Invictus

I went for a long holiday for 27 years Nelson Mandela once said of his years in prison. “Invictus” (invincible or unconquerable in Latin) is a poem written by William Ernest Henley. This poem bolstered Nelson Mandela’s inner strength and perseverance during his 27 years of imprisonment. The book has 49 poems covering a wide range of interests and concerns commencing with one on a mischievous Avatar. You will find poems that celebrate intelligence tolerance upholding of democratic ideals and decrying intolerance. Poems that denounce the pernicious caste system and the innate cruelty of humans also find a place. There is a poem that will have the astute reader recalling a malicious distortion — “Taj Mahal”.