If Poem by Rudyard Kipling Summary & Line by Line Explanation in English.
- Stanza 1. The poet tells his son that he should keep calm and patient when others do fail and put the blames on him. He should trust himself when all ...
- Stanza 2.
- Stanza 3.
- Stanza 4.
Does Kipling use metaphors in the poem If?
There are quite a few examples of personification (a metaphor in which a thing or idea is given human characteristics) in Rudyard Kipling's classic poem, "If." One comes in the second stanza: The...
What is the meaning behind if by Rudyard Kipling?
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 is the message behind if by Rudyard Kipling?
What is the message presented in the poem "If—" by Rudyard Kipling? Rudyard Kipling's poem "If — " contains a thoughtful message about how to live a successful, principled, and happy life despite the challenges that one will inevitably face.
What are some famous poetry by Rudyard Kipling?
10 of the Best Rudyard Kipling Poems Everyone Should Read
- The best Kipling poems selected by Dr Oliver Tearle. ...
- ‘ If— ’. ...
- ‘ Gunga Din ’. ...
- ‘ Recessional ’. ...
- ‘ The White Man’s Burden ’. ...
- ‘ The Female of the Species ’. ...
- ‘ Epitaphs of the War ’. ...
- ‘ The Way through the Woods ’. ...
- ‘ Mother o’ Mine ’. ...
- ‘ The Power of the Dog ’. ...
What are the words of the poem If?
If—If you can keep your head when all about you. Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; ... If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; ... If you can make one heap of all your winnings. ... If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
What is the main message of If?
The overarching theme of the poem If is successful, virtuous living based on values pertaining to integrity, rightful behavior, and self-development. The poem speaks to every reader on what it means to become a complete man and how he operates through the thick and thins of life.
What is the meaning of the poem If by Rudyard Kipling?
Summary. 'If—' is an inspirational poem that provides advice on how one should live one's life. The poem takes the reader through various ways in which the reader can rise above adversity that will almost certainly be thrown one's way at some point.
What is the lesson of the poem If?
The theme of the poem is about the challenges and conditions that we have to face and overcome so as to succeed in life and leave a mark.
Which statement best describes the main theme of the poem If?
What statement best describes the main theme of the poem? It is better to grow up alone than with friends.
What is a simple summary of the poem?
Literally understood, “How Simple” is a testimony to the simplicity of the life of a bird. Hence, naturally the poem abounds in avian words and phrases. In fact, the poem revolves around three such phrases: the “sweet little cry” of the bird, “a mere feather” that the bird drops” and “the warmth of broodings”.
What is the summary of If?
Composure and Self-Restraint The speaker of "If—" champions a morality built on moderation. In this poem, he advises his son to move through life with composure, and to always exercise self-control, integrity, and humility. This means never letting "Triumph" nor "Disaster"—events either good or bad—go to one's head.
Why did Rudyard Kipling write If?
"If—" is a poem by English writer and poet Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), written circa 1895 as a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson.
What kind of poem is If?
Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" is considered a Didactic poem. The Didactic poem comes from the Greek word didaskein (which means "to teach."). Poems of this type are meant to teach the reader about something very specific (life, love, decisions, etc.).
What is the significance of the title of the poem If?
The poem is titled as “if” because at first the poet tells us about the moral values and at the end the poet tells about the outcomes. So, all the lines in the poem begin with if and this is the conditional clause. That is why the poem is titled as “if”.
What if Kipling wrote?
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. It should be noted here that the reader soon realizes the poem is really one long sentence. The poem ends on a particularly high note, which Kipling emphasizes with his use of an exclamation point.
How many lines are in Rudyard Kipling's poem?
Rudyard Kipling separates his poem into four stanzas of equal length, all of which contain eight lines. Each stanza has a set rhyme scheme of ababcdcd, with the exception of the first stanza, which has the following rhyme scheme: aaaabcbc.
How old was Rudyard Kipling when he started writing?
Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India, in December of 1865. As a boy, he took pleasure in the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Wilkie Collins. He was around eleven years old when he first started writing. Kipling’s best-known work, The Jungle Book, was published in the late 1890s. Kipling’s life took a tragic turn in the 1930s with the death of his second child.
What does Kipling say about the if-then scenario?
Kipling leaves the “then” until the final two lines, revealing to the reader that if he or she is able to do all that was just mentioned, he or she will not only have the world at his or her fingertips, but he or she will also be a “Man.”.
What does Kipling say about trusting yourself?
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. The final four lines of the first stanza flow together nicely, almost sounding as though they are one complete thought. Kipling writes:
What does Kipling say about making dreams your master?
Kipling writes, If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim, Here, Kipling urges his reader to dream and think but to not get so caught up in dreams and thoughts that the reader loses his grasp on reality. Kipling uses personification in his next two lines:
What is Kipling's theme in "If"?
