Poem Reader Sri Jaswanth Jasty

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" is an iconic poem written in the memory of an Irish fighter pilot by William Butler Yeats in 1918. The poem is a soliloquy given by an aviator in the First World War describing the circumstances surrounding his imminent death. The aviator in the poem is believed to be Yeat’s best friend, RFC officer Robert Gregory. Robert was an ace fighter pilot who served the Royal Flying Corps and was the first of the Irish pilots to achieve the “ace” status in the 40 Squadron RFC. The poem apart from paying tribute to Robert, emphasizes balance, essentially enacting a kind of accounting, whereby the airman lists every factor weighing upon his situation and his vision of death

The word Invictus means unconquerable or undefeated in Latin. It is a poem written by William Ernest Henley in 1875, while he was undergoing medical treatment for tuberculosis. The poem’s unwavering resilience in the face of adversity has led to its enduring popularity. So much so was its acclaim that it was actually made into a movie starring Morgan Freeman as the late Nelson Mandela.

Invictus as a poem helps Mandela inspire his fellow countrymen to unite the South African country under the most arduous of circumstances. Given the challenges of today, I felt we could reminisce these stirring words that could unite us and strive for the best in humanity.