"Beyond this place of wrath and tears..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
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.
"my unconquerable soul...."See in text(Text of the Poem)
It was in Victorian society that the idea of keeping a “stiff upper lip”—that is, remaining stoic while dealing with great personal suffering—became popular. The belief that one’s soul could not be tarnished, no matter the hardships one experienced, is reflected in both this line and the poem as a whole. The popularity of “Invictus” helped reinforce this attitude, as did many other works of Victorian poetry and literature.
