8urns 1

Katie Burns
Ms. Caruso
English 1101
25 September 2011
Rhetorical Analysis Paper
In the poem Invictus, by William Ernest Henley, one can conclude that the author is
trying to send a positive message to those that may not Ieel in control oI their liIe. The genre
portrayed throughout this text is that oI a poem. The elements oI a poem include: rhyme, short
stanzas usually being Iour lines each, a story being told in a metaphorical way, a serious message
being told, use oI repetition, and are usually written in the author`s point oI view. Every poem
shares a diIIerent story and every poem normally makes a person read between the lines because
they aren`t so straight Iorward, which sometimes can make the poem enjoyable to read. Poems
share a purpose in either telling a short story or sharing something that could be inIluential to the
reader (by sending a message).
The main purpose oI Invictus is to inIluence someone who might be Ieeling that they are
not in control oI their liIe and have no say or reason in what they do or think. The last two lines
in this poem read, 'I am the master oI my Iate/ I am the captain oI my soul. (15-16) This alone
is saying that no matter what obstacles are thrown in one`s liIe, a person is still in control and can
lead their liIe onto any path that they want to take. In this poem, Henley is saying how he hears
and sees all the negative inIluences in his world but does not let them take over his liIe. Instead
he stands tall and shows that he is in control. He blocks out every distraction getting in his way
Comment |R1]: changed Lhe openlng senLence
Lo represenL Lhe purpose of Lhe LexL as well as
lnLroduclng Lhe LexL ln a beLLer way
Comment |R2]: deleLed Lhe lasL senLence of
Lhls paragraph because lL [usL dldn'L belong
8urns 2

and doesn`t give up. This poem could give people insight that might be just what they want to
hear.
One main aspect used in this genre is rhyme. The poem wouldn`t be as important oI a
subject without the rhyming words, because that is normally what catches the reader`s attention.
In Invictus, Henley uses the rhyming scheme oI having every other line rhyme. This draws
emphasis on each line as it Ilows together when the reader is reading it. It makes the reader
contemplate on the purpose Henley is trying to convey throughout each line. Rhyme makes the
poem interesting to read and keeps the reader Iocused so that they can keep reading instead oI
getting bored oI the text. Rhyme attracts the reader and reels them in.
Another main element oI a poem is to contain a serious message that needs to catch the
reader`s attention. This poem is very serious and direct. Henley uses sincere examples to let
people know that they are in control. The eleventh and twelIth lines, 'Let the menace oI the
years/ Iinds, and shall Iind, me unaIraid. (11-12), the purpose given is to remain unaIraid no
matter what happens, and do not let things get to the head, and mess with one`s emotions. II
many people read this poem, then they could walk away Iollowing Henley`s example and not let
things step in their path oI liIe. Almost everyone can relate to this poem because there is always
going to be that one person that tells someone how to look, think, and act. Henley`s main
purpose is to attract the reader to his poem so that they can also Iind their way in liIe ignoring the
many obstacles that come in their way.
A poem that can compare to Invictus is Alone by Maya Angelou. In this poem she
explains that no matter how much oI a good liIe a person might believe they have they cannot
make it out in this world alone. This is a great example oI an inIluential poem because some
Comment |R3]: added a few senLences Lo
explaln Lhe relaLlonshlp beLween rhyme and Lhe
poem nvlcLus
Comment |R4]: explalned Lhe quoLes more
fluenLly wlLh a beLLer lnLroducLlon
Comment |RS]: ended Lhe paragraph wlLh Lhe
maln Lhlng Penley does Lo aLLracL hls audlences
8urns 3

