Historical Context in Invictus

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.

Henley uses a metaphor to compare his struggles to the darkness of the night. In this case, the metaphorical darkness that surrounds him is physical pain and the threat of death. Henley wrote this poem while in the hospital recovering from surgery that saved his right leg from the debilitating effects of tuberculosis of the bone. Henley’s left leg had been lost to the disease years prior.