Invictus

"Black as the pit from pole to pole"

• The author uses a simile to compare night to the Pit
• The "Pit" represents Tartarus, the jail for evil immortals
• "From pole to pole" represents the poles of the prison pit
• Since Tartarus is dark, there is no light, so it is dark as night

Repetition used to make statement stronger

• "I AM THE MASTER OF MY FATE"
• "I AM THE CAPTAIN OF MY SOUL"
• This makes the reader know the emphasis on his words
• He is the MASTER and CAPTAIN of his fate and soul
• The repetition of the words  I AM THE makes the emphasis be known

End Rhyme used to make poem "go with the flow"

Stanza 1: me, be; pole, soul
Stanza 2: circumstance, chance; aloud, unbowed

Hyperbole used to emphasize a point

Personification used to give objects human abilities

rESTATING EACH STANZA

• Stanza 1: 
• Personification and hyperbole are used to indicate his soul
• It is black as the darkness in Tartarus with its enormous poles
• It covers him and he thanks the gods for his strong soul

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• Stanza 2:
• The author does not cower from circumstance
• The author states that he was harmed by fate
• Despite this, he remains defiant and courageous

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• Stanza 3:
• The "Horrid place" represents the painful life he lives now
• The "Horror of the shade" represents death
• The author is not afraid of death, nor the pains in life

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• Stanza 4:
• When talking about the "strait gate", it could refer to heaven
• To the author, it doesn't matter how many punishments he recieves
• To him, he is the master of his fate and soul
• He is his own god, master and captain of anything and everything he is

Metaphorical Meaning

• The author is strong, brave and courageous
• He is afraid of nothing, not even fate or death
• He will not obey anything that is not his will
• Nothing can stop him due to his inner strength
• He is his own master