He served only fifteen months in prison and later became Prime Minister of Cape Colony back in South Africa. Shall we lose all we have while trying to get ahead in life, we must not back down but muster enough will power and determination to start again from scratch. Persistence: The ‘never-give-up’ outlook towards life is one major theme of the poem. It is subtitled "'Brother Square-Toes' – Rewards and Fairies". The poem If does not have a conspicuous physical setting. Jameson was arrested and tried, but he was already being hailed a hero by London, which was filled wit… Also, Google+ this post to encourage us to write more such poem summaries and solved answers. His behavior in response to deleterious events and cruel men is important; he must continue to have faith in himself when others doubt him, he must understand that his words might be twisted and used for evil, he must be able to deal with the highest and lowest echelons of society, and he must be able to withstand the lies and hatred emanating from others. The poem is considered to be an literary example of Victorian-era stoicism. "Rudyard Kipling: Poems “If-” Summary and Analysis". A father figure. 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; “If—” is a poem by English Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), written in 1895 as a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson. It was first published in Kipling's 1910 collection of short stories and poems called Rewards and Fairies.The poem is quite inspirational so it's been widely quoted over the years and is still very popular today. ').They were printed as cards to hang up in offices and bedrooms; illuminated text-wise and anthologized to weariness. The form creates a tone of redundancy, or unnecessary repetition. Rudyard Kipling's poem "If — " contains a thoughtful message about how to live a successful, principled, and happy life despite the challenges that … The token of personal philosophy and wisdom which the father imparts to his son has universal validity. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The raid was intended to start an uprising among the British expatriate workers in the South African Republic, but there were complications and it was a failure. Kipling composed many of his poems while living for several years in the United States in the mid-1890s. Twenty-seven of the Nations of the Earth translated them into their seven-and-twenty tongues, and printed them on every sort of fabric.". He asks us to have faith in our belief system but not so much that we become immune to the valuable opinions of others. A young kid reading about life. "If—" is a poem by English Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling, written in 1895 as a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson. This gives the form of the poem a sense of cohesion and order which is very much in keeping with the central idea of the poem which advocates an ordered and controlled lifestyle. Once started, the mechanization of the age made them snowball themselves in a way that startled me. Rudyard Kipling was an English poet who lived from 1865-1936. - The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. It gives sound advice to young people for a successful life. What is the theme of the poem If- by Rudyard Kipling? Each of the four stanzas deals with different life situations and the best way to act during them. The poet asks us to give our maximum effort to our goals in life but at the same times asks us to not make our ambition and dreams our be all and end all. Rudyard Kipling is one of the best-known of the late Victorian poets and story-tellers. Instead we must understand the temporary nature of the ups and downs in life and go about our business in a steadfast, unaffected fashion. He also wrote many children's stories. They almost all express stoicism and reserve – the classic British "stiff upper lip." The Question and Answer section for Rudyard Kipling: Poems is a great A Poet's Main Point: The main point, or theme, of a poem is the thread that runs throughout the work and keeps the reader on track. Before researching him for this post I always just thought he was the ‘Jungle Book dude’ without realising how prolific and important he was. Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son! (‘Brother Square-Toes’ —Rewards and Fairies) If you can keep your head when all about you. 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. It was there he first started writing. This is the second part of my ‘Poetic Justice’ saga. Kipling's biographer, Andrew Lycett, considers the poem one of the writer's finest and notes in 2009 that "If-" is absolutely valuable even in the complicated postmodern world: "In these straitened times, the old-fashioned virtues of fortitude, responsibilities and resolution, as articulated in 'If-', become ever more important.". Rudyard Kipling’s “If” is perhaps his most famous poem. We should not lose our temperament even if others are blaming us for their fault.Losing the temper does not solve a problem, rather intensifies that. Read about Tommy by Rudyard Kipling..Read about Tommy by Rudyard Kipling..Read about Tommy by Rudyard Kipling..Read about Tommy by Rudyard Kipling.. What is If by Rudyard Kipling? About the Poem IF: The poem If was published in 1910 in Kipling’s collection of short stories and verses named ‘Rewards and Fairies’. If- Poem by Rudyard 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 poem is divided into four stanzas having eight lines each. Self-belief: Belief in the self is one another sub-theme in the poem. Of course this attitude... Rikki Tikki was washed out of his home be a summer flood and founf by a little boy. The poem's most famous line is the one that's inscribed on the wall above the players' entrance to the Centre Court at Wimbledon: If you can meet with Triu… It was first published in the “Brother Square-Toes” chapter of Rewards and Fairies , as a collection of verse and short stories. Copyright © 1999 - 2021 GradeSaver LLC. 