Invictus by William Ernest Henley - Term Paper Example

Text Analysis Based on Systemic Functional Linguistic and Multimodal Approach Introduction The text chosen is a popular poem in British literature entitled “Invictus”. It was written by William Ernest Henley and was published in 1875. Henley was born in Gloucester, England in 1849, the first of six children, to impoverished parents. Despite their poverty, his father strove to send him to Crypt Grammar School, but poor health caused him to stop his studies. At 12 he fell ill with tubercular arthritis, and by 16 his leg was amputated below the knee. His continued poor health caused him to be confined to hospital, where he wrote his In Hospital collection of poetry – one of which is Invictus. Clearly, the courageously defiant tone and message of Invictus was born of the extreme hardships that dogged the heels of Henley throughout his life. Despite the loss of his leg, Henley attained some moderate success as the editor of the London Observer, and counted among his close friends the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling. He married and was blessed with a daughter named Margaret; unfortunately, fate caught up with him and he lost five-year-old Margaret to cerebral meningitis. Then in 1902, his dormant tuberculosis condition resurfaced, from which he died in 1903 at the age of 54. Understanding the travails of the poem’s author makes its legacy all the more remarkable for being the inspiration for Nelson Mandela, during his 26-year incarceration as political prisoner who championed the cause of human rights. The poem sustained the imprisoned man who, upon the lifting of apartheid in South Africa, became the nation’s President. For the purposes of this paper, the text of the poem was chosen because of the several contexts in which the poem found relevance in the lives of many people. Images connected with it are presented herein, with the text of the poem, in Appendix A. The text shall be analysed using the systemic-functional theory, and the multimodal approach. Textual analysis may only be meaningfully carried out within the context of the purpose for which the text is articulated. “Language is said to be functional because its organisation quire fundamentally reveals the purposes for which any natural language came into being” (Christie, 1999). In the analysis of the chosen text, the poet’s purpose in composing the poem and choosing his words will be given focus. Text analysis employing lexico-grammar and genre-register language system Traditionally, language is described in terms of grammar and lexis viewed separately. On the other hand, lexico-grammar approach regards language as “meaning conveyance of words working in grammatical parameters” (Hunt, 2010). Likewise, the genre-register-language system will allow the analyst to account for differences in discipline and between formal academic papers and those in popular journals (Dudley-Evans, 2010). The framework for this approach is depicted in Appendix D. The text analysis shall be conducted from the point of view of the author, William Ernest Henley, in the context of his life and the society he lived in. Theme of Religion versus Spirituality The poem provides strong indication that Henley drew the title from classical mythology because he intended to juxtapose the view of man as pawn of the gods in the pagan world, with his view of man as triumphant in the face of adversity. “Invictus” is the Latin term for “unconquerable”. Sol Invictus, from which it appears Henley drew the title of the poem, is the Roman sun god (some say Mithras, some Elagabalus) who triumphed over darkness during the winter solstice. This theme is carried forward in the text with the use of words associated with pagan and Christian religiosity. In the second line, “Pit” is capitalized, leading one to believe it refers to an actual place. In religion, the “pit” could only refer to hell. The following two lines follow up with the theme, as the speaker thanks “whatever gods may be”. While he expresses reservations that God, or gods, do exist, he impersonalizes them by their purality and anonymity (“God” would have referred to the single, personal God). But in the next line he expresses with certainty that he has an “unconquerable soul”; here there is no ambivalence about the existence of a soul. Thus Henley affirms his spirituality, that God or gods may or may not exist, and that hell, rather than existing in some distant dimension, is present in the circumstances he finds himself in. Carrying the theme further is the phrase “how strait the gate”, which is biblical and drawn from Matthew 7:13-14, the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven; and “how charged with punishments the scroll” also refers to reckoning in a spiritual sense, the moment of judgment where one’s shortcomings are charged against him. To these mechanisms of conventional religion, Henley delivers his famous closing, defiant, proclamations: “I am the master of my fate…the captain of my soul.” With these he wrests from the jurisdiction of a vague, impersonal judge the determination of his fate, and lays it solely upon himself and his own discretion. Tribulation and Triumph Other than the