Quote Reads:
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 border of printed scroll corners adorns the edges of this 19th century Victorian era poem. Written in 1875 and printed over a decade later, this famous work by William Ernest Henley describes the author as the captain of his fate and the master of his soul. Henley suffered from tuberculosis, lived as an amputee, and was described as having an unimaginable fire and vitality. His poem, titled years after its making, celebrates determination, perseverance and inner strength.
The light brown, tea-stained hue of this print gives it a warm and inviting look. Highlighted by a black frame or canvas transferred, this piece works well in an office, small entryway or teaching environment as a reminder of what the author describes as the "unconquerable soul."
