Siddhant Patel Unseen Poetry: Henley and Angelou

GENERAL NOTES:
 Concise; you don’t have much time:
- 20 min for single poem
- 40 min for comparison
- Every word matters.
 Don’t narrate – analyse
Don’t just spot techniques – analyse them
 Comparison – 2 poems, so analyse both all the time - not just the second one.
- Deal with both poems in every paragraph
- Start each paragraph with the second poem and compare both
- Draw out the differences as well
 Quality of analytical expression
- Register
- Precision of observation / analytical verbs
 Set up quotations
- Angelou uses the simile ‘like dust’ X
- Angelou deploys the natural simile ‘like dust’ X
- Angelou deploys a simile of nature surrounding us with ‘like dust’ ✓
- Henley’s emotive body imagery of ‘my head is bloodied’ ✓

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Siddhant Patel Unseen Poetry: Henley and Angelou

a) The title Invictus (meaning ‘unconquerable’ in Latin) suggests that he is in difficult

The poem is composed of four, regular verses, so it is in closed form. The tight, controlled
structure could suggest that he is trapped and pressured from higher authorities. Alternatively,
this structure can be hymn-like that he repeats to sustain morale. The ABAB rhyme scheme
could again imply that he is trapped or perhaps it resembles order and elegance.

The “night that covers me” and the simile “black as the pit from pole to pole” are both
examples of imagery relating to light that the author uses. In both these quotations, he is
deprived of light, which shows that he is without hope since light connotes to hope and better
times ahead. However, Henley contrasts his ideas with the powerful use of “unconquerable
soul” and this is the first image of empowerment apart from the title. In verse two, “clutch of
circumstance” outlines Henley’s predicament and this is emphasised by the alliteration.
Another example of empowerment is “I have not winced nor cried aloud” because this
exemplifies resilience and tenacity, which is amplified by his “bloody, but unbowed” head.
The excessive use of enjambement insinuates such long and heavy thoughts that cannot be
conveyed in just one line.

The focus of the poem is shifted in verse three: the narrator reflects on life beyond this place
of “wrath and tears”. The “menace of the years” implies that he has been is this position for a
long time. Once again, the author reaffirms that he is “unafraid”, and he is resilient. The last
stanza of the poem is probably its most significant because it essentially sums up the central
message of the poem. In this stanza, the speaker confirms his determination to face any
encounter and overcome any hardship with courage. “It matters not how strait the gate” is a
biblical illusion, which conveys the central idea of determination no matter how difficult the
path is. “How charged with punishments the scroll” metaphorically refers to saturation; in this
case, the scroll is abundant with sanctions of religion, economy or society. The scroll is a
symbol in law and theology. “Master of my fate” and “captain of my soul” illustrate the final
message, which was infused throughout the poem, of control, since ‘captain’ has connotations
of authority and control.

The poem is in the first person with a dominant, self-assured character. ‘Bloody’ connotes to
violence and suggests that he has been assaulted or it could just be used for metaphorical
effect. Also it shows a strong sense of self with a degree of confidence and pride. The
aggressive alliteration of ‘bludgeonings’, ‘bloody’ and ‘unbowed’ make the reader
uncomfortable. The use of the possessive pronoun, “my” implies that the narrator is in
control. The poem starts with a very ominous, daunting image of “out of the night” but
finishes with “captain of my soul”, clearly showing development and transformation.
Siddhant Patel Unseen Poetry: Henley and Angelou

b) Still I Rise presents the bold defiance of the speaker in the face of oppression, in which the
oppressor is “you”.

The poem does not have a strict structure, suggesting a sense of freedom and autonomy. The
poem is composed mainly of quatrains and is in trochees. The repetition of “I rise” gives this
piece a musical quality and Angelou uses a refrain to repeatedly emphasise the central
message of the poem. The structure of Still I Rise and Invictus is quite similar, for example
both poems use rhyme to have an effect on the reader.

The start of the poem makes the reader feel uncomfortable and conscientious by using the
words, ‘you’ and ‘your’; it personally involves the reader. Anaphora is used throughout to
establish a linguistic effect alongside the repetition. The assonance in “With your bitter,
twisted lies” conveys a sense of bitterness and harshness. “Does my sassiness upset you?” is a
rhetorical question and purposefully gets personal with the reader because this poem is trying
to evoke awkward and uncomfortable conversations. This level of personality is something
that is not present is Invictus: Henley focuses on himself and not on the reader. I think that
there is a light touch of rebellion and a lot of defiance in the first stanza. The simile is often
repeated to make the image more vivid for the reader. “Just like moons and like suns”
suggests that someone will have a natural tendency to “rise” after feeling low and hopeless.
The noun ‘certainty’ shows the reader that the writer is not hesitant nor ambivalent and so
shows determination. “Did you want to see me broken?” challenges the mindset of society
and shows resilience to it.

The powerful verbs ‘shoot’, ‘cut’ and ‘kill’ escalates the issues and portrays violence. In
Invictus, we do not know what the character is fighting against, contrasting to this poem in
which we know that the character is challenging society. Angelou effectively uses repetition
to convey her ideas, however both poems have the quality of mantras in the sense that they
can be said over and over again to build up courage and hope in the face of adversity. The
noun “hatefulness” creates an atmosphere of hostility between the writer and her oppressors.

I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,

The metaphor “I’m a black ocean” has a profound effect on the portrayal of her own
character, picturing her as this powerful force of nature which she has amplified in the
opening verses. By "welling and swelling," she parallels her intention to "rise" with the actual
rising of the ocean's waves. She will rise higher and higher like the tides. The meaning of
"bear" in this quote is that of holding oneself up: she holds herself strong as the tides ebb and
flow, refusing to be knocked down. Similarly, she will not be knocked down by her
oppressors. Finally, the repetition of “I rise” three times at the end concludes the poem with
central, eponymous message.

Both poems are in the first person, which suggests that both poems are personal to the writers
and they both write about their experiences. Also, the characters of both poems have the same
attributes: they are resilient, self-assured and determined. Moreover, both poems repeatedly
include the possessive pronoun, ‘my’, once again showing intimacy and personality.

Overall, these both poems are account of personal difficulties and how resilience and
determination empowered them through it. Both of them are hymn-like, use repetition and
imagery to have an impact on the reader.