people believe that they can be independent and survive in this world but really everyone needs
someone, and everyone needs assistance alone the way as said in lines twelve and thirteen,
'Nobody, not nobody/ can make it out here alone (12-13). With those lines alone a person could
come to realize that no matter how independent they think they can be their will always be a
point in one`s liIe where someone will be there Ior them. Many people actually hide their
emotions because they do not want to be that person that has to rely on someone so they resort to
drastic measures to hide their Ieelings as lines eighteen and nineteen state, 'They`ve got
expensive doctors/ to cure their hearts oI stone (18-19) This poem IulIills most oI the
conventions oI this genre. Angelou uses rhyme in every stanza, rhyming on every other line. She
also uses repetition throughout the main stanza oI the poem, 'Alone, all alone/ Nobody, not
nobody/ Can make it out here alone. (11-13)
This poem can also contradict the message oI Invictus. As each poem`s message is
similar, when they are analyzed, they are harshly diIIerent Irom one another. Maya Angelou is
saying that everyone needs a Iriend, someone to hold onto, and that there is always that one
person that is there to guide someone to be who they really are. On the other hand Henley is
explaining that you make yourselI you, meaning that a person doesn`t need anyone else because
in the end that person controls their own Iate, not someone else.
Another example oI a poem that can relate to Invictus is: 'The Road not Taken by
Robert Frost. A short analysis oI this poem is that Frost is explaining that in liIe a person can
only travel down one path, once they start turning down others and doing unusual things that`s
when their liIe starts to change. His poem relates more to Invictus than to Alone because he is
saying Ior a person to be themselves, they need to stand out and be diIIerent as he says, 'I took
the one less traveled by/ and that made all the diIIerence. (19-20) In the poem Alone the
Comment |R6]: added more concreLe evldence
from Lhe poem Lo furLher explaln Lhe convenLlons of
Lhls poem
8urns 4

message is to get a person to Iind someone to assist them with their problems, not to be their own
person and Iigure liIe out on their own.
The Road not Taken is another great example oI the genre oI a poem. It thoroughly uses
the aspect oI rhyme as it rhymes every other line that is easy to distinguish. It also uses the
convention oI repetition being that it repeats the Iirst line in the eighteenth line saying, 'Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood. (1, 18) This poem also uses the aspect oI presenting a
message to the reader as the poem`s purpose is to inIluence someone that is having trouble with
the concept mentioned in the poem. This poem`s message is similar to that oI the message in
Invictus in a way that explains to the reader to be their own person and stand out to become in
control oI their liIe as lines nineteen and twenty thoroughly explain, 'I took the one less traveled
by/ and that has made all the diIIerence (19-20). Frost wants to stand out as he uses the
metaphor oI taking the road less traveled by so he can be diIIerent than others to become his own
person, which contributes to the purpose oI Invictus.
Many people turn to poems all the time to guide them into a direction in liIe that they
need to take. Just as numerous people turn to songs when they are Ieeling down and depressed,
others look to poems to Iind that one message that might be the exact words they need to hear to
keep their day going. It isn`t always this case due to some people just like to read poems Ior mere
pleasure.
Most poems that aren`t inIluential or don`t share some sort oI liIe message to go by are
because they are either children`s poems or are telling an actual story oI something that really
happened. I chose this poem because it really reached out to me. I can relate to this because I
used to Ieel that no matter what I would do there was always someone in my way trying to mess
Comment |R7]: relaLed Lhls poem Lo nvlcLus
by descrlblng how Lhelr lnLernal messages are
slmllar
Comment |R8]: changed Lhls senLence around
8urns 3

things up or trying to tear me down, but then a couple oI years ago I came across this poem and
realized I control my Iate, I control who I am or what I do and I believe many people can take
aIter this and Iollow this example and better the way they think about liIe. AIter all I believe a
poem is there to help someone to bring a positive side out oI their so called negative lives.

Comment |R3]: deleLed a few words from Lhls
senLence
8urns 6

Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. 'Alone. PoemHunter. 03 January 2003. Web. 01 October 2011.
Frost, Robert. 'The Road Not Taken, PoemHunter. 03 January 2003. Web. 01 October 2011.
Henley, William. 'Invictus. PoemHunter. 03 January 2003. Web. 27 September 2011.













8urns 7