The message of Rudyard 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.
Full Answer
What was the white mans burden according to the poem?
‘ The White Man’s Burden ’ by Rudyard Kipling demonstrates the imperialist mindset popular in the poet’s time. The poem is addressed to white men, who the speaker describes as superior. The speaker tells them that it’s their responsibility to travel to the Philippines (although the location is never stated explicitly).
What does the term "white mans Burden" refer to?
white mans burden (Noun) The supposed responsibility of European people to govern and care for their colonial subjects Etymology: From the poem The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling. How to pronounce white mans burden?
What was the main idea of the white mans burden?
The philosophy underpinning the “White Man’s Burden” consisted of the “Three C’s of Colonialism: Civilization, Christianity, and Commerce.” In 1884, the Berlin Conference marked the official beginning of colonialism in Africa. One of the justifying principles behind colonialism was the need to civilize the purportedly backward peoples of Africa.
What does the poem "White Man's Burden" mean?
The poem is subtitled "The United States and the Philippine Islands". The speaker says to take up the White Man 's burden , which is to send the best men abroad and your sons into exile to serve your captives. These "newly-caught" people are wild, angry, and both devilish and childish.
Is the white man's burden for or against imperialism?
"The White Man's Burden" is an endorsement of imperialism. The poem portrays white society as the harbinger of global progress.
Why is the White Man's Burden important?
"The White Man's Burden" reflects commonly shared beliefs in British and U.S. society at the turn of the twentieth century. These beliefs include t...
Who is the white man's burden addressed to?
"The White Man's Burden" is specifically addressed to readers in European and North American society. There is a direct address to adults with chil...
What is the message of the white man's burden?
The poem conveys the need for European and North American powers to colonize non-white societies worldwide. It also represents the appropriate atti...
What exactly is the white man's burden?
"The White Man's Burden" is presented as the labor carried out by white societies to help non-white societies. They are incapable of recognizing th...
Why is the poem "White Man's burden" important?
Because of the poem's influential moral argument for American imperialism, it played a key role in the congressional debates about whether America should annex the Philippine Islands after the Spanish-American War. The phrase "white man's burden" remains notorious as a racist justification for Western conquest.
What is the White Man's burden?
Colonialism and Imperialism. “The White Man’s Burden” presents the conquering of non-white races as white people's selfless moral duty. This conquest, according to the poem, is not for personal or national benefit, but rather for the gain of others—specifically, for the gain of the conquered.
What is the premise of the poem "White Imperialism"?
Its premise—that white imperialism is a moral burden that white races must take up in order to conquer and educate, by force and against their will, the non-white races of the world— is based on a racist worldview. The poem does not even defend or explain the basis of this worldview.
Why did Kipling write the poem Victoria?
Kipling wrote this poem to celebrate Victoria's supposed success in imperialistic conquest and what he believed was the powerful moral duty behind this imperialism.
Why is the poem "The White Man" capitalized?
The capitalization of "the White Man" indicates that the poem addresses white people in general and calls on them to answer some destiny related to their whiteness. The use of the definite article " the White Man's burden" further indicates that readers already know this burden, which is a key piece of the poem's argument.
What does "denying the white man's burden" mean?
The White Man's burden is familiar; everyone knows about it, and thus denying it means denying a moral duty obvious to the rest of the world. The staccato rhythm of iambs ( da DUM) drives home the forcefulness of the order, which brooks no discussion or response: Take up the White Man's burden —.
What is the meaning of "Take up the White Man's burden"?
"Take up the White Man's Burden" is the poem's entire argument encapsulated into its central, oft-repeated phrase.
What is The White Man's Burden?
What is The White Man's Burden meaning, and The White Man's Burden definition? The phrase ''The White Man's Burden'' is a trope related to modern imperialism. It entered English usage with English writer Rudyard Kipling 's 1899 published poem of the same title.
What is the White Man's Burden Poem About?
Rudyard Kipling's poem was published in Britain in "McClure's Magazine" in February of 1899, with the full title ''The White Man's Burden: The United States and the Philippine Islands.'' The poem was reprinted in the United States that same month. ''The White Man's Burden'' reflects commonly shared beliefs in British and U.S.
Who wrote the White Man's burden?
The White Man’s Burden by Rudyard Kipling. In this controversial poem, Rudyard Kipling taps into the imperialist mindset and what he, and others, saw as the “white man’s burden.”. Read in a contemporary context, it’s important to consider the motivations behind Kipling’s ‘ The White Man’s Burden’ while at the same time, ...
What are the poetic techniques used in The White Man's Burden?
Kipling makes use of several poetic techniques in ‘The White Man’s Burden’. These include enjambment, alliteration, and allusion. The first, enjambment, occurs when a line is cut off before its natural stopping point. Enjambment forces a reader down to the next line, and the next, quickly.
How many lines are there in The White Man's Burden?
‘ The White Man’s Burden’ by Rudyard Kipling is a seven stanza poem that is separated into sets of eight lines. The rhyme scheme and metrical pattern are extremely regulated. This feature makes the poem feel very tensely structured and creates the feeling that these lines should be read out loud, perhaps chanted. The lines rhyme in the straightforward pattern of ABCBDEFE while the meter is a little more complex.
What does Kipling present the reader with?
Kipling presents the reader with inherently racist images of dominance, cast as “help” provided to the native peoples of the Philippines. At no point in the poem does the speaker consider whether or not these people want that help nor does he stop to validate this mindset or explore its origin.
How many iambs are in a meter?
In regards to the meter, Kipling structures the odd-numbered lines (1,3,5 and so on) with two iambs and one amphibrach. An iamb is a pair of two syllables the first of which is unstressed and the second stressed.
What is the first stanza of The White Man's Burden?
In the first stanza of ‘The White man’s Burden, ’ the speaker begins by demand ing that the reader, or an intended listener, “Take up the White Man’s Burden”. It’s clear there is some job or responsibility that the speaker is trying to engage someone else in. He tells the listener to “Send for the best yet breed,” or your best sons, for the job. So far, all that’s clear is that there is a burden, a heavy task of some kind, that is related to white men, that needs to be completed. The following lines and stanzas describe what exactly that means.
What does "take up the white man's burden" mean?
To seek another’s profit, And work another’s gain. In the second stanza of ‘The White Man’s Burden’ , the poet repeats the refrain, “Take up the White Man’s burden—“ and adds details about how the men should act. They should, in contrast to the minority the speaker is discriminating against, act patient.
Who wrote the poem "The White Man's burden"?
A young poet named Rudyard Kipling just sent you a poem entitled ''The White Man's Burden.''. Write Kipling a 1–2 paragraph thank you note outlining your views on the poem and what aspects of it you agreed with. Remember, you represent the majority view of the American population.
When was the White Man's burden first published?
Kipling's poem ''The White Man's Burden'' was originally published in February of 1899 , under the title, ''An Address to the United States''. But why would a British writer publish a poem specifically for the United States? In 1898, the United States went to war with Spain as a result of a revolution in Cuba.
What did Kipling say about the White Man's burden?
Although Kipling's poem emphasized the goodness of imperialism and the White Man's burden, he also told the United States that this burden came with a price. The native people they ruled over would be resistant.
What was the White Man's duty?
It was the duty of the White Man (literal or figurative) to bring education and civilization to the natives in the world's dark places. The White Man's burden comes with a price of manpower and possible deaths from controlling the natives of conquered territories. Learning Outcomes.
What is the meaning of the word "white man"?
The phrase White Man can be taken two different ways. Literally, the White Man describes people who are Caucasian. In the early 20th century, many Americans believed in the concept of social Darwinism, where certain people were superior to others based on their color and race.