religious themes, the poem conveys those ideals for which it is generally known: that a man, singularly, could defy forces greater than himself, and rather than be overwhelmed, could find victory in his very refusal to be overcome. In the poem, constrasted with the impersonal tone with which Henley speaks of God/gods, he gives personality to “circumstance” and “chance”. He graphically depicts the “fell clutch” (brutal grasp) of circumstance, and the “bludgeonings” (bloody beatings) of chance. Clearly, Henley portrays his personal circumstances, the conditions he finds himself in, as his antagonist and aggressor. By these, he obviously refers to his illnesses which have dogged him since childhood – and from which he eventually died – the loss of his leg to amputation, and the death of his only daughter at a tender age. That his travails are circumstantial is due to the fact that he did nothing to deserve them, and that they occurred for no apparent cause or reason. However, Henley declares that he had not “winced nor cried aloud” at the grip of these cruel happenings (note that he may have done it silently, though), and that his body may have been marred and broken by the beating (“my head is bloody”), but his spirit is not broken (“but unbowed”). Fear of obscurity There is the brief line in the fifth stanza of the poem where Henley compares his present “place of wrath and tears” with what he considers the more fearsome “horror of the shade” where he prefers not to be. Some authors have associated “shade” with “death”, but this would belie the theme of the rest of the poem where Henley expresses his defiance of Hell itself. I would rather associate “shade” with its connotation “obscurity”, condition of being forgotten. In this stanza and the next, Henley says that he would rather face headlong this condition others regard with fury or despair, and confront “the menace of the years” – the passage of time in his present condition – rather than face obscurity by giving up and living the life of an invalid. Henley clearly was out to make his mark in this world despite his physical and emotional setbacks. He is not fearful of whatever the present or future casts against him (“finds, and shall find me, unafraid”), but what he regards with horror is to be one day cast aside into obscurity, as if his life had no meaning or significance. Multimodal Approach The multimodal approach refers to the use of different methods of communication and behaviour in order to enhance the meaning of the text being communicated. These would include “eye gaze, vocal modes, gestural modes (body movement), and graphic modes (e.g. photographs, line drawings and symbols) (Circle of Inclusion, 2002). In this particular analysis, we shall avail of the graphic modes through images available related to the theme of “Invictus”, herein shown in Appendix “A”. First image: Sol Invictus The first image, “Sol Invictus”, is a throwback to classical Greco-Roman mythology, and the apparent source of the title of the piece. The sun god is more closely associated with the winter solstice and the triumph of light (the sun) over darkness. While a god, Sol, true to mythology, struggles to overcome his impersonal adversary. However, he is after all immortal, and eventually would expect to become victorious. In interpreting the poem with the view in mind of associating it to the image, the message is one of perseverance against fate. The “pit” and “darkness” refer to the challenges of fate, the difficulties and tribulations that happen for no other reason than the whims of the gods. While some authorities say “Sol Invictus” is one god, others say that it refers to different gods at different instances. The most commonly acknowledged reference pertains to the sun god because of the term “Sol”, thus the contrast of light and darkness gains evident meaning. Light refers to goodness, virtue, victory against darkness, which means evil, vice and defeat. In this interpretation, “circumstance” and “chance” are generally interpreted as the caprices of the pagan gods, who interfere in the lives of people on earth or in the affairs of other gods. Much as mortals, the gods of Olympus were motivated by the same passions and emotions that likewise motivate humans. Whatever the motivation of the sun god here, it is however clearly for his own gratification. His triumph is his own, and there is no indication that it is in response to a higher calling that he undertook to triumph over the challenge, beyond his own benefit and maybe his own pride. Second Image: Law versus Lawlessness The second image conveys a much different scenario. The policeman shown in not a god nor immortal, but in real danger of injury or death. His adversary is the criminality that threatens to harm society, and although he be alone and inadequate to fight the conflagration, he is compelled by a sense of duty and commitment to fight it nonetheless. In this sense, the “unconquerable” is the law enforcer’s spirit and courage in opposing these lawless elements, in the name and interest of the social good. Along this line, the text transforms into meanings different from those in the previous discussion. The darkness of night and the black pit are lawlessness and