The title character is a fortyfouryearold spinster who helped to raise a young man named wynn, whos become a pilot in. Kipling s if contains mottos and maxims for life, and the poem is also a blueprint for. This is one of the most popular poems of the last century, and its inspirational messages hold true today as much as they did when it was written in 1910. The poem is inspirational, motivational and a set of rules for grownup living. Rudyard kiplings if in 1896, thirtyoneyearold rudyard kipling was an internationallyrenowned poet and storyteller when he wrote a poem with a oneword title. Half the world unto my quest answered me with laugh and jest.
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too. In the new yorker, charles mcgrath remarked kipling has been variously labelled a colonialist, a jingoist, a racist, an antisemite, a. With sixty seconds worth of distance run, yours is the earth and everything that s in it, and which is more youll be a man, my son. The poem creates a series of conditional statements, or ifthen statements, each of which has the same conclusion.
The poet conveys his ideas about how to win this life, and after all, how to be a good human being. Bernens for a particular poem to retain its power across years and generations, it must give expression to something that transcends the passing of time, and do so in such an exquisitely memorable manner that it simply cannot be imitated or remade. To see all available titles by other authors, drop by our index of free books alphabetized by author or arranged alphabetically by title. In february 1899, british novelist and poet rudyard kipling wrote a poem entitled the white mans burden. Rudyard kipling was an english author famous for an array of works like just so stories, if and the jungle book.
Rudyard kipling follow rudyard kipling 18651936 was born in bombay on december 30th, son of john lockwood kipling, an artist and teacher of architectural sculpture and his wife alice. Rudyard kipling 18651936 was born in bombay on december 30th, son of john lockwood kipling, an artist and teacher of architectural sculpture and his wife alice. If rudyard kipling, dennis hopper on johnny cash show. Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, or watch.
His mother was one of the talented and beautiful macdonald sisters, four of whom married remarkable men. Short poems by rudyard kipling internet accuracy project. Victorian writers 300word celebration of hard work is offensive to. The poems line, if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same, is written on the wall of the players entrance at wimbledon. In the background youll find casper david friedrich s famous painting the wanderer above the sea clouds. I keep six honest serving men by rudyard kipling famous. Rudyard kipling, centre, at a sporting event in 1934 rudyard kiplings if 1910 if you can keep your head when all about you. The white mans burden, published in 1899 in mcclures magazine, is one of kiplings most infamous poems. Kipling composed many of his poems while living for several years in the united states in the mid1890s.
When rudyard kiplings son went missing the new yorker. Rudyard kiplings 1909 poem if, from his collection rewards and fairies. In fact, one could even interpret that the poem is kipling talking to himself or giving himself a peptalk. Rudyard kipling worked in india for seven years from 1882 to 1889. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or, being lied about, dont deal in lies. Jul 19, 2018 students replaced rudyard kipling s if with a poem by maya angelou credit. And treat those two impostors just the same if you can bear to hear the truth you ve spoken. Phenomenal woman, still i rise, the road not taken, if you forget me, dreams. It has been lauded and reviled in equal measure and has come to stand as the major articulation of the occidents rapacious and allencompassing imperialist ambitions in. Kiplings if contains mottos and maxims for life, and the poem is also a blueprint for. Rudyard kipling was born on 30 december 1865 in bombay, in the bombay presidency of british india, to alice kipling nee macdonald and john lockwood kipling. The last line of the poem directly refers to the son, which makes it sound far more personal than it was at the beginning. The united states and the philippine islands 1899, by rudyard kipling, is a poem about the philippineamerican war 18991902, which exhorts the united states to assume colonial control of the filipino people and their country.
The virtues expressed in if are devoid of showiness or glamour. Alice one of the four noted macdonald sisters was a vivacious woman, of whom lord dufferin would say, dullness and mrs kipling cannot exist in the same room. Sep 25, 2015 kiplings finest war story, mary postgate, was fueled by hate. Topical press agencyhulton archivegetty images rudyard kiplings poem if is a poem that advocates confidence, honesty and fortitude, laying out for the reader the things he must do if he is to maintain his selfcontrol and become a man. The poem if is inspirational, motivational, and a set of rules for grownup living. Students replaced rudyard kiplings if with a poem by maya angelou credit. Although he was awarded the nobel prize for literature in 1907, his political views, which grew more toxic as he aged, have long made him critically unpopular.