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. Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India in December of 1865. While the poem is addressed to Kipling's son John, it was inspired by a great friend of his, Leander Starr Jameson, the Scots-born colonial politician and adventurer responsible for what has been deemed the Jameson raid that led to the Second Boer War. At the age of eleven, he was moved to Devon, England for his health. In the poem, the poet tells his son how to cope with different situations in the life ahead. Kipling composed the poem in 1909 while living in Great Britain. This poem which is a dictum for meaningful living had for its inspiration the ‘Jameson Raid’ of 1895 which was a military … SURVEY . The poem speaks to each and every reader on what it means to become a complete man and how he operates through the thick and thins of life. Risk Taking: The poem often showcases life as a gamble in which all our achievements might get washed away. Title: Microsoft Word - If - By Rudyard Kipling.doc ‘If’is a poem of 4 stanzas made up of 8 lines respectively. 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: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; I think Kipling made the poem organised by arranging it into accurate parts to express becoming a man as a stage when your filthy habits are discarded and replaced with the habit of being prim and proper. Rudyard Kipling’s best-known work, The Jungle Book was published in Jameson was arrested and tried, but he was already being hailed a hero by London, which was filled with anti-Boer sentiment. Eliot would deem it only "great verse" and others "jingoistic nonsense," it is consistently ranked among the highest, if not the highest itself, of Britons' favorite poems. Money often comes in suit with arrogance. "The Ballad of East and West" Summary and Analysis. One day, a high summer flood washed him out of the burrow where he lived with his father and mother, and... Rudyard Kipling: Poems study guide contains a biography of Rudyard Kipling, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of select poems. Rudyard Kipling separates his poem into four stanzas of equal length; each stanza contains eight lines. The various values and codes of conduct imparted through the poem form the different sub-themes of the poem, which are as follows: Rightful Behavior: Most of what this poem advocates deals with rightful behavior such as keeping a calm head and maintaining composure during times of crisis instead of indulging in blame games. The poet wants us to be willing to take that risk in life as it will bring us closer to our final goals in life. A list of poems by Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling is best known for his novels The Jungle Book, The Second Jungle Book, and Kim, and his most famous poem, "If—". The stories of Mowgli, a man-cub who was the central character in The Jungle Book, brought Kipling great popularity in England and the United States. The boy and his mother took him home to care for him. The poem is addressed to Kipling’s son John.… The native, “captive peoples” are “sullen peoples, / Half-devil and half-child”. Read below and refer to additional links for If summary-, Setting and Mood of the Poem IF by Rudyard Kipling. This poem discusses life's challenges and how the ideal man deals with them. However, after reading the poem one can visualize a scene in which a father is speaking to his son and giving him the most valuable life lesson on how to become a complete man. The virtues expressed in "If-" are devoid of showiness or glamour; it is notable that Kipling says nothing of heroic deeds or great wealth or fame. The poem If does not have a conspicuous physical setting. By Rudyard Kipling. Written by Rudyard Kipling and was awarded a Nobel Prize for Literature; Work based on his knowledge of the Middle East; The poem “If” is addressed to his son, John, who died in WWI; Presents opposite values – “keep…lose” etc – suggesting a central part of life’s achievements are steering a … The theme of Rudyard Kipling's 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. The Lair of the Wolf is his refuge, and where he has made him his home, Not even the Head Wolf may enter, not even the Council may come. 