Question

Which sentence reflects the theme of "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley?

Answer 1

Answer:

1. A strong faith will make anything bearable.

2. Assertive and defiant .

3. Stop being upset .

4. The symbol is the sun, and its meaning is hope.

5. The reader understands that the speaker has had to face great challenges in life.

Explanation:

1. A strong faith will make anything bearable.

Henley's poem Invictus expresses the speaker's unshakable faith and strength to fight on in life. If we take a closer look at his biography, we find out that Henley had suffered from bone tuberculosis and had his leg amputated at a very young age.

But instead of giving up and giving in to the disease, the speaker, just as the author himself, showed great resilience, as it is reflected in the title - Undefeated.

2. Assertive and defiant .

The anaphora (repetition at the beginning of a line) in these lines suggests how the speaker is sure and confident of what he is saying. The personal pronoun is also indicating the importance his own self has for him.

The words master and captain insist on the control he takes of his life. He shows no fear and decides to be the only one accountable for his fate and soul.

3. Stop being upset .

The speaker here uses personification in order to address his sad heart. His demand is to be still, more precisely, to show less emotion, for there is some good, some hope.

In this conversation with his heart, the speaker stresses the fact that everybody experiences bad things in life, and these moments must come. But at the same time, they must go, too. Therefore the heart should stop being sad and upset.

4. The symbol is the sun, and its meaning is hope.

The Rainy Day is a poem that is entirely a metaphor of the speaker's life. Having this idea in mind, we realize that the speaker is sad and depressed. The rain creates a sorrowful atmosphere, reflecting the speaker's feelings.

But what follows is the appearance of the sun through the clouds! It reminds of its presence, which although unable to be seen through the clouds, must not be forgotten. The sun means there will always be hope, no matter how dark and terrifying the place we are at might look.

5. The reader understands that the speaker has had to face great challenges in life.

The poetic images of this stanza create a feeling of narrowness: the speaker is constantly seen trapped inside of a narrow space (in the fell clutch of circumstance, under the bludgeonings of chance) and forced to fight his way out and to resist without a word.

And he did. The last line witnesses of his resilience: My head is bloody, but unbowed.