Poetry Analysis-"The White Man's Burden"
by Eliza Fabillar, American Social History Project
This activity asks students to consider British novelist
and poet Rudyard Kipling's 1899 poem "The White
Man's Burden"-which urged the U. S. to take up the
"burden" of empire, as had Britain and other
European nations-and several satirical and critical
responses to it. Designed for high school students,
this interdisciplinary activity will help students to
examine differing perspectives on imperialism at the
turn of the century and to understand the use of
poetry as a vehicle for expression, protest, and
political satire.
Debate over U.S. imperialism at the turn of the twentieth century occurred
and political speeches, but in poetry as well. In 1899, the British novelist an
wrote the poem "The White Man's Burden," which urged the U. S. to take u
as had Britain and other European nations. Theodore Roosevelt, soon to be
then president, copied the poem and sent it to his friend, Senator Henry Ca
that it was "rather poor poetry, but good sense from the expansion point o
contrast, wrote parodies and critiques of Kipling's poem and the imperial
Black Man's Burden" and "The Poor Man's Burden," by H.T. Johnson and G
respectively, were two such parodies.
Goal: To examine differing perspectives on imperialism at the turn of the
use of poetry as a vehicle for expression, protest, and political satire.
Themes: Links between racial ideology and imperialism; anti-imperial pr
Skills: Poetry analysis; using literature to understand history; poetry writ
Resources: "The White Man's Burden: The United States and the Philippi
Kipling; "The Black Man's Burden," by H.T. Johnson; and "The Poor Man's
McNeil. The three poems and accompanying commentary are available on
Imperialism in the United States, 1898-1935 (http://www.boondocksnet.com
Zwick, and in the Many Pasts section of History Matters: The U.S. Survey on
Web(http://historymatters.gmu.edu).
Activity:
Step 1: Reading Poetry
Go to "'The White Man's Burden' and Its Critics" and read the introductory
(http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/kipling/index.html#smith), part of A
States, 1898-1935(http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/index.html)
Although highly encouraged, the other poems are optional, read the follow
1. Rudyard Kipling, "The White Man's Burden" (http://historymatters.gm
2. George McNeill, "The Poor Man's Burden" (http://historymatters.gmu.e
3. H.T. Johnson, "The Black Man's Burden" (http://historymatters.gmu.ed
4. One more of your choice from the list of Responses at "'The White Man's
(http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/kipling/index.html#smith)
Step 2: Answering Questions About the Poems
As you read, answer the following questions to guide your understanding
1. According to Kipling, and in your own words, what was the "White Ma
2. What reward did Kipling suggest the "White Man" gets for carrying his
3. Who did Kipling think would read his poem? What do you think that th
said in response to it?
Optional:
4. For what audiences do you think H.T. Johnson and George McNeil wrot
think those audiences might have responded to "The Black Man's Burden"
Burden"?
In class tomorrow, we will have:
Step 3: Small Group Discussion
Share and discuss the poems and your answers to the questions with a par
small group.
Step 4: Writing "Found Poetry"
Working individually or in pairs, list any key words and phrases that stan
Create a "found" poem - a poem that incorporates some of the chosen key
own words. The poem should convey your views or ideas about imperiali
Step 5: Group Discussion
Read the "found" poems with partners or group members and discuss wha
about imperialism. If you worked individually, how many of the chosen k
the same, and how many were different? How did different people use the
What types of responses do you think your poems would have generated
nineteenth or early twentieth centuries?