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; If … The racism is quite manifest. The over-arching theme of the poem If is successful virtuous living based on values pertaining to integrity, rightful behavior and self-development. O life! The poet asks us to not lose faith in our beliefs and convictions even if the ones around us begin to lose hope in us. Each of the four stanzas deals with different life situations and the best way to act during them. Upon achieving success or failure the poet advocates the rightful stance of not letting any of these promotions or set-backs influencing us. PART 1: Invictus and PART 3: O me! I've had to write it out twice as an impot. This group of ideal characteristics is similar to those expressed in "The Thousandth Man", another poem dealing with manhood. They were drawn from Jameson's character, and contained counsels of perfection most easy to give. Patience: There is also the theme of patience in the poem. Life only has meaning when it has been lived meaningfully and our identity as human beings can only be ratified in the real sense of the term if we live virtuously by following a set of high moral codes and conduct. Kipling defines the qualities and characteristics deemed essential to the ideal man for his son. It is a literary example of Victorian-era … An older man giving advice. The poet asks us to keep striving towards our goals, against all odds, even if it involves putting all of our life’s achievements at stake. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of poetry by Rudyard Kipling. It has been divided into four identical stanzas of eight lines each. The poem If can be viewed as a set of guidelines on how to live and act with integrity and right values such that one becomes the ideal human. Through a series of paradoxes, Kipling advises his son John how to lead a successful life. The raid was intended to start an uprising among the British expatriate workers in the South African Republic, but there were complications and it was a failure. Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. Tags: Question 10 . The 'Jameson Raid' was later considered a major factor in starting the Boer War (1899-1902). Rudyard Kipling: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. The poem "If—" by Ruyard Kipling is about how to live a good life and be a good man. IF (POEM) – RUDYARD KIPLING “IF”…A Poem by Rudyard Kipling The poem “If” is a didactic poem wriiten by Rudyard Kipling. However, after reading the poem one can visualize a scene in which a father is speaking to his son and giving him the most valuable life less… Lest others take part in the quarrel, and the Pack be diminished by war. Penned by the British Nobel Laureate, Rudyard Kipling, If, is a self-help book in itself.It was first published in 1910 in a collection of poems and short stories called Rewards and Fairies. The poem's speaker says that if you can keep your head while those around you lose theirs; if you can trust yourself when others doubt you; if you can be patient and not lose your temper; if you can handle being lied about but not lie yourself, and being hated but not hating yourself; if you do not look too good or talk too wise: If you can dream but not let those dreams cloud your reason; if you can think but still take action; if you can deal with both triumph and disaster; if you can handle it when others twist your truths into lies, or take the things you devoted your life to and turn them from broken into alive again: If you can take all of your winnings and bet them in one fell swoop and lose them all and then keep it a secret; if you can use your heart and muscles and nerves to hold on even when there is only Will left: If you can remain virtuous among people and talk with Kings without becoming pretentious; if you can handle foes and friends with ease; if you see that men count on you but not too much; if you can fill every minute with meaning: Then you have all the Earth and everything upon it, and, as the speaker exultantly ends, "you'll be a Man, my son!". answer choices . The meter of the stanzas is iambic pentameter, which means each line can be divided into five feet with one unstressed and stressed syllable each in that order. To be a good human being and to succeed in life, we should keep calm when other people around us are losing their cool. Not affiliated with Harvard College. It was first published in the "Brother Square-Toes" chapter of Rewards and Fairies, a 1910 collection of verse and short stories. Structure and Form of If—. Joseph Rudyard Kipling is best known for his novels The Jungle Book, The Second Jungle Book, and Kim, and his most famous poem, " If — ". His poems became famous for their lively, swinging rhythm. Did you have a question about the phrase you've cited in the category? The poet asks us to patiently wait for our efforts to reach fruition because all good things take time to materialize. Rhyme Scheme: The 1st stanza of the poem follows the rhyming pattern of AAAABCBC whereas the 2nd , 3rd and 4th stanzas follow the rhyming pattern of ABABCDCD. Modesty: Modesty is one theme which shines out in the poem. For Whom is The Poem “If” By Rudyard Kipling Intended For and Why? Rudyard Kipling’s If is a blueprint for all those qualities and virtues which we must inculcate within us to be able to call ourselves complete human beings and also in order to attain true success in life. For him the true measure of a man is his humility and his stoicism. Read the Study Guide for Rudyard Kipling: Poems…, Metaphors of Man and Colony in Victorian Literature, Darwin Meets Kipling: The Context of Modern Civilization in "The White Man’s Burden", View our essays for Rudyard Kipling: Poems…, View Wikipedia Entries for Rudyard Kipling: Poems…. McKeever, Christine ed. A son reflecting on his life. The poem’s final words, ‘you’ll be a man, my son’, suggest that the poem is addressed to Kipling’s actual son, and ‘If—’ should first and foremost be interpreted as a poem