Morgan Freeman Masterfully Recites Nelson Mandela's Favorite Poem, "Invictus"
in History, Literature | December 18th, 2013 11 Comments
Nelson Mandela, who died on December 5, 2013, had spent more than a quarter of his life serving time in various jails. While behind bars for the 18-year period between 1962 and 1980, the anti-apartheid revolutionary educated both himself and others to prepare for the advent of multiracial equality in South Africa. During his confinement at the Robben Island prison, Mandela studied law by correspondence at the University of London, learned Afrikaans to foster a rapport with jailhouse wardens, and was instrumental in launching the "University of Robben Island", where prisoners possessing expertise in particular fields presented lectures to their fellow inmates.
Mandela's stay, however, was frequently marred by demeaning and deplorable treatment. Initially, black prisoners were humiliated by being given shorts, commonly worn by children, rather than full-length pants as uniforms. Mandela was also forbidden from wearing sunglasses when forced to labor at a limestone quarry, and the harsh reflections from the rocks damaged his vision. The quarry dust also damaged his tear ducts, which made it impossible for him to cry until receiving corrective surgery in 1994. Perhaps the most painful moments arrived in the late 1960s, when Mandela lost his mother and firstborn son, and was denied permission to attend their funerals.
In spite of these ordeals, Mandela persevered. In an interview with Charlie Rose, above, Morgan Freeman discusses Mandela's reliance on William Ernest Henley's 1875 poem, "Invictus," to keep his hope alive:
"That poem was his favorite… When he lost courage, when he felt like just giving up — just lie down and not get up again — he would recite it. And it would give him what he needed to keep going."
Freeman, who played Mandela in the 2009 film Invictus, also provides a solemn and dignified recitation of the poem beginning at 3:51. Although the poem is best known for providing succour to Mandela in times of despair, its words of courage have served as inspiration to countless others. Famous figures who have drawn hope from "Invictus" include the father of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his struggle for Burmese independence and tennis champion Andre Agassi. Rumor has it that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was also quite fond of it. We've included the full text for "Invictus" below:
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
How charged with punishments the scroll.
H/T to Bruno, one of our readers, for sending this video our way.
Ilia Blinderman is a Montreal-based culture and science writer. Follow him at @iliablinderman.
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Find "Invictus" in our Free Audio Books and Free eBooks collections.
by Ilia Blinderman | Permalink | Comments (11) |
Seamus O'neill says:
What a great pity Mandela's humanity didn't strtch to saving innocent babies lives ,as he was the great leader who inroduced abortion and protetion for sex perverts inshined in law in south africa thus kiling 1.3 million innocent babies some legacy to leave .and as for Morgan Freeman i really am so disappointed you could praise such a man for this evil he perpetuated on his own people.
Lee Trentadue says:
Great interview and very moving to know that a poem sustained this incredible man…during his darkest hours.
Erlend says:
"the 27-year period between 1962 and 1980"
The man in the arena says:
He recites it wrong in the video and in the movie says fate instead of chance
what this has nothing to do with poem Invictus.
davenport says:
how could you say that Mandela is a bad person you troll, he saved rape victims and babies technically weren't even born yet so they really didn't die.
Ash Shapre says:
Hey thats pretty good.
ow says:
ow OW OUCH OW
wawawawa says:
wawawawawaw ur gr0ss
HATER'S!!
Wawawawawa,
You want to talk about something, talk about the injustice of Mandela being imprisoned for wanting to live free. Talk about being jailed forvover a quarter of his life, just being black, you trolls. Knowing ALL civilization started in Africa, realize that EVERyONE has traces of Africa in their DNA. So you want to start a conversation, I'll give you one.
No woman should have to carry a rapists child. But it should be aborted immediately. Abortion is not birth control.