Perseverance is repetitive action against an obstacle or challenge, withstanding until the difficulty is defeated. “Invictus,” by William Ernest Henley, is a poem that elaborates on the struggles in life, and how all are in command of their mind, body, and spirit. It has a resilient speaker that endures through the harsh circumstances bestowed upon them. On the other hand, “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry, writes of a frail young woman, named Johnsy, who refuses to fight back when she is afflicted with pneumonia. Because of this, the speaker of “Invictus” can offer advice to Johnsy on how to persevere.
To begin, Johnsy from “The Last Leaf” does not defend against her obstacle, pneumonia, suggesting that she does not illustrate perseverance. Her story begins as pneumonia spreads throughout Johnsy’s village of Greenwich, New York. A small woman, …show more content…
All throughout the poem, the speaker describes the obstacles they had to endure, the strength they displayed, and the conclusions they came to. In the last stanza, the speaker of “Invictus” realizes. “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” (13-16). Much confidence flows from the speaker as they determine that even if their chance of success is narrow, even if they are prone to failure, they have control of their own life and spirit. His obscured obstacle, fate and life itself, batters upon the speaker, yet he remains strong. A foggy, bumpy path lays in front of the speaker, they know that, but they believe in themself. The speaker has already gone through so much, why give up now? They demonstrate true perseverance in “Invictus” because they are able to keep pushing through any challenges that threaten to bring them down. The speaker is certain that they can keep going if they have
To begin, Johnsy from “The Last Leaf” does not defend against her obstacle, pneumonia, suggesting that she does not illustrate perseverance. Her story begins as pneumonia spreads throughout Johnsy’s village of Greenwich, New York. A small woman, …show more content…
All throughout the poem, the speaker describes the obstacles they had to endure, the strength they displayed, and the conclusions they came to. In the last stanza, the speaker of “Invictus” realizes. “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” (13-16). Much confidence flows from the speaker as they determine that even if their chance of success is narrow, even if they are prone to failure, they have control of their own life and spirit. His obscured obstacle, fate and life itself, batters upon the speaker, yet he remains strong. A foggy, bumpy path lays in front of the speaker, they know that, but they believe in themself. The speaker has already gone through so much, why give up now? They demonstrate true perseverance in “Invictus” because they are able to keep pushing through any challenges that threaten to bring them down. The speaker is certain that they can keep going if they have