control the set of the sail. Someone has to realize that
they live in a battle in where they are the captain. So, getting victory or
discomfiture in war zone is in his hand. Those are the magic line for the reader
including the writer.
This poem has exact rhyme which can be identified by analyzing the last
words of each line. They have the similar vocal sounds. The pattern is a-b-a-b. the
first stanza me-pole-be-soul as e-ol-e-ol. In the second stanza we have stance-
loud-chance-bowed as vocal sound in ans-aud-ans-aud. The third stanza has
tears-shade-years-afraid as iers-eid-iers-eid. In the last stanza, the writer gets
gate-scroll-fate-soul as eit-ol-eit-ol. All of the stanzas has the pattern in each line.
That is why this poem grouped into the full rhyme, exact rhyme.
C. Conclusion
By analyzing one of Henley’s poem, Invictus, it means the writer has
appreciated by giving some opinion based the writer’s point of view. A poet will
always put the structural elements to succeed his poetry. Without those significant
elements, a poet never succeeds to fill the purpose structurally. It will decrease the
sense feeling of it. Henley enjoyed his loneliness in his room of hospital in the
night time. It influences his words in this poem. He felt the cold night that
attacked his body. he grappled with his sight and thoughts to build some
imagination to the reader in order the reader can feel the same feeling by
imagination.
This poem is written to support Henley himself and others to love live.
That is why those words and lines has the motivated meaning for the readers.
Henley wanted to show his undefeated soul in 20 years live with his disease that
made him live with a foot and stay in a box room in hospital in long time. But he
never hates God, people, and his life.
Based on the meaning analysis and what the poet means, this poem is
provided to people who have the sturdy soul in order that they will get more
power and become the next invictus person. The poet also means to say to people
who have lack of power to face their life. Henley wants to say to them not to be
someone who feels that his life is the darkest life ever in this world. So it makes
ourselves fall down into the deepest part of suffer. As the writer explained above,
Henley’s poetry aims to motivate and awaken the reader’s spirit to still love their
life whatever the storm they get.
D. References
- Siswantoro. 2002. Apresiasi Puisi-puisi Sastra Inggris. Malang:
Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang
- Awalludin. 2017. Pengantar bahasa Indonesia untuk Perguruan Tinggi.
Yogyakarta : Deepblish
- https://www.britannica.com/.../William-Ernest-Henley
- https://literarydevices.net/diction/
- http://ririnashuri.blogspot.co.id/2017/03/