Shipwrecked?

 

I was recently reminded of the contrast in philosophy between two poems: “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley and “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me” by Edward Hopper.

“Invictus” reads as follows:

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.

 

How depressing.

I’ve read comments that see the poem as celebrating perseverance and determination. To me it signifies the opposite—I see a person who would rather be shipwrecked than give up the illusory control he mistakenly thinks he has over his life.

Contrast “Invictus” with “Jesus Savior, Pilot Me.”

Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life’s tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treacherous shoal;

Chart and compass came from Thee:

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

 

As a mother stills her child,

Thou canst hush the ocean wild;

Boisterous waves obey Thy will

When Thou say’st to them “Be still!”

Wondrous Sov’reign of the sea,

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

 

When at last I near the shore,

And the fearful breakers roar

‘Twixt me and the peaceful rest,

Then, while leaning on Thy breast,

May I hear Thee say to me,

“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”

 

None of us can be master of our fate or captain of our soul. That’s why I have a pilot.

Big ships always use a pilot when navigating into or out of harbors and other busy or dangerous areas. Depending on the circumstances, smaller ships may use a pilot, too. That’s because there are many factors that affect a safe passage, including weather, currents, boat traffic, and hidden hazards. Even the best captains can’t know the particularities of every place they sail. And they aren’t expected to. It’s the pilot’s job to know a particular spot and guide the ship through it.

The best captains know when to accept help. Those who try to do it on their own are heading for a shipwreck. Obviously, it won’t happen every time, but once is enough. That’s why the best captains are willing to give up control.

Henley expects to experience the shipwreck of Hell.

I know I won’t.

__________

The image at the top of this post is “Shipwreck,” an 1857 painting by Dutch artist Henri Adolphe Schaep. It is in the public domain because of its age.