SSAT Upper Level Reading › Recognizing the Main Idea in Poetry Passages
Adapted from "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley in Book of Verses (1888)
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.
The primary purpose of the poem is best described by which of the following answers?
To demonstrate that strength can be derived from weakness
To exemplify there is inherent weakness in humanity
To demonstrate the narrator's fear of death
To urge the reader to live his or her life to the fullest
To describe the author's perspective on the divine
The best answer choice is "to demonstrate the strength that can be derived from weakness." After experiencing hardships, the narrator of the poem still has strength to carry on.