Why rudyard kiplings classic poem if so vilified by snowflake students is rightly revered by tennis star serena williams. What is the tone and mood of the poem if by rudyard. Search and read the best famous rudyard kipling poems, articles about rudyard kipling poems, poetry blogs, or anything else rudyard kipling poem related. The poem lays out a list of situations in which the reader is challenged in many personal areas, meeting with triumph and disaster and overcoming both. There was rundle, station master, an beazeley of the rail, an ackman, commissariat, an donkin o the jail.
What is a summary of the poem if by rudyard kipling. Look how the man looks out upon the majesty below as he contemplates that word with. Jul 18, 2018 rudyard kiplings if poem scrubbed off wall by students who claim he was a racist save rudyard kipling has fallen out of favour with todays generation of students credit. Rudyard kipling poems, quotations and biography on rudyard kipling poet page. If, rudyard kiplings most beloved poem, was written in 1909, and was first published in 1910 in his collection of childrens stories, rewards and fairies. The first tells of the courage of an indian boy who is shot while carrying water to british soldiers in the thick of battle. Half the world i wandered through, seeking where such flowers grew. Rudyard kipling was an english poet who lived from 18651936. The poem if by the indiaborn british nobel laureate poet rudyard kipling is a poem of ultimate inspiration that tells us how to deal with different situations in life.
Since rudyard kiplings poem if was first published in kiplings volume of short stories and poems, rewards and fairies, in 1910, it has become one of kiplings bestknown poems, and was even voted the uks favourite poem of all time in a poll of 1995. Apr 14, 2017 if, rudyard kipling s poem, recited by sir michael caine sigunat. In the background youll find casper david friedrichs famous painting the wanderer above the sea clouds. As apparent from his stories and poems, kipling interested himself in the romance and adventure which he. In the poem if by rudyard kipling, thirteen lines begin with the word if. If, rudyard kiplings poem, recited by sir michael caine. It has been lauded and reviled in equal measure and has come to stand as the major articulation of the occidents rapacious and allencompassing imperialist ambitions in the orient. The title character is a fortyfouryearold spinster who helped to raise a young man named wynn, whos become a. Rudyard kipling s inspirational poem if rudyard kipling s 18651936 inspirational poem if first appeared in his collection rewards and fairies in 1909. The famous authors words soon inspired a nation, and the poem has twice been voted great britains favorite.
If by rudyard kipling poetry analysis scrbbly medium. One of the first of the nudies to gain widespread showing in the u. Rudyard kiplings if, instills a sense of positive forthcoming, the likes of which poetry like this, generally does what sets this apart, however, is that within these verses, kipling spells out the requisites for a virtuous existence, trimming the fat off it, and concisely putting it on a platter. Rudyard kipling if poster the art of manliness store. In a 1995 bbc opinion poll, if was voted the united kingdoms favorite poem. For him the true measure of a man is his humility and his stoicism. An 18 x 24 poster that depicts rudyard kipling s famous poem if.
Kiplings finest war story, mary postgate, was fueled by hate. Why rudyard kiplings poem if is rightly revered by. These top poems are the best examples of rudyard kipling poems. She would none of all my posiesbade me gather her blue roses. This poem was written in 1890, a year after he had returned to england. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, dont deal in lies, or being hated, dont give way to hating, and yet dont look. An blake, conductorsergeant, our master twice was e, with im that kept the europeshop, old framjee edu1jee.
Rudyard kiplings if poem scrubbed off wall by students who. The best kipling poems selected by dr oliver tearle. Rudyard kipling poems poems of rudyard kipling poem hunter. We thought this was a fitting image for such a manly poem. The united states and the philippine islands 1899, by rudyard kipling, is a poem about the philippineamerican war 18991902, which exhorts the united states to assume colonial control of the filipino people and their country kipling originally wrote the poem to celebrate the diamond jubilee of queen victoria 22 june 1897, but it was replaced with.
