Scribd
Upload
23 views4 pages

Understanding Kipling's "If" Poem

Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If' serves as a guide to Stoicism, emphasizing self-control and emotional resilience in the face of life's challenges. The poem, structured in four stanzas with a consistent rhyme scheme, offers advice on personal integrity and virtuous living, portraying a father's wisdom to his son. Kipling, a notable Victorian poet, draws from his own tumultuous upbringing to impart lessons on self-mastery and perseverance.

Uploaded by

makarandhsrisanth
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
23 views4 pages

Understanding Kipling's "If" Poem

Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If' serves as a guide to Stoicism, emphasizing self-control and emotional resilience in the face of life's challenges. The poem, structured in four stanzas with a consistent rhyme scheme, offers advice on personal integrity and virtuous living, portraying a father's wisdom to his son. Kipling, a notable Victorian poet, draws from his own tumultuous upbringing to impart lessons on self-mastery and perseverance.

Uploaded by

makarandhsrisanth
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

If

Introduction:
The poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling was written in 1895 and first
appeared in Kipling’s book ‘Rewards and Fairies’. It provides a
perfect example of Stoicism.
The poem is an example of Victorian Stoicism. The meaning of
stoicism is uncomplaining endurance. Victorian era –19th century
Britain- Males denied any kind of emotions; defied the pain of loss
with minimal gestures. It was believed, the pursuit of self-mastery,
perseverance, and wisdom are the ways to live a great life. The
qualities such as self-discipline, self-knowledge, self-respect, and
self-confidence characterized the male in Victorian society.
As you see from the poem, it is advice on keeping calm in the face of
adversarial challenges, knowing that you are in control of your own
emotions. You are in control of how you react to the environments
you are put into.
It tells us to remember that there are things that happen in life that
are outside your control, meaning you cannot change them. What
you can do, however, is change how you react to them. Like there is
nothing you can do about your situation, whether it be in love,
finance, or career, remember that you have control over yourself and
how you react to the problems at hand. No one can take that from
you.
The overall tone of the poem is somewhat inspirational. It’s a
father’s advice to his son. Father (Rudyard Kipling) is speaking to his
son and giving him the most valuable life lesson on how to become a
complete man.
The poem is a blueprint for personal integrity, rightful behavior, and
self-development. It is both didactic and serious; not dry and preachy
but highly motivational.
The overarching theme of the poem is successful virtuous living
based on values pertaining to integrity, rightful behavior, and self-
development.
The poem speaks to each and every reader about what it means to
become a complete man and how he operates through thick and
thin.

About the Poet:


Rudyard Kipling was one of the best-known late Victorian poets and
storytellers. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907
but was critically unpopular due to his political views, which only
grew more toxic as he aged.
He was born in Bombay, India in 1865. His father was the Principal of
a particular School of Art as well as an architect and artist.
Kipling was sent with his sister to England in 1871 and began his
schooling there. They lived with a foster family named Holloways.
These were miserable years for Kipling. Mrs. Holloway was a brutal
woman. She beat and bullied Kipling, who also struggled to fit in at
school. In addition to feelings of bewilderment and abandonment
from being deserted by his parents, Kipling had to suffer bullying by
the woman of the house and her son resulting in a nervous
breakdown. He was sent off to another school in a different place in
1878. Here, things got better.
In 1882, he left for India to rejoin his family and begin a career as a
journalist. He left home for England in 1889 to pursue his future as a
writer. Kipling’s sudden rise to fame drew many people’s attention;
one among them was a young American publisher who became
friends with Kipling. Kipling married the publisher’s sister, Caroline in
1892. Then, Kipling proceeded to live in America. He stayed here for
several years. He wrote “The Jungle Book” during this stay. Kipling
died early in 1946 to a painful illness.

The Structure of the Poem:


The poem has 32 lines in total. It has been divided into four stanzas
of equal length, all of which contain eight lines with a regular meter
and rhythm. Each stanza has a rhyme scheme of ababcdcd, with the
exception of the first stanza which has the rhyme scheme aaaabcbc.
One line with an extra syllable is followed by a line with no extra
syllable. Each line can be divided into five feet with one unstressed
and stressed syllable. This gives the poem a sense of cohesion and
order, which is very much in keeping with the poem's central idea,
which advocates an ordered and controlled lifestyle.
There is an alternating rhyme scheme. Each thought is continued into
the next line. There are hyphens used throughout the poem that
create pauses. There is only one complete stop in the poem, the
exclamation mark at the end. This structure suggests that the poem
is an ongoing thought. Becoming a man is an ongoing process that is
difficult and challenging.
The title and the repetition of the word ‘if’ throughout the poem
means ‘uncertainty’. ‘If you’ phrase is used throughout the poem; ‘if’
stresses the possibility of finding oneself in that situation, while ‘you’
emphasizes owning up and taking responsibility.
The poem develops through a series of suggestions using opposites
to clarify the message. The advice is presented in a series of
statements each beginning with the conditional word ‘if’; each
statement contains a pair of opposites which build up into a strong
guide as to how the father feels life should be lived.
By beginning each piece of advice with the word ‘if’ Kipling uses the
first part of the conditional tense construction. The second part
comes at the end of stanza 4 (in ‘yours is...’ and ‘you’ll…’).
In both constructions, there is the sense that ‘if you do this, then that
will happen’.
The sentences mentioned are hypothetical and general, the
attributes are ones to strive for, not ones that can be achieved
overnight.
The fact that the poem is one long conditional sentence indicates
that it will take a long time and considerable effort, for the son to
become a man in the sense that the father is speaking of.

Common questions

Powered by AI

Kipling’s embodiment of stoicism in "If" contrasts sharply with his difficult childhood marked by emotional vulnerability and suffering. While the poem extols unshakable composure and emotional resilience, Kipling himself suffered emotional and physical abuse, culminating in a nervous breakdown. This contradiction suggests a personal aspiration to the stoic virtues he outlined, possibly as a means of overcoming his tumultuous past .

Kipling uses literary devices like conditional clauses, repetition, and enjambment to emphasize that personal development is an ongoing process. The conditional "if" clauses outline potential scenarios, reinforcing the idea that virtues are constantly tested. Enjambment reflects the continuity of thought and action necessary for gradual improvement, while repetition of phrases ensures the reader remains focused on the qualities needed for true manhood .

The structure of "If" contributes to its theme by employing a rhyme scheme and metrical pattern that mirror the ordered and controlled lifestyle advocated in the poem. Its alternating rhyme scheme and continuous flow (with only one complete stop) suggest that maturation and becoming a complete man is an ongoing process. The conditional statements, structured as "if-then" scenarios, emphasize the gradual attainment of the ideals described. This structure underscores the notion that powerful qualities are developed over time through sustained effort .

Framing "If" as advice from a father to his son significantly enhances its didactic and motivational tone. This perspective gives the poem a personal touch, making the advice more relatable and impactful. It underscores the transfer of wisdom across generations, suggesting that the qualities advocated are timeless. This framing choice also imbues the poem with an emotional weight, reinforcing the importance of the virtues outlined as keys to successful living .

The conditional statements in "If" create a forward-looking, motivational tone as they build expectations and offer promises of personal growth if specific virtues are adhered to. By presenting hypothetical situations, Kipling encourages the reader to visualize possible challenges and responses, making the advice more personalized and reflective. This effectively transforms abstract ideals into actionable goals, enhancing the poem’s motivational impact .

Kipling's approach to life, as reflected in "If", was centered on resilience and personal integrity, