Sunday, October 3, 2010

About those Axioms

I realize that the title of my blog is 'Adriens Axioms' and yet I haven't yet posted any actual axioms (aren't alliterations awesome?) Unfortunately, I don't really know what axioms are. So here's one my favorite poems instead:



Out of the night 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.

It was written by William Ernest Henley in 1875 when he was in a hospital bed after having his foot amputated because of tuberculosis. It is about remaining strong despite incredible adversity. I find the poem to be very inspiring. You may know it from the movie Invictus with Morgan Freeman about Nelson Mandela, who read this poem during his imprisonment on Robben Island.

I have traveled to Robben Island a few years ago. Seeing where Mandela ate, where he slept and where he worked for over 27 years of imprisonment was very impressive.

Here is a clip from the movie where Freeman recites the poem as Matt Damon visits the island:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FozhZHuAcCs

29 comments:

  1. The first paragraph gave me a pretty good laugh. Nice work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. great poems !

    following & supporting you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. you can mail order some from Acme Axioms... and if you use this account, you can order anything you want and a bill never comes!
    username: wileecoyote
    password: unlimited

    ReplyDelete
  4. on another note, my first gaming team of which I still have the shirt - were called axiom =D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh I love poems! That really brought out the guys emotions as he lay in hospital. These great poems usually have real emotion in them!
    Mesty =)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Can't say I know what an axiom is either.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Overall good poem. Sucks for William though.

    ReplyDelete
  8. tubercolosis does this to people? glad its mostly ridden of in the western world.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice poem as you said, Very inspiring

    ReplyDelete
  10. Form a moment i was like oh axioms are poems. Then I read the next sentence and was just... wow lol. Nice poems XD

    http://quarterqwerty.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nice poem props for actually reading poetry

    ReplyDelete
  12. thats a good one, i really like it

    ReplyDelete
  13. great job dude, keep up the work

    ReplyDelete
  14. great job dude, keep up the work

    ReplyDelete
  15. Searching for "axioms" on wikipedia as we speak.

    ReplyDelete
  16. lol @ first paragraph.
    good poems by the way

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lol. Keep up the good work, and maybe find some actual axioms!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I know it's been said already, but nice poem :O

    ReplyDelete
  19. This made me giggle :D

    ReplyDelete