Yours is the earth and everything thats in it, and which is more youll be a man, my son. Rudyard kiplings poem if is a poem that advocates confidence, honesty and fortitude, laying out for the reader the things he must do if he is to maintain his selfcontrol and become a man. The poem was inspired by the jameson raid, an 1895 military action in the boer war in south africa. If by rudyard kipling poems academy of american poets. If, rudyard kiplings poem, recited by sir michael caine sigunat. Kipling makes this a very personal poem by his use of the pronoun you. Rudyard kiplings if poem scrubbed off wall by students. The mandalay referred to in the poem was the last royal capital of myanmar burma and is currently the secondlargest city in the country. The poem s line, if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same, is written on the wall of the players entrance at wimbledon. If if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. Rudyard kipling 18651936 was a tireless experimenter with the short story form, a novelist, a writer who could entertain children and adults alike with such books as the jungle book, plain tales from the hills, the just so stories, puck of pooks hill, and countless others. He was also known as a leading supporter of the british empire. A collection of short poems by rudyard kipling below youll find a variety of shorter poems by rudyard kipling.
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, dont deal in lies. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you. If the nations favourite poem, het favoriete gedicht van grootbrittannie. Rudyard kipling s if, instills a sense of positive forthcoming, the likes of which poetry like this, generally does what sets this apart, however, is that within these verses, kipling spells out the requisites for a virtuous existence, trimming the fat off it, and concisely putting it on a platter. A short analysis of rudyard kiplings if interesting. What is the theme of the poem if by rudyard kipling. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, dont deal in lies, or being hated, dont give way to hating, and yet dont look too good, nor talk too wise. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. While one of the most admired writers of the british empire, the 20 th century saw a shift in. With sixty seconds worth of distance run, yours is the earth and everything thats in it, and which is more youll be a man, my son.
Why rudyard kiplings poem if is rightly revered by serena. Rudyard kiplings inspirational poem if rudyard kiplings 18651936 inspirational poem if first appeared in his collection rewards and fairies in 1909. Rudyard kipling s reputation grew from phenomenal early critical success to international celebrity, then faded for a time as his conservative views were held by some to be oldfashioned. As apparent from his stories and poems, kipling interested himself in the romance and adventure which he found in great britain s colonial expansion. Home i came at wintertide, but my silly love had died. Just glancing at the poem, the reader is immediately hit with the word if.
Kipling s biographer, andrew lycett, considers the poem one of the writer s finest and notes in 2009 that if is absolutely. If is a poem by english nobel laureate rudyard kipling 18651936, written circa 1895 as a tribute to leander starr jameson. Kipling gained renown throughout the world as a poet and storyteller. If by rudyard kipling if by kipling print desiderata. Rudyard kipling, english shortstory writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of british imperialism, his tales and poems of british soldiers in india, and his tales for children. Read all poems of rudyard kipling and infos about rudyard kipling. If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too.
Rudyard kiplings if poem scrubbed off wall by students who claim he was a racist save rudyard kipling has fallen out of favour with todays generation of. Rudyard kipling, centre, at a sporting event in 1934 rudyard kipling s if 1910 if you can keep your head when all about you. Although he was awarded the nobel prize for literature in 1907, his unpopular political views caused his work to be neglected shortly after his death. More and more people are coming to appreciate his mastery of poetry and prose, and the sheer range of his work. Rudyard kipling poems by the famous poet all poetry. But as well as being a prolific author of fiction, rudyard.
Joseph rudyard kipling is best known for his novels the jungle book, the second jungle book, and kim, and his most famous poem, if. Reading, writing, and enjoying famous rudyard kipling poetry as well as classical and contemporary poems is a great past time. With sixty seconds worth of distance run yours is the earth and everything that s in it, and which is more youll be a man my son. The theme of rudyard kiplings poem if revolves around the coming of age of his son and the poem lists different virtues that would help his child become a man. Rudyard kipling is one of the bestknown of the late victorian poets and storytellers. An 18 x 24 poster that depicts rudyard kiplings famous poem if. Poetry rudyard kipling if if you can keep your head. The poem, written in 1895 and first published in rewards and fairies. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too.