▁in car cer ated ▁at ▁Rob ben ▁Island ▁prison , ▁rec ited ▁the ▁poem ▁to ▁other ▁prisoners ▁and ▁was ▁emp ower ed ▁by ▁its ▁message ▁of ▁self - master y . ▁ ▁The ▁Bur m ese ▁opposition ▁leader ▁and ▁Nobel ▁Peace ▁la ure ate ▁ ▁A ung ▁San ▁Su u ▁Ky i ▁stated , ▁" This ▁poem ▁had ▁inspired ▁my ▁father , ▁A ung ▁San , ▁and ▁his ▁contempor aries ▁during ▁the ▁independence ▁struggle , ▁as ▁it ▁also ▁seemed ▁to ▁have ▁inspired ▁freedom ▁f igh ters ▁in ▁other ▁places ▁at ▁other ▁times ." ▁ ▁The ▁poem ▁was ▁read ▁by ▁US ▁P OW s ▁in ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁pr isons . ▁James ▁Stock dale ▁rec alls ▁being ▁passed ▁the ▁last ▁st anza , ▁written ▁with ▁rat ▁dro ppings ▁on ▁to ile t ▁paper , ▁from ▁fellow ▁prisoner ▁David ▁H atch er . ▁ ▁The ▁line ▁" blo ody , ▁but ▁un bow ed " ▁was ▁the ▁Daily ▁Mir ror s ▁head line ▁the ▁day ▁after ▁the ▁ 7 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁London ▁bomb ings . ▁▁ ▁The ▁poem ' s ▁last ▁st anza ▁was ▁quoted ▁by ▁US ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁speech ▁at ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela ' s ▁mem orial ▁service ▁( 1 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 ) ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁and ▁published ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁cover ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁issue ▁of ▁The ▁Econom ist . ▁The ▁poem ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁Oklahoma ▁City ▁bom