Invictus
-- William Ernest Henley (Title)

Importance: This line is the title of the poem. A poem's title is a part of its text, and often has an important bearing on its meaning. "Invictus" is a Latin phrase, meaning "unconquered." This title may contribute to the frequent use of this poem as a metaphor for military endeavors, and ultimately underlines its key themes.

Black as the pit
-- Speaker (Line 2)

Importance: This line establishes the poem's central themes by establishing the imagery of Hell. The speaker begins the poem in this place, in an experience of complete despair and in a physical and emotional place of suffering.

I thank whatever gods may be / For my unconquerable soul.
-- Speaker (Lines 3 – 4)

Importance: These lines conclude the first stanza. They provide several pieces of important information to the poem's key themes. One is the denial of a religious worldview. The speaker is not sure if there is a god at all, and finds strength primarily in...