In ‘If—,’ Kipling engages with themes of masculinity and success/defeat. The first of these is incredibly central to the poem. From the speaker’s point of view, there are very specific things the young listener has to do to become a man. The speaker celebrates attributes that are traditionally masculine, like strength, while also, in a contemporary setting, raising questions in regard to what role women have to play in society.
Who said "This poem should be read to every little boy, I will sure read it to mine and hope that these?
Ada lovelace - This poem should be read to every little boy, I will sure read it to mine and hope that these words echo in him through his walk of life.
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.
Who selected the best Kipling poems?
The best Kipling poems selected by Dr Oliver Tearle. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) 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 Pook’s Hill, and countless others.
What is Stoicism in Kipling's poem?
Stoicism looms large in Kipling’s poem – that is, the acknowledgment that, whilst you cannot always prevent bad things from happening to you, you can deal with them in a good way. ‘ Gunga Din ’. An’ you’ll lick the bloomin’ boots of ’im that’s got it ….
What is the poem "The female of the species is more deadly than the male" about?
Focusing, as we might expect from a Kipling poem, on animals as well as humans – the Himalayan bear and the cobra are both mentioned – Kipling concludes that women are deadlier than men in many cases.
What is the meaning of the poem The Female of the Species?
The poem sees Kipling urging America to seize colonial control in the Philippines, although he had originally written it in 1897 – like ‘Recessional’, it was a poem about the British Empire written to ‘celebrate’ the Diamond Jubilee. ‘ The Female of the Species ’.
Why did Kipling add Mother of Mine to the beginning of the book?
Because of the less-than-happy ending of that book, Kipling probably added ‘Mother o’ Mine’ to the beginning of the book as a way of saying sorry to his mother for having displeased her; she’d have preferred the happy ending . ‘Mother o’ Mine’ deserves its place in this list of greatest Kipling poems purely because this is one of the sweetest author-mother stories in all of English verse!
What is the meaning of the poem Gunga Din?
One of Kipling’s best-known poems, ‘Gunga Din’ was first published in 1890 and focuses on an Indian water-bearer who saves the speaker’s life (the speaker being a British soldier serving in India) and is thus ‘a better man than I am’ , as the resounding close of the poem has it. ‘Din’, by the way, should probably be pronounced ‘deen’, given the words Kipling rhymes the name with…
What is the phrase used every Remembrance Sunday to commemorate those soldiers who died in war?
Although this poem is not now on the lips of many people, aside from diehard Kipling fans, one phrase from ‘Recessional’ is heard and read every year: ‘lest we forget’ , the phrase used every Remembrance Sunday to commemorate those soldiers who died in war, comes from this poem, which Kipling wrote for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
Summary
Themes
- In ‘If—,’ Kipling engages with themes of masculinity and success/defeat. The first of these is incredibly central to the poem. From the speaker’s point of view, there are very specific things the young listener has to do to become a man. The speaker celebrates attributes that are traditionally masculine, like strength, while also, in a contemporary setting, raising questions in regard to wha…
Structure and Form
- Rudyard Kipling separates his poem into four stanzas of equal length, all of which contain eight lines. Each stanza has a set rhyme scheme of ababcdcd, with the exception of the first stanza, which has the following rhymescheme: aaaabcbc. In terms of meter, the poem is written in iambic pentameter, with five feet consisting of an unstressed and then a stressed syllable. The speaker …
Analysis of If—
- First Stanza
The first stanza wastes no time in setting up the if-then scenario. 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 aroun… - Second Stanza
The “if” clauses continue into the second stanza, but they are structured differently. In the first stanza, the “if” clauses were grouped in lines of two, with the exception of the final four lines. In the second stanza, the form of the first two “if” clauses is similar to the second half of the first st…
Literary Devices
- Kipling makes use of several literary devices in ‘If—.’ These include but are not limited to repetition, anaphora, enjambment, and caesura. The latter is a formaldevice that occurs when the poet inserts a pause into the middle of a line. This might be done with punctuation or with the meter. For example, lines one and two of the second stanza read: Just glancing at the poem, the reade…
Historical Context
- ‘If—’ was written in 1895 and first published in 1910 in “Brother Square Toes,” a chapter of Rewards and Fairies. Today, the poem’s philosophical outlook is considered to be one of the best examples of Victorian stoicism. It provides traditional advice about how to live a good life with the understanding that one has to make the most of every minute they have. It requires self …
About Rudyard Kipling
- Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay, India, in December of 1865. As a boy, he took pleasure in the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Wilkie Collins. He was around eleven years old when he first started writing.Kipling’s best-known work, The Jungle Book, was published in the late 1890s. Kipling’s life took a tragic turn in the 1930s with the death of his second child. After developing a…