The document provides background information on the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley. It summarizes that Henley wrote the poem in 1875 to show his resilience after having his foot amputated. The poem's message of self-mastery empowered Nelson Mandela while imprisoned. Key terms like "Invictus" meaning unconquerable in Latin and lines from the poem discussing being master of one's fate are defined. Students are challenged to learn and recite the poem, with the first to complete it receiving a prize.