Invictus

“If” by Rudyard Kipling (1895)

Written by one of the young poets Henley mentored as an editor and clearly influenced by the wide appeal of “Invictus,” “If,” like “Invictus,” is an inspirational poem designed for public recitation. The poem, full of advice, seeks to guide readers to living a quiet and humble life without complaining or whining, with a dignity and stoic self-discipline that echoes Henley’s wisdom.

“Crossing the Bar” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1889)

Written by the most influential and popular wisdom poets of the Victorian era, “Crossing the Bar,” written when Tennyson himself was near death, counsels to live with a calm and certain dignity so that when death approaches, which the poem compares to a ship departing a harbor and heading out to sea, the person can face that moment with serenity and confidence without relying on God to make it all easier.

“Courage” by Anne Sexton (1974)

Ironic, perhaps, to suggest important parallels between Henley’s poem of perseverance and a poem by a promising young poet who died by suicide. The Sexton poem, however, argues how difficult life can be and how the only way to face such adversity is through quiet courage and stoic discipline.