Full Answer
What is the message of the poem If?
If Poem 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 in one’s lives. Throughout the poem, the speaker gives the reader multiple scenarios, ...
What metaphoric expressions are used in the poem deal in lies?
Now, identify other metaphoric expressions used in the poem. Deal in lies, twisted by knaves, one heap of all your winnings, breathe a word, unforgiving minute, sixty second’s worth of distance Question 15. What do knaves represent?
What is the meaning of symbols in the poem If?
Symbol : A symbol is an object that represents an idea, image or an action. We see different symbols on our roads to warn us. Example: Red Light is the symbol of danger. Question 17. The poem ‘If is written by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling is an English short-story writer, poet and novelist.
Why does Kipling leave the “then” in the poem?
The poem has an almost mathematical proof about it with its 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 do knaves represent in If?
Answer. Knaves represent scoundrels, liars or conman.
What is the meaning of knaves in Rudyard kiplings poem If?
In this poem Kipling is describing to his son his version of how a real man behaves. These lines mean that a true man will keep soldiering on and rebuilding, even with inadequate tools, when his truths are twisted by "knaves"—liars with bad intentions—and when people break what he has worked hard to build.
What are the symbols used in the poem If?
There is symbolism in the poem "If-" written by Rudyard Kipling. In the second stanza, knaves symbolize liars, conmen, or other unscrupulous people. In the fourth stanza, crowds symbolize common people, Kings symbolize people of wealth and importance, and the common touch symbolizes humility.
What does the speaker tell us about knaves How can we stand against knaves?
Answer. Answer: If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools," he means that sometimes, even when you speak the truth, others will change your words to hurt others or convince others of untrue things.
What should one do when truth is twisted by knaves?
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools...”
What are the values represented in the poem If by Rudyard Kipling?
Answer. Answer: Some of the moral values Rudyard Kipling recommends in "If—" are calmness, stoicism, self-confidence, tolerance, patience, honesty, modesty, courage, tenacity, and industry. I hope it will help you.
What does heart and nerve and sinew symbolize?
Explanation: It means that not to giveup in the life but instead of giving up we should do hard work for the next time and it also mean that of we loss once that doesn't matter we will lose again and again . That's why we should do hard work.
Who are called imposters?
An imposter is a person who pretends to be someone else. Someone who tries to convince you that he's your long lost cousin in order to get an invitation to stay in your awesome apartment is an imposter.
What is the main theme of the poem 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.
Who is known to twist the truth?
Answer. Answer: Twist the Truth is the fourth album by Norwegian musician Lene Marlin.
What is the lesson you learn from 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.
What does triumph and disaster refer to?
If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat both equally. It means you simply acknowledge the event and continue on, come what may. It makes you realise the relativity of both success and failure.
What is the personification 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 words "Triumph" and "Disaster" are given the human characteristics of "impostors." Also in the second stanza, "truth" is " ...
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you meaning?
"losing theirs" harks back to the first line, where you are keeping your head (i.e. "staying calm") and others are losing their heads (i.e. "panicking"). "Theirs" is a pronoun for "their heads", or in other words, they are losing their heads while you are keeping yours.
What is an assonance in the poem If?
Assonance, or “vowel rhyme,” is the repetition of vowel sounds across a line of text or poetry. The words have to be near enough to each other that the similar vowel sounds are noticeable.
What is the message of the poem "If"?
The message of the poem is to be happy and successful in life. The poem talks of conditional fulfilment. If certain conditions, as specified in the poem, are fulfilled, one can be a perfect man, enjoying his life. ‘If is the most famous poem of Kipling. It attracted nation-wide attention.
What does the father tell his son in the poem?
In the poem a father tells his son how to be happy and how to be a perfect man. So many conditions have to be fulfilled if one is become perfect man. He should not lose his head, even when others around him have lost theirs. He has to trust himself when all people doubt him.
What does the poem "If you can dream and not make dreams your master" mean?
It is a didactic poem telling us what to do and what not to do to enjoy life and to be a perfect man. Question 14. When the poet says, ‘If you can dream – and not make dreams your master, he is personifying dreams, i.e. dreams are spoken of as masters who can control our lives.
What does the poet say about honesty?
Answer: The poet says that even if people tell lies to you, never follow their examples and start telling lies. A liar is not respected in the society. A liar may succeed temporarily but in the long run he is bound to fail and will be put to shame.
What is the attitude of a poet to unexpected loss?
According to the poet one’s attitude to unexpected loss should be one of indifference. Triumphs and Tragedies are part of life. Don’t be overjoyed at the successes and don’t be dejected at the failures. If you happen to have a loss, don’t tell anyone. Accept it with fortitude.
Who wrote the poem "If"?
Based on the responses you have got, prepare an appreciation of the poem ‘If ’ (Consider theme, language, style, figures, symbols, relevance) Answer: The poem ‘If is written by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling is an English short-story writer, poet and novelist.
What is a metaphor in speech?
Example: Death steals our life; he is very cruel. Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing or person is spoken as another.
Summary
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…