Allusion in Invictus

This phrase is borrowed from a passage in the Bible, Matthew 7:14: “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” In both instances, the phrase refers to the idea that pursuing a righteous path in life is harder than pursuing a sinful one.

The “place of wrath and tears” represents life and its difficulties, and Henley uses the phrase “Horror of the shade” to describe the fear of death, the ultimate darkness (or shade). By stating that death is inevitable but that he isn’t afraid of it, he is asserting his command over his fears and emotions. This phrase is also reminiscent of Psalm 23:4 in the Bible, which suggests that those who follow God need not fear death: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Capitalizing the “h” in “Horror” gives it more power and was popular in the poetry of the Romantic era, which preceded the Victorian era.

This reference to a black pit is an extension of the darkness metaphor used above and also likely a more specific allusion, perhaps to hell itself or the Victorian coal pits. The presence of the definitive article “the” suggests an allusion to hell because it states “one and only.” The pit and hell are used synonymously in religious texts, and as an allusion to hell, “the pit” reinforces the darkness metaphor Henley establishes, suggesting a kind of spiritual darkness. As an allusion to the Victorian coal pits, “the pit” draws on historical context; during England’s Industrial Revolution, which started before the Victorian era and continued into it, coal became a desirable commodity used to power trains and generate electricity. Coal mines had terrible working conditions, with many people falling ill or even dying. They were often referenced symbolically in Victorian literature.