{
BACKGROUND: THE POET
Name : Rudyard Kipling
Born : India 1865
Died
: 1936
Career : Journalist in Lahore in the 1880s
: Capital of present-day Pakistan (then part of India)
: First British writer to win Nobel Prize for Literature
Work : novels, poems & short stories reflected British Empire at its height
: includes satirical poems of lively rhythms (East meets West)
: lost popularity second half of 20th C
Background: the poem





“If” was composed in 1909 and was first published in
1910 in Kipling’s collection.
“If” is a didactic poem – a work meant to give instruction.
In this case, Kipling offers his instruction not through
listing specific characteristics, but by providing concrete
illustrations of the complex actions a man should or
should not take which would reflect these characteristics.
The poem is about moral lessons and conduct. It contains
advice from a father to a son on how to grow up to be a
better person and a true man.
He reminds his son that he will be a Man if he can hold on
to his values and not be swayed by others.
If he follows his advice, he will have a rewarding and
enriching life. He will have everything he can wish for.
About the poem…







"If-" contains a multitude of characteristics deemed essential
to the ideal man.
a man must be humble, patient, rational, truthful,
dependable, and persevering.
His behavior in response to deleterious events and cruel
men is important;
he must continue to have faith in himself when others
doubt him,
he must understand that his words might be twisted and
used for evil,
he must be able to deal with the highest and lowest
echelons of society, and
he must be able to withstand the lies and hatred emanating
from others.
About the poem…



The virtues expressed in "If-" are devoid of showiness or
glamour;
it is notable that Kipling says nothing of heroic deeds or
great wealth or fame.
For him the true measure of a man is his humility and his
stoicism.
IF – Content

Title: 3 functions:





Repetition of ‘you’ speaks directly to the reader, until the last
stanza when we realise the poet is addressing his son.
Rhythm: repetition of ‘if’ and ‘you’ throughout the poem;


Gives rhythm
Repetition: ties together the lines and ideas expressed
Conditional: expresses the possibility for a condition to be
fulfilled.
Also, ‘and’ in lines 19 and 21
Note: punctuation – every line begins with a capital letter –
emphasises the importance of the virtues/qualities described
in the poem (each one plays an important role in becoming a
“Man”.


Commas, semi-colons, hyphens, apostrophes – entire poem is
properly punctuated – slows down the tempo of the poem
Also pays attention to detail – indicates that every line is important.
Remain humble;
1
If you can keep your head when all about you
2
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
Stay calm when others are losing their
cool; – the power to reject bitterness
in the face of people’s wrath.
Be confident;
believe in yourself
3
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
4
But make allowance for their doubting too,
Be confident enough to handle
constructive criticism;
This line grasps at the truth
of human nature: make
“allowance” for the folly of
others – not for their sake but
for your own.
Have patience (virtue)
and have patience with
others
True understanding is
patience
5
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
6
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Be honest (virtue)
No “eye for an eye” – do not
hurt someone just because they
hurt you.
7
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
Don’t be over
confident
8
Don’t brag or be
boastful
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk to wise.
Humility
(virtue) – be
humble and
modest.
*Note:
excessive
reference to
‘you’ and
‘your’ –
speaks
directly to
reader.
Be ambitious but
realistic
Personification –
only a person can
physically master
another person.
9
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master,
10
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
Personified as
“impostors”
(capitalisation)
11
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
12
And treat those two impostors just the same;
Handle your successes and
failures with equal grace;
neither are permanent.
13
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
14
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Dishonest
people
15
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
16
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:
“them” –
letters
omitted to
add rhythm
Metaphor: hopelessness
when your hard work comes
to nothing – don’t give up,
keep trying – work harder
in adversity)
Metaphor: all you have gained in life;
comparison to a pile of winnings at a
gambling table.
17
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
18
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
Game of combined skill and
luck – involves tossing a
coin repeatedly.
Take risks, and if you lose,
start over and work hard to
get back what you lost.
19
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
20
And never breathe a word about your loss;
Don’t talk/complain about what you
have lost;
Lose with grace (another virtue) – this
shows the utmost element of selfdignity (ties in with line 11)
Muscle
21
22
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
When you have
exhausted your physical
and mental resources
Dual reference:
1. Body parts
2. Physical/mental
strength
23
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
24
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
Personification
(capitalisation) –
will = a person
encouraging you
to go on.
Personification – your
will power will tell your
heart and body to hold
on and not give up.
Metaphor: mix with
different kinds of people
25
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Capital letter –
emphasise importance
26
Represents
“common folk”
Moral fibre
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
Metaphor: socialise
with
aristocrats/importan
t people
Humility
*Note: ‘Kings’ contrasted with
‘crowds’ to cover all levels of
society; similarly so with ‘foes’
and ‘friends’ in the next line.
Enemies
Do not let
people affect the
person you are.
Poet conveys message of treating
friends & enemies with equal
humility – not allowing them
to hurt you falls back on the
self-confidence factor at the
start of the poem.
27
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
28
If all men count with you, but none too much,
Value everyone, but no
one too much; don’t
ignore anyone.
personification:
time waits for no
one; every second
counts.
29
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
30
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Spend every second
of your life doing
something worthwhile
31
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
Proper noun – title
given to the boy that
will make him important
32
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
If a person has all the virtues/qualities
mentioned in the poem, i.e. if a person
fulfils all the conditions, then he will become
a true master of the Earth – more
importantly – he will become a “Man”.