criminality, which are the scourge of modern society because of their threat to peace and order. These no longer refer to an impersonal fate, but the cruelty of men against men, the former being those who operate outside the norms of organized society, the latter being those who choose to uphold it and abide by the common good. In this light, “chance” and “circumstance” longer are merely the whims and caprice of fate, but the intentional evil and malice wreaked by lawless elements indiscriminately upon society. These acts of violence are “chance” and “circumstance” only upon the unfortunate citizens who are victimized because they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and thus become targets of criminal acts. The harm is intentional, but the victims are those who happen to be conveniently at hand to suffer the pleasures of the criminal. The protagonist in this interpretation is the law enforcer, designated as COP in the image. The policeman is a public servant, hired to keep the peace, and so in a way it is his job to fight crime. On the other hand, no salary or position is worth the sacrifice of one’s safety or life, so in a way policemen are more than just the hired protectors. Their commitment to duty goes beyond fulfilling a mere job. They put their well-being, at times their very lives, on the line to ensure the safety and welfare of society, by stop the lawless elements through use of force if necessary. In many ways, law enforcers are heroes, responding to the situations beyond the call of duty. This is the direct significance of the last two lines, where the law enforcer is “master of his fate and captain of his soul”. It is no longer duty that dictates, but the necessities of the situation, that prompts him to act to defend the innocent. Third Image: Finally, the third image goes even beyond acting for society, to acting against what society has become. Nelson Mandela was considered a patriot and reactionary who challenged the established social norm of apartheid, in the name of humanity. Mandela suffered 26 years of imprisonment because he dared to speak out and advocate the equality of the races. The prevailing authority at that time in South Africa was comprised of the white South Africans, descendants of the colonizers and administrators when South Africa was under the rule of their European masters. Although South Africa gained its own identity, the social structure remained the same. Segregation between the races, white against coloured, was institutionalized through apartheid. Mandela fought a lonely battle against the discrimination of his race in his own country. Throughout his incarceration, it is said that the memory of one poem sustained him, Henley’s Invictus. Mandela gained strength from the text of the verses which were powerful, defiant, and inspiring. Applied to his case, the protagonist in the text was Mandela; he did not have power (as with the god) nor office (as with the policeman), but his own bare conviction in the higher truth that all men are born equal. In this case, the “night” was the darkness of racial discrimination, the “pit” was prison. “Circumstance” and “chance” referred not to absence of intent of malice (as segregation was even institutional, and therefore intentional) or anonymity of the target (as the injustice was clearly directed at him), but rather the mindlessness of the act of racial discrimination itself, which cannot be supported by reason nor religion. In Mandela’s case, the graphic cruelty of the words “fell clutch” and “bludgeonings… bloody” are clearly appropriate. Physical suffering aside, the experience of the man was clearly also of morale, emotional and spiritual torture. Deprivation of liberty is clearly one of the most cruel punishments (some say more than death) that may be imposed upon a person, because he is deprived of acting according to his disposition and from enjoying his God-given rights. Yet he has “not winced nor cried aloud” and his head is “bloody, but unbowed”, signifying that despite the humiliation and disdain with which he was regarded, Mandela preserved his dignity as a human being and the integrity of his convictions. The “place of wrath and tears” being clearly his place of imprisonment, Mandela would have, as the poem implies, preferred this place to the “horror of the shade”. In this case, shade may be taken to mean an in-between place, that is, in between light and dark. It implies ambiguity and indecision. Clearly, Mandela would prefer to live in the light (i.e., complete freedom without discrimination), or, if this were impossible, in the dark (i.e., prison, for his beliefs), rather than living in the shade (i.e., in a society that demeans the colour of his skin). Also, the allusion to “menace of the years” in this case is quite appropriate, since Mandela’s incarceration lasted for more than a quarter of a century. “It matters not how strait the gate” again alludes to the biblical verse (see Appendix), where the path of righteousness and justice is traversed by few because it is so difficult, but which he undertakes to pass because it is the correct path. He is charged by society (“how charged with punishments the scroll”) but charges are not equivalent to