The poem "If—" by Ruyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. He was born in India, which inspired much of his work.
What is the moral of the poem If?
Some of the moral values Rudyard Kipling recommends in "If—" are calmness, stoicism, self-confidence, tolerance, patience, honesty, modesty, courage, tenacity, and industry. Hover for more information. Who are the experts?
What does the poem If mean to English people?
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What is the summary of the poem 'If'?
The purpose of the poem "If—" by Rudyard Kipling is to impart wisdom about how to live up to the ideals of manhood. The speaker lists a number of conditionals, saying that "if" the listener does these things, they will live a fulfilling existence.
What is a summary of poem If?
The poem opens with the image of the “widening” gyre “turning and turning” (1). Caught in the centripetal force of the gyre, a falcon loses its way and “cannot hear the falconer” (2). Yeats then descends the reader into total chaos as “things ...
When was "if" written?
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. Why is ‘If—’ so highly regarded?
What does "If you can wait and not be tired by waiting" mean?
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: If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster.
Where is the mantra "If" inscribed?
An extract from ‘If—’ is inscribed above the tennis players’ entrance at Wimbledon. Image: Rudyard Kipling in 1899 by Philip Burne-Jones; Wikimedia Commons.
What does "if" mean in the poem?
The ultimate meaning of the poem deals with how one should approach life's challenges to lead a good life. Stanza one deals with being confident about the decisions you make and taking responsibility for those decisions.
What does "if" mean in Kipling's poem?
What is the meaning of "If—" by Ruyard Kipling? The poem "If—" by Ruyard Kipling is about how to live a good life and be a good man. The poem's meaning is closely tied to traditional ideas about masculinity, as much of the advice given by the speaker emphasizes the importance of stoicism, self-reliance, and steadfastness.
What does Stanza 3 say about losing everything?
Stanza three counsels not to be afraid to take risks and possibly lose everything. If you do lose everything, don't talk about it—just start over at the beginning. When you are tired and exhausted and your body just feels like it can't continue on, use your mind and your will to command yourself to persevere.
What is the purpose of the poem "If"?
The purpose of the poem "If—" by Rudyard Kipling is to impart wisdom about how to live up to the ideals of manhood. The speaker lists a number of conditionals, saying that "if" the listener does these things, they will live a fulfilling existence. Embedded in these conditionals is a variety of values, indirectly telling ...
What is the purpose of Kipling's poem?
Kipling wrote the poem as if it were talking to his son. He gives advice to help the young man to find his place in the world and to live with integrity and dignity. The speaker talks to the person in second person. This encourages the reader to place himself in the place of the son.
What is the meaning of the poem "Take up the White Man's Blow"?
It is a paean to the rugged masculinity associated with British imperialism and a sense of Anglo-Saxon superiority that called for young men to, as Kipling wrote in another of his poems, "take up the white man's burden" by seeking out a life of valor and hardship.
What is the purpose of "if" by Rudyard Kipling?
The purpose of If by Rudyard Kipling is to give advice to a boy on how to be a man. He is defining what it means to be a real man, someone who doesn't blame others for mistakes, listens to both sides of an issue, takes risks and accepts losses. He is saying if you can do all these things such as "keep your head," "trust yourself," "meet ...
What is the meaning of the values of Kipling?
These values, referred to throughout Kipling's work, are a sort of neo-Stoicism, in which men were expected to bear hardship with courage, and to always strive towards and defend ideals, even in defense of lost causes.
What does "if" mean in the poem?
This means never letting "Triumph" nor "Disaster"—event s either good or bad—go to one’s head.
Who wrote the poem "If"?
A LitCharts expert can help. A LitCharts expert can help. Rudyard Kipling, one of the most famous poets of the late British Empire, published "If—" in his 1910 book Rewards and Fairies. The poem's speaker advises his son to live with restraint, moderation, and composure.
What is Rudyard Kipling's literary context?
Literary Context. Rudyard Kipling was one of the most popular British writers of the late Victorian and early Edwardian periods— that is, the turn of the 20th century . He published "If—" in his 1910 book Rewards and Fairies, a work that demonstrated his mastery of both prose and verse.
What is the goalpost in the poem "Manhood"?
The whole poem is built around a set of goalposts, standards of good behavior that a boy has to achieve in order to become a "Man." Manhood isn't inborn or natural, the poem suggests, but a state one achieves through self-sufficiency, self-mastery, and stability.
What is masculinity in the poem?
Masculinity, the poem insists, is a demanding goal that one must strive for, and the few who achieve virtuous manhood enjoy a rock-solid sense of self. To be a capital-M "Man," in this speaker's view, is a virtue, an achievement, and its own reward.
What does the speaker say about his son?
The poem's speaker advises his son to live with restraint, moderation, and composure. The son should always keep his wits about him, the speaker says, never overreacting; he should learn to be confident without being vain, accept hardships without dwelling on them, and behave with dignity.
What philosophy did the British adopt in the late 1800s?
This was a particularly popular worldview in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when a number of British poets embraced the Ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism, which urged indifference to both pain and pleasure.
