In the Habour: Victor and Vanquished
In the Habour: Victor and Vanquished - meaning Summary
Victory in Surrender
The speaker, exhausted from long flight, stops and faces Death directly. Though wounded, disarmed, and abandoned, he refuses to surrender his dignity; Death’s menace seems illusory. The poem frames a paradox: apparent defeat becomes moral or spiritual victory. Confronting mortality with calm resolve transforms the vanquished into the true victor, suggesting courage and inner freedom in the face of inevitable end.
Read Complete AnalysesAs one who long hath fled with panting breath Before his foe, bleeding and near to fall, I turn and set my back against the wall, And look thee in the face, triumphant Death, I call for aid, and no one answereth; I am alone with thee, who conquerest all; Yet me thy threatening form doth not appall, For thou art but a phantom and a wraith. Wounded and weak, sword broken at the hilt, With armor shattered, and without a shield, I stand unmoved; do with me what thou wilt; I can resist no more, but will not yield. This is no tournament where cowards tilt; The vanquished here is victor of the field.
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