guilt, and whatever crimes the social order alleges he has done is of no moment if the social order that does so lacks legitimacy under the natural law. “Unconquerable” here is the belief in our common humanity, that man’s oppression of his fellow man is forever an unacceptable proposition. “Unconquerable” is the unshakeable faith of one man that justice will triumph. Overview of the three messages The first image taken with the text conveyed the image of man’s personal triumph over adversity. Adversity in this case is impersonal, based on the whims and caprice of fate, and man’s triumph is personal, for his own benefit and self-esteem. In the second image, the conflict takes on greater significance: adversity refers those elements that threaten to harm legitimate social order, and the protagonist is the person who faces this adversity at the risk of his own life, for the protection of the innocent. Finally, the last image shows society as the adversary, and the prevailing social order as the oppressor against innocents. In the aspect where society lacks legitimacy, the protagonist is the person who fights for moral truth and justice. It is the case of the lawless element in society, where law is man’s law, triumphing in the name of humanity and in defense of God’s law. Absent these images, the text Invictus yields a general interpretation, usually the author’s personal perspective. However, the message changes with a different mode of communication, in this case with the visual images. Implications for practice There are a number of practical applications for the use of textual analysis employing the systemic functional linguistic and the multimodal approach. As the systemic functional linguistic approach states, words are never mentioned in a vacuum; it will always be reflective of the lexico-grammar (textual), register (situational), and genre (cultural) circumstances in which the source of the text is conveying his message. The use of systemic functional theory and multimodal approach has proven very useful in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) (Christie, 1999). In journalism likewise, there is practical application, in the form of newspapers editorials. These comprise one genre that exhibits distinctive rhetorical features of the Systemic Functional (SF) theory of language (Babaii, 2005). Still another application is for use in technical instruction needing the help of diagrams, illustrations and videos (graphical mode). This includes teaching subjects requiring skills such as arts and crafts, requiring demonstration. References Babaii, Esmat 2005 ‘The Generic Integrity of Newspaper Editorials: A Systemic Functional Perspective’, RELC Journal, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 271-295 Chapelle, Carol A. 1998 Some Notes on Systemic-Functional Linguistics, 28 Oct 1998. Accessed 18 April 2010 Christie, Frances 1999 ‘Genre Theory and ESL Teaching: A Systemic Functional Perspective’, TESOL Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 4, Winter 1999 pp. 759-763 Circle of Inclusion Project 2002 Multimodal Approach, University of Kansas. Accessed 18 April 2010 < http://www.circleofinclusion.org/> Dudley-Evans, Tony 2010 Genre Analysis: A Key to a Theory of ESP? Accessed 18 April 2010 < http://www.aelfe.org/documents/text2-Dudley.pdf> Hunt, Roger 2010 Lexico-grammar. International House Barcelona Teacher Training. Accessed 18 April 2010 < http://www.ihes.com/bcn/tt/eltconf/lexico-grammar.pdf> ____ 2010 Introduction: Register and Genre, Theoretical foundations. Accessed 18 April 2010 Lassen, Inger 2003 Accessibility and acceptability in technical manuals: A Survey of Style and Grammatical Metaphor, John Benjamins, B.V. Martin & Rose 2003 Working with Discourse: Meaning beyond the Clause. Continuum: London, p. 254 Untermeyer, Louis, ed. 1920 Modern British Poetry, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Howe. On-line ed. 1999 New York: Bartleby.com, Inc. Appendix A Text Chosen for Analysis Invictus by William Ernest Henley; 1849-1903 Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find me, unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul. Source: Untermeyer, 1920, 1999 (Images on the following pages) Image A: Sol Invictus “The image is a standard one of Mithras killing the bull in the Tauroctony. This image is relatively simple and omits many elements found in other depictions. The killing takes place in a cavern. Top left is Sol, recognisable by his flaming crown. Top right is Luna. Beneath the bull, the dog and the snake lick up the blood.” (Quoted caption accompanies image.) Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musei_Vaticani_-_Mithra_-_Sol_invictus_01136.JPG Image B: Law Enforcement Federal Police Officer in the line of duty. Source: http://www.sallyscopshop.com/eStore/prodpage.cfm?CategoryID=12 Image C: Beyond just tolerance - Fostering interracial brotherhood Poster on the movie of the life of Nelson Mandela Source: http://seeadamtrain.wordpress.com/category/amazing-performance/ Appendix B Results From the Application the Analytical Tools Used: Use of Systemic-Functional (Lexico-Grammar & Register-Genre) Approach “night, Pit” Lexico-grammar: “night” is associated with darkness, capitalization of “Pit” may be a reference to hell. Register: Henley’s continuous illness (tuberculosis), and the amputation of his leg Genre: Society’s view of Henley as handicapped, deformed due to his amputation, being unwhole, worthy of pity or revulsion “fell clutch of circumstance, bludgeonings of chance” Lexico-grammar: Conveys brutishness (fell, bludgeoning) of luck (chance, circumstance) Register: Unluckiness of Henley in being born poor, getting sick and amputated, and losing his daughter, without any fault on his part. Genre: Culture treats people according to the social station to which they were born “Not winced nor cried aloud, head bloody but unbowed” Lexico-grammar: Implies stoicism, pride and defiance Register: Henley refuses to succumb to self-pity or the pity of others Genre: Society views this as self-sustenance, self-reliance and support “Place of wrath and tears” Lexico-grammar: Refers to condition that breeds resentment and sorrow Register: Henley’s condition drives him to anger and despair Genre: A man in Henley’s condition is regarded as one who is beyond hope and help “Horror of the shade” Lexico-grammar: Shade refers to a place neither in light nor shadow, a place in-between; it also signifies obscurity and the underworld (the place of the dead) Register: Henley’s situation leads him to obscurity, and having been forgotten or passed over by the world in general Genre: Culture of the day regards him as obscure, unworthy of notice, without remarkable attributes “Menace of the years… finds me unafraid” Lexico-grammar: Menace refers to threat of the passage of time Register: Henley is aware that he ages without accomplishment, thus he feels it to be a threat, but despite this knowledge does not regard it with apprehension Genre: Society generally seeks that men worthy of accolade must show accomplishment with the passing of the years “How strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll” Lexico-grammar: “Strait the gate” is a biblical phrase drawn from Matthew 7:13-14, referring to the straight and narrow path leading to heaven; “charged with punishments the scroll” an allusion to the reckoning on judgment day Register: In Henley’s situation, these religious allusions appear to convey a withdrawal of faith in God; it reinforces the references to the earlier phrase “I thank whatever gods may be” alluding to several (pagan) gods if ever such existed. Culture: British society was monotheistic and Christian, and such reference to paganism would be in defiance of this cultural norm. “Master of my fate, Captain of my Soul” Lexico-grammar: “master” and “captain” convey power and authority. Master of one’s fate is self-determinism, captain of one’s soul means self-discernment of what is right and wrong Register: Henley pronounces his rejection of ideas of predestination and being subject to God’s will, because he views Providence as having dealt him the hardships in his life. By being captain of his soul, he proclaims his stewardship over his own soul, the architect of his own spiritual destiny Genre: From the point of view of society, the proclamation is symptomatic of personal courage, at the same time rebelliousness and pride. Appendix C Results From the Application the Analytical Tools Used: Use of Multimodal Approach (Use of Visual Mode) A. Meaning of the text in the context of Image A (classic mythology) The poem’s text may be applied to Sol Invictus, the sun god in Roman mythology. “Night” refers to the darkness that the sun’s journey triumphs over during the winter solstice, the “fell clutch of circumstance” and “bludgeoning of chance” being the mythological battles over which the god triumphs, B. Meaning of the text in the context of Image B (law enforcement) The picture graphically portrays the silhouette of a lone man only identified as “Police – Federal Agent” walking towards a conflagration that dwarfs him. He battles the riots and criminality that appear to have started the flames, so the “night” and “black” here refers not to visual darkness but the lawlessness and disorder which could overwhelm the man, but he deals with it anyway and continues the fight that may appear hopeless. The picture is unequivocally that of courage in the face of overwhelming odds. C. Meaning of the text in the context of Image C (inter-racial fraternity) Image C is a scene from the movie “Invictus” which depicts the early years of Nelson Mandela’s presidency in tumultuous post-apartheid South Africa. The link between the movie and the poem is more than mere artistic association. The poem “Invictus” is the poem that sustained Mandela in his 26-year incarceration. The analogies are thus clear, with the darkness corresponding to Mandela’s persecution for his belief in racial equality, and in the end prevailing over his tribulations. Appendix D Illustrative Diagram of Register-Genre & Lexico-Grammar Approach Source: Martin and Rose 2003. Working with Discourse: Meaning beyond the Clause. Continuum: London p. 254 Field – refers to the topics and actions which language is used to express Tenor – denotes the language users, their relationships to each other, and their purposes Mode – refers to the channel through which communication is carried out Read More