Loading... Save for later. In short it is a little advice of how to become successful and wise in the practical world around us. The speaker of the poem, presumably Kipling, keeps a positive and upbeat tone throughout the work, informing the reader what he or she needs to do in order to be a successful person in life. He is telling his reader to never give up or waste even a single second of time. Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch. Kipling makes this a very personal poem by his use of the pronoun “you.” In fact, one could even interpret that the poem is Kipling talking to himself or giving himself a pep-talk. It should not matter with whom the reader is walking; he or she needs to treat the lowest of the low and the highest in a society exactly the same: with kindness. Are losing theirs and blaming it on you. If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew yeah, probably. He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of short stories. It is not of any use as the whole poem is not there and I wanted last stanza meaning but it is not here. If it transpired that Da Vinci was homophobic they wouldn’t suddenly chuck the Mona Lisa in the bin. With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run. I think your analysis of these lines is correct. Themes Inspirational/ Motivational/ Aspirations Type Dramatic Monologue Links Mother in a Refugee Camp – Courage Do Not Go Gentle – Courage/exhortation (encourage to fight) My Last Duchess – Dramatic Monologue Background Written by Rudyard Kipling and was awarded a Nobel Prize for LiteratureWork based on his knowledge of the Middle EastThe poem “If”… However, if the stanzas were explained a bit more to the point, it would do a far better job. He continues this thought in the last two lines of the stanza, writing. Joseph Rudyard Kipling 1865-1936 was an English short-story writer, poet and novelist. And treat those two impostors just the same; Kipling’s diction here is also worth mentioning. Again, point to me what is racist here, I see nothing racist!!! If you can make one heap of all your winnings Perhaps he uses this word to showcase the fleeting nature of both: success never stays, nor does disaster. But after that, we should give some importance to their doubt too and try to find out what may be the reason for their suspicion. Similarly, deliberating on just about any disaster you will inevitably uncover a proverbial “silver lining” even if that is simply the realization that some other person’s disaster is more severe than the one you are pondering. It is a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson. But it has inspired many a man in their journey of life on earth so far. The source of inspiration for this poem is well-known. Wasting time is not something we can afford in our short lifespan. If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; We should be able to think over a matter, but should not make the thoughts our aim. In fact, any lover of tennis can probably tell you that several of the poem’s lines are hanging in the player’s entrance at Centre Court Wimbledon in England. In other words, we should always remain truthful. As apparent from his stories and poems , Kipling interested himself in the romance and adventure …. It is somewhat ironic that Kipling wrote a poem about what it takes to be a virtuous man: he was an imperialist who was all for the colonization of the British Empire. Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ is a didactic poem on the virtues of model leadership and typical manhood. I’m working on my Kipling knowledge. What are the rites of passage in the poem? To keep our cool is not easy in such a situation. Analysis of Kipling’s “If” The poem “If” is a paean to British masculine rectitude and stoicism. Perhaps Kipling’s most famous poem, “If” urges superhuman stoicism in the face of life’s disasters. Read more. "If—" is a poem by English Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), written circa 1895 as a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson. We should not lose our temperament even if others are blaming us for their fault. Moreover, there goes a number of proverbs. However in this instance I don’t think it’s meant to be taken quite so literally. i believe everyone should read this if they are feeling lost. People may show their hatred towards us, yet we should not hate them. Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, Basically it’s saying to trust yourself even if other people don’t, but at the same time don’t hold the fact that people are doubting you against them. The poet is addressing his son in the poem, shedding light on his beliefs and conveying those to his son. A Short Analysis of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If—’ A summary of a much-loved poem Since Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If—’ was first published in Kipling’s volume of short stories and poems, Rewards and Fairies , in 1910, it has become one of Kipling’s best-known poems, and was even voted the UK’s favourite poem of all time in a poll of 1995. We should work hard and wait for the result patiently. Rather we should tolerate that, ensuring we have spoken the truth. I 100% agree with you on this one, it’s such a motivational and beautiful poem to take with you through life. The poem ‘If’ is directed to Kipling’s son, and is a message to him on his route to manhood. Time is precious. Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India, in December of 1865. The poem is structured in such a way that almost every line of every stanza of the poem starts with the word ‘If’. The poem If by Kipling is a celebrated piece of poetry which has a lesson of value for almost every reader. So, By keeping faith in ourselves we make sure that we don’t get demoralized or disheartened. Kipling writes, “If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,/But make allowance for their doubting too…” Here, the speaker emphasizes two traits that all people must possess: self-trust and the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others, even if that means understanding that people will not always like or agree with you. If one is able to keep all of these things in check, one will have the world at one’s fingertips. It is basically 30 lines of "if you do this, and if you don't do that," followed by two lines at the end that explain everything. The use of organised and consistently lengthed stanzas is probably used to represent the narrator as a voice of authority. Here the poet talks about the capability of taking big risks to achieve much greater success and keeping quiet even if we lose the bet. Can I have a detailed explanation about the last stanza of the poem please? August 24, 2020. Preview and details Files included (1) pptx, 23 MB. You could argue that the whole poem is about rite of passage. i read “count with you” as “matter to you” His ashes were interred in Westminster Abbey in Poet’s Corner. IF Complete Summary and Analysis by Rudyard Kipling- Stanza 1. We can go to top of the world and rule over everything. I offer the following in the spirit of debate and not as criticism. More Rudyard Kipling > Kipling wrote the poem after he was inspired by the actions of Leander Starr Jameson. In ‘If—,’ Kipling engages with themes of masculinity and success/defeat. Indeed, there is a story about Newton that the papers containing his theories were destroyed in fire, and he wrote them again from the beginning. The word impostor suggests a pretense or disguise. And so hold on when there is nothing in you In the poem, the poet tells his son how to cope with different situations in the life ahead. After all, ‘To err is human…’. I need more explanation of the line..”if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting”. Read more about Rudyard Kipling . Free. If you can fill the unforgiving minute this poem i believe is one of the most inspiring poems ever written. It is through advertising that we are able to contribute to charity. By using it you agree to our Privacy & Cookie PolicyGot it! In the first stanza, the “if” clauses were grouped in lines of two, with the exception of the final four lines. I though it would make you an idiot (or a gambling addict). They'll be the person who's attitude is unstable and the addressee will remain calm. We have to accept that and respect them for the good qualities in them. Each of the four stanzas deals with different life situations and the best way to act during them. We should accept both and face both situations with similar treatment. The first stanza wastes no time in setting up the if-then scenario. The slave trade happened, it is unfortunate, but it did. The poem, first published in Rewards and Fairies (1910), ch. So our thinking should not be scattered misleading us away from the target. But make allowance for their doubting too; We should have the faith in ourselves, even when others doubt us. I actually really like this poem, that doesn’t mean I agree with some of his views, which are obviously archaic, as he is, well…old! Kipling writes, “If you can keep your head when all about you/Are losing theirs and blaming it on you…” In this first “if” scenario, Kipling reminds the reader of the importance of maintaining a level head even when those around the reader do not have one and are blaming the situation on the reader. I’m already down to three ham cubes a week and I have kids to feed! What's your thoughts? We should not forget that Kipling wrote this poem for his son, as it is addressed in the very last line. The analysis does examine the last stanza. Hi there, The analysis contains a break down of the last Stanza. In this post we are providing a concise … This poem is in the public domain. Throughout the poem, the speaker gives the reader multiple scenarios, both positive and negative, along with a glimpse into how one should conduct oneself. The first of these is incredibly central to the poem. Kipling’s life took a tragic turn in the 1930s with the death of his second child. Rudyard Kipling separates his poem into four stanzas of equal length; each stanza contains eight lines. Just glancing at the poem, the reader is immediately hit with the word “If—.” Not only is it the title of the poem, but through his use of repetition, Kipling emphasizes the word throughout the entirety of his work. How does taking crazy risks make you a Man? The bit I don’t get is- This is another key to getting to the top of the world, according to the poet. And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise…. Very often we see that people misinterpret or even deliberately distort our words to use it in their favour. At this oment in time the speaker is adressing a young child explaining how to … People becomes too happy in success and forgets their duty at hand. I have amended the article to include a link to the poem. The poem is divided into four stanzas having eight lines each. We have to force our body (heart and nerve and sinew) to serve us even after it has lost the strength due to old age or illness. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. The poem If by Kipling goes to show his love for children, just as The Jungle Book did. Born in Bombay, India, which at that time belonged to Britain. The “inspirational” part of this poem comes from the speaker’s motivational message for the young listener. “Hurry will bury you.” “Haste makes waste.” “Patience pays off.” So, it’s quite understandable why the poet makes a point for patience here. Hence the “imposter” characterization of these two broad classes of life events. The poet wanted to show his son the right way to be a future leader. If we allow someone to give us too much importance, we may be emotionally bound. If by Rudyard Kipling Analysis 1. Hi there, copy write laws mean that we can’t always include the full poem. Contact The theme in these lines is very similar to the one in the last two lines of the previous stanza: if you lose everything, you must be willing to begin again. If we are misled or tempted to lie, people would ultimately discover the truth and won’t believe us anymore. Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’. If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, I think the underlying message is not to become too attached to material things. Summary of First Stanza Lines 1-2, the speaker talks about staying calm in situations where people try and turn the truth into a lie and blame it on the addressee. I will feed it back and we will try and be a bit more verbose. Every single person that visits PoemAnalysis.com has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. Terms of Service Literature Notes (because idiomatic expressions taken literally are impossible) i still found this a useful summary, thank you. But we have to stay calm without uttering a word about that loss and rebuild it from the beginning. We have to develop our personality the right way, so that everyone supports us and gives us importance (count with you), but none too much. i find this very helpful, my class is working on this and most of us were confused! Having acquired all these good qualities mentioned above, people generally feel proud and tend to show off how good they are. Is it social media stirring up hysteria… This is seen in the very last line of the poem, when Kipling writes: “And- which is more- you’ll be a Man, my son! Techniques identified and analysed. The first one deals with how to treat others, regardless of their station in life. Yes, especially if you take the final line literally. And, by allowing others’ doubt a little space of thought, we ensure that we are not doing something wrong knowingly or unknowingly. Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. December 5, 2015 by Shreya Bardhan. For example, the transition between lines two and three of the second stanza as well as one and two of the third stanza. No man or woman is perfect in this world. Hi Chris, That is a very astute observation. ‘If—’ was first published in 1910. Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, We use cookies on this website. Unfortunately, we have to keep to a word count or the powers that be take away our daily Ham allowance. And never breathe a word about your loss…. Kipling continues right on to his next “if” clause: If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken. Description. He helps this young man try to understand what it takes to be successful in life and how to handle defeat when it occurs, which, the speaker says, it certainly will. And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: We have to hold our nerves even after seeing that our favourite thing that we built with all our effort and time is broken. We should show our love and respect to others. Kipling uses personification in his next two lines: If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster. Hello and Welcome to Beaming Notes, and here is the Critical Analysis, Theme and Tone of the Poem If by Rudyard Kipling. The speaker is addressing the reader or an audience. If dreams take the driver’s seat, we would get detached from reality and eventually fail. The poem celebrates stoicism, fortitude and righteousness as … Review: Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ is a dissertation on the virtues of model leadership and exemplary manhood. It is certainly a poem that has garnered a great deal of attention in popular culture. Keeping the head cool makes us think wisely to face those tough situations, and ultimately a solution comes out. i never really considered that actually, the list of instructions is a bit overbearing, now you mention it, it is a bit, isn’t it? If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster Keeping the head cool makes us think wisely to face those tough situations, and ultimately a solution comes out.We should have the faith in ourselves, even when other… Maybe they need to do a little more reading and a little more appreciating about the world and literature. Preview. This might be done with punctuation or with the meter. Analysis and Summary of If by Rudyard Kipling. Finally, the poet gives the reader his final piece of advice: With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run. From the speaker’s point of view, there are very specific things the young listener has to do to become a man. I love this poem and wish I’d written the analysis myself as it is one of my favourites. Kipling writes: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, The lines that are displayed read, “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.” While Kipling wrote poetry, novels, and articles, he is most notably known for his collection of short stories called The Jungle Book, which he wrote in 1894. and then “none too much” as “show no favoritism”. Even others may try to prove us wrong at any cost, leading to an unhealthy competition. The repetition that is to say that we can win this earth everything. The Nobel Prize for literature in 1907 hurt a loved one could cause! 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Cookie PolicyGot it people would ultimately discover the truth and won ’ think! He has a lesson of value for almost every reader Kipling 1865-1936 was an incredibly popular poet novelist. Attached to material things all over again of equal length ; each stanza contains lines! Respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously are often right on the world a! Was a “ guide to being a man, my class is working on this and most of were! You gave your life to, broken ) i still found this a useful summary, thank you for support! Feel uncomfortable in our company and avoid us the Victorian idea of the first of things. And perfect human being stiff upper lip. ” there ’ s Corner Chris, that used... Continue into the next “ if ” clauses continue into the first stanza talks our... Consider ‘ If— ’ to be able to walk with kings without beyond. Not easy in such a situation that our speech or statement is by!
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