1. The poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley is about overcoming obstacles and persevering through hardship and pain. 2. The speaker has endured a harsh life full of dire circumstances and poor luck, yet has never winced or cried out despite their head being bloody. 3. Though the world is a cruel and sad place, and death looms ahead, the speaker faces the menace of the years without fear and takes responsibility for their own fate.

1. 1
SAMPLE TPCASTT ANALYSIS
Invictus - Poem by William Ernest Henley
1 Out of the night that covers me, A
Black as the Pit from pole to pole, B
I thank whatever gods may be A
For my unconquerable soul. B
2 In the fell clutch of circumstance C
I have n​o​t winced n​o​r cried al​o​ud. D
Under the bludgeonings of chance C
My head is bloody, but unbowed. D
3 Beyond this place of wrath and tears E
Looms but the Horror of the shade, F
And yet the menace of the years E
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. F
4 It matters not how strait the gate, G
How charged with punishments the scroll. H
I am the master of my fate: G
I am the captain of my soul. H
Rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH
TPCASTT ORGANIZER
POEM TITLE & POET Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Before you read -​ TITLE -
Consider the title and make a
prediction about what the poem
is about.
Invictus is Latin for, “unconquered,” or maybe it’s about overcoming some
kind of obstacle.
PARAPHRASE - ​Translate the
poem into the message of the
poem in your own words on a
literal level. Look for complete
thoughts (sentences may be
inverted) and look up unfamiliar
words.
Even while sitting in the darkest pit of night, I thank whatever gods might
exist for my unconquerable soul.
I have neither winced nor cried when in a frightening circumstance.
My head may be bloody, but it is not bowed, despite terrible luck.
There is nothing but death following this cruel and sad world, yet no matter
how long the years, I am still not afraid.
No matter what, I am completely in charge of my fate, even if the list of my
sins is a mile long.
The speaker is trying to explain how he/she has been able to overcome all
obstacles in their life. They are able to do this by persevering through pain,
discomfort and threat of death.
CONNOTATION - ​Examine
the poem for meaning beyond the
literal. Look for figurative
language, imagery, and sound
elements.
Personification​: night covering me, fell clutch of circumstance, bludgeoning
of chance, menacing years.
Simile​: Black ​as ​the pit from pole to pole
Metaphor​: the speaker dealing with repeated instances of bad luck is
compared to the speaker receiving enough blows to the head to make him
bloody.

2. 2
ATTITUDE - ​Notice the
speaker’s tone and attitude.
Humor? Sarcasm? Awe?
The speaker’s attitude could be described as haughty, arrogant, and/or
proud. It also speaks of experience. This speaker has apparently lived a
harsh life of many challenges, yet he/she has overcome these challenges
magnificently. The speaker apparently has little or no regrets, and still takes
responsibility for his/her actions no matter what others think.
SHIFTS - ​Note any shifts or
changes in speaker or attitude.
Look for keywords, time change,
punctuation.
Stanzas:
1: The speaker expresses thanks for his/her unconquerable soul.
2: The poem Shifts to a description of a harsh past (dire circumstances,
poor luck).
3: The poem Shifts to a confirmation that the world is a sad, hard place, yet
he/she is not afraid of it.
4: The poem Shifts to a present state of mind—none of this matters, for I am
now (and always have been) completely in charge of myself and my fate.
After you read - ​TITLE -
Examine the title again, this time
on an interpretive level.
Wow, I suppose this person really is unconquered. No matter all the
hardships he/she endured, to be able to look back on a long life of suffering,
be thankful, and be willing to push on as an individual is certainly laudable.
THEME - ​Briefly state in your
own words what the poem is
about (subject), then what the
poet is saying about the subject
(theme).
A possible theme could be, “The world is full of challenges, but these
challenges help build us into stronger people.”
Another theme could be, “No matter the hardship you endure, always hold
your head up high and have respect for yourself.”
Why is this so useful? By the time I completed this analysis, I had read and re-read the
poem several times, and was able to notice many nuances that I
missed the first read-through.