What did Kipling say about keeping your head?
Rudyard Kipling - 1865-1936 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,
What kind of poem is if by Rudyard Kipling?
If - the inspirational poem by Rudyard Kipling. You are here: Rudyard Kipling's (1865-1936) inspirational poem 'If' first appeared in his collection 'Rewards and Fairies' in 1909. The poem 'If' is inspirational, motivational, and a set of rules for 'grown-up' living.
What is the opening line of the poem keep your head?
I love the opening line: "If you can keep your head/While all about you/People are losing theirs and blaming you." So, I wrote down the words, went to my house in Vancouver and made a song out of it. It's the only song that I wrote up there on the guitar. The poem is written from a soldier's perspective, so I rewrote some of the poetry.
Who is the author of the poem If?
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) 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.
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What is Kipling's most famous poem?
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—".
Why did Kipling wrote the poem If?
Kipling wrote the poem after he was inspired by Leander Starr Jameson's actions, leader of the Jameson Raid, to overthrow the Boer Government of Paul Kruger. Although the raid failed, Kipling was still struck by his tenacity.
Who said If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs?
And then there is the other angle: When you keep your head when every one about you is losing theirs, maybe you don't understand the situation. —Bob Rigley.
Who wrote the poem If '?
Rudyard KiplingIf—"If—"by Rudyard KiplingA Doubleday, Page & Co. edition from 1910First published inRewards and FairiesPublisherDoubleday, Page & Company1 more row
What does keep your head mean in poems?
As in the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling? “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” To “keep your head” means to stay calm, to resist panic, remain able to think clearly. It's a dramatic expression, with the head representing the mind, the brain, the ability to think.
What is the moral 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.
What is a famous quotes from Rudyard Kipling?
Rudyard Kipling > Quotes“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” ... “If you can keep your head when all about you. ... “He wrapped himself in quotations - as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of Emperors.” ... “I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble”More items...
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”.
Who is the speaker of the poem If?
The speaker is the poet Rudyard Kipling itself and it is addressed to his son John.
Who is the inspiration of the poem If?
In 1896, thirty-one-year-old Rudyard Kipling was an internationally-renowned poet and story-teller when he wrote a poem with a one-word title: "If." The poem was inspired by "The Jameson Raid," an 1895 military action in the Boer War in South Africa.
What is the meaning of the first stanza in the poem If?
Answer: In the first stanza of the poem, the poet is emphasizing an individual's ability to rise above the circumstances. Explanation: When he writes, "if you can dream, and not make dreams your master," in the first stanza, he is saying that do not let circumstances control you just because you have a dream.
What is the theme and purpose of the poem If?
If Theme: A Poem by Rudyard Kipling. 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 what If poem?
In this poem, the poet is filled with anxiety about certain things that might happen to him. He refers to these anxious questions as 'What' if. The poet wonders what (will happen) if he becomes dumb or if the school closes the swimming pool or if somebody beats him badly or poisons him.
What if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you?
If— Rudyard Kipling 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: 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 And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken 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: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
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 did Kipling do when he failed the physical?
When he failed the physical, Kipling used his connections to get him in, only to watch him die in the battle for Loos leaving him awash in guilt. His life was one replete with trials, hardships, and sorrows, which one could never fault anyone for crumbling beneath, but time and time again he overcame.
What is the meaning of "When all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too"?
A poem and guide to life that has and always will stand the test of time. Because there will always be parents telling their children this poem, showing them life is not always easy, but saying choose your path and never doubt yourself "When all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too.".
What does "if you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken" mean?
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken. 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; If you can make one heap of all your winnings.
Where did Rudyard Kipling live?
His childhood would continue for a short period along an upward slope in the wonderland where he was born, and then plunge dramatically at the age of six when he was sent to England for his education. His first five years in England were scarred by the terrible abuse he endured there from his foster mother. His only break during that period was the holiday month of December, when he would head to London to stay with his mother's family. After that period he was transferred to a school in Devon where he shone, becoming the editor of the school paper and embarking on his path as a writer, becoming a major success.
What is the meaning of "live a life by these words of wisdom"?
To live a life by these words of wisdom would be a life well lived.
What does "and lose and start again at your beginnings" mean?
And lose, and start again at your beginnings, And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew. To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you.
Who wrote the poem "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same"?
Rudyard Kipling was an English poet who lived from 1865-1936. He also wrote many children's stories. 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.
What is the meaning of "if" in the poem?
Rudyard Kipling's (1865-1936) inspirational poem 'If' first appeared in his collection 'Rewards and Fairies' in 1909. The poem 'If' is inspirational, motivational, and a set of rules for 'grown-up' living. Kipling's 'If' contains mottos and maxims for life, and the poem is also a blueprint for personal integrity, behaviour and self-development.
What is the beauty of "if"?
The beauty and elegance of 'If' contrasts starkly with Rudyard Kipling's largely tragic and unhappy life. He was starved of love and attention and sent away by his parents; beaten and abused by his foster mother; and a failure at a public school which sought to develop qualities that were completely alien to Kipling.
Who wrote "If"?
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) 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.
What did Rhodes want?
Rhodes, then Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, wanted to encourage the disgruntled Uitlanders to rebel against the Transvaal government. He believed that if he sent a force of armed men to overrun Johannesburg, an uprising would follow. By Christmas 1895, the force of 600 armed men was placed under the command of Rhodes's old friend, Dr Jameson.
How long was Jameson sentenced to?
Jameson was sentenced to 15 months for leading the raid, and the Transvaal government was paid almost £1million in compensation by the British South Africa Company. Cecil Rhodes was forced to step down as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony.
What is the poem "If" about?
This week, Rudyard Kipling's If, that epic evocation of the British virtues of a 'stiff upper lip' and stoicism in the face of adversity, will once again be named as the nation's favourite poem.
What was South Africa divided into?
What was to become South Africa was divided into two British colonies (the Cape Colony and Natal) and two Boer republics (the Orange Free State and Transvaal).
How many lines are in Kipling's advice to his son?
What is not in doubt is that Kipling's four eight-line stanzas of advice to his son, written in 1909, have inspired the nation for a century.
Who was Kipling's friend?
Kipling was a friend of Jameson and was introduced to him, so scholars believe, by another colonial friend and adventurer: Cecil Rhodes, the financier and statesman who extracted a vast fortune from Britain's burgeoning African empire by taking substantial stakes in both diamond and gold mines in southern Africa.
Did Rudyard Kipling recover from his son's death?
It was a shock from which Kipling never fully recovered. But his son's spirit, as well as that of Leander Starr Jameson, lives on in the lines of the poem that continues to inspire millions.
What does "twisted by knaves" mean?
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: If you can make one heap of all your winnings. And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings.
What does "as long as I have breath" mean?
As long as I have breath, I can grow, I have purpose for being here.
How to say "and lose and start again at your beginnings"?
And lose, and start again at your beginnings. And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew. To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you.
How many couplets are there in If You Will Lead?
Each of the poem’s sixteen couplets illustrates a leadership attribute, and they together provide a leadership framework on which the author Doug Morgan bases his book If You Will Lead: Enduring Wisdom for 21st-Century Leaders, with one famous leader from history being chosen to exemplify each attribute.
What does "don't look too good" mean?
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 wrote "Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it"?
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son! Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) [Note: 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.
Who wrote "Bear with me even if you're not the type who enjoys reading poems"?
Bear with me even if you’re not the type who enjoys reading poems. I was too. But, when I encountered the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling, I was blown away. Absolutely mesmerized by the words and its profound meaning and inspiration.
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…