Rudyard Kipling’s “If” is a poem that offers the reader advice and suggests ways one should live their life. Written in 1910, it is quite fascinating to look at advice given then and compare it to life in 2020. Do Kipling’s words of wisdom still ring true? Is this sound advice for modern-day life? Let’s take a closer look at the meaning of “If” by Rudyard Kipling to see how his advice has held up.
If
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!
Summary of “If”, Rudyard Kipling
This poem offers advice to the reader on the importance of virtuous living and stoicism. Each line that begins with “If” offers a piece of advice that concludes by saying if you do all these things, you will be a “man” and have a good life. In one long, complex sentence, he tells the reader if they are level-headed, trust in themselves, honest, humble, determined, hardworking, and stoic, they will be a man.
Analysis of “If”, Rudyard Kipling
“If” contains 4 8-line stanzas with an alternate rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD. The poem is written in iambic pentameter and is one complex sentence that shows the reader that all the ideas are interconnected. Rudyard Kipling uses a personal, motivational, and emotional tone in “If”.
He uses several literary devices to elicit emotion in the reader and make this poem feel motivational. We see the use of anaphor with the word “if” repeated throughout and at the beginning of many lines, which creates a sense of building. Further, the majority of lines have two opposing ideas. For example, “If you can wait and not be tired of waiting,” and “being lied about, don’t deal in lies”. This antithesis use demonstrates the importance of balance and that extremes, whether positive or negative, are not good. Kipling also uses personification, enjambment, and metaphors. An analysis of each stanza highlights the wisdom Kipling is passing on.
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:
In this first stanza, the author tells the reader to stay strong and keep their composure even when others are attacking you, blaming you, or being hostile. Simply put, he’s telling the reader they need to be level headed at all times. Kipling emphasizes the importance of trusting yourself and understanding that not everyone will trust you. The reader should not lie, even when they are being lied to. To not brag or boast and should be modest. Kipling gives the reader some moral advice here – to always remain good and modest, no matter the circumstance.
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:
Kipling continues to dish out the advice in this second stanza. He says we should dream and think but don’t get caught up in your head. Respond to your wins “Triumph” and losses “Disaster” but don’t let these change you or dictate your actions. If something is wrong in our lives, put the work in, and make it right.
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!’
The third stanza tells the importance of persevering and discipline. When Kipling says, “And lose, and start again at your beginnings” he tells the reader that they should be able to lose everything and then pick themselves back up and start again without complaining of the loss they just suffered. In this stanza, the author recommends a more stoic way of life, saying we should push our emotions down, “If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew,” as it will strengthen our willpower.
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!
In this last stanza, Kipling discusses humility. He advises the reader that they should achieve great success in life but must always remain humble. He also says how the reader should strive to have people like them, “If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much”.” With “If you can fill the unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,” he tells the reader to maximize their time here on Earth, it should not be wasted. If the reader can do this, they will have a great life and be a “Man”.
Themes in “If”, Rudyard Kipling
The predominant theme in “If” by Rudyard Kipling is coming of age, and seeks to tell the reader the path towards virtuous living as an adult. The poem offers advice to the reader on being a “Man” and living a good life. There are multiple codes of conduct addressed throughout, including rightful behavior, self-trust, and time management. There is a theme of stoicism as well. Kipling discourages expressing emotions; don’t get angry and remain level headed, don’t celebrate wins too much nor mourn losses too much. He outright says to push emotions down. This was a philosophical way of being in England at the time.
Background of “If”, Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English writer born in 1865 in India. He has written many famous works, including popular fiction “The Jungle Book”. “If” by Rudyard Kipling was published in “Rewards and Fairies” in 1910. The poem is addressed to Kipling’s son; it ends with “my son,” and the meaning in this poem is like the advice a father would give his son to live a good adult life. The poem was actually inspired by Kipling’s good friend Leander Starr Jameson who was considered a hero in London.
Although stoicism isn’t considered as ideal as it was in England at the beginning of the 20th century, the poem still offers sound advice in that sometimes finding the balance between the extremes is best. The poem is still popular today, with the lines “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same;” appearing above the tunnel that leads to Wimbledon’s Centre Court.