addressed to a younger man, listing the necessary characteristics a man should acquire or cultivate in order to be a paragon of manly virtue. As a boy, he took pleasure in the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Wilkie Collins. Osborne, Kristen. PART B: How does the structure of the poem, as indicated in Part A, contribute to the poem's tone? Some Important Facts About Cisco 300-425 Exam Questions, The New Colossus Analysis by Emma Lazarus, Invictus Analysis by William Ernest Henley. This poem is in the public domain. How to Crack Your CompTIA 220-1001 with Practice Tests? Kipling is said to have written the poem 'If' with Dr Leander Starr Jameson in mind, who led about five-hundred of his countrymen in a failed raid against the Boers, in southern Africa. In course of the thirty two lines of the poem, Kipling advocates the virtues of composure, patience, integrity, modesty, control, perseverance, tolerance determination, confidence – for a few to cite. The poet also adds that we must not deal with lies or brew hatred in our hearts even if the ones around us are doing the same. It was first published in the “Brother Square-Toes” chapter of the book Rewards and Fairies, a 1910 collection of poetry and short stories set in historical times with a linking contemporary narrative. About Rudyard Kipling. It is a well-known poem. Balance: Maintaining balance and control in all aspects of life is an important theme which the poem forwards. Schools, and places where they teach, took them for the suffering Young - which did me no good with the Young when I met them later. If is undoubtedly one of the most beloved poems written by Rudyard Kipling. The poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling is a bundle of suggestions from father to his son. They are being brought toward the light, but act indignant and ungrateful toward those who want to better them. Form and Structure: The structure of the poem If is taut, neat and symmetrical. Hence, the poem has thirty two lines in total. In particular, a man must be humble, patient, rational, truthful, dependable, and persevering. Launch Audio in a New Window. Although T.S. Time Management: The unforgiving nature of Time comes out in the last stanza of the poem. (`Why did you write that stuff? This is, without a doubt, Kipling's most beloved poem, and, along with "The White Man's Burden", his most famous. GradeSaver, 28 April 2013 Web. Each stanza has a set rhyme scheme of ababcdcd, with the exception of the first stanza, which has the following rhyme scheme: aaaabcbc. life is an important theme which the poem, IF Line by Line Summary and Analysis by Rudyard Kipling- Stanza 3. The poet urges his readers to practice modesty upon getting successful in life so that he can fit in seamlessly with the kings as well as the common masses. While the poem is addressed to Kipling's son John, it was inspired by a great friend of his, Leander Starr Jameson, the Scots-born colonial politician and adventurer responsible for what has been deemed the Jameson raid that led to the Second Boer War. “If” by Rudyard Kipling: Poem… The emotional and advising lines of Kipling are often considered a set of rules for moral and personal integrity, self-improvement and achievement in life. The poet asks us to never get too self-righteous even if we have the best set of virtues and abide by strict moral codes: And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise. In his autobiography Something of Myself, Kipling wrote of Jameson and "If-": "Among the verses in Rewards was one set called `If-', which escaped from the book, and for a while ran about the world. 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… The poem If can be viewed as a set of guidelines on how to live and act with integrity and right values such that one becomes the ideal human. The poet stresses upon the fact that Time when lost never comes back so one must give every second of our waking minutes all we have to make the most of it. "If-" contains a multitude of characteristics deemed essential to the ideal man. The more you decode one, the better you understand the other. If — by Rudyard Kipling is a poem written by the English author in 1895. It is considered as the most beloved poem of Kipling. The poem celebrates stoicism, fortitude and righteousness as the hallmark of manliness. Please like/share the post if you found it useful. The rhyme scheme of the poem is … Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ is a didactic poem on the virtues of model leadership and typical manhood. It was first published in 1910 in Kipling’s collection of children’s stories, Rewards and Fairies, as a companion piece to the story “Brother Square Toes,” which is an account of George Washington and his presidency during the French Revolution (Perkins, 2005). It appears that Kipling had met Jameson and befriended him through Cecil Rhodes, the Prime Minister of Cape Colony at the time of the raid. ... Rudyard Kipling. The poem is a paean to British stoicism and masculine rectitude; almost every line in each stanza begins with "If". Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English author and poet. This poem celebrates the stereotypical concept of manhood. Iambic Pentameter invests an ambience of control and order to any poem. This poem is the like a rule book to perfect the art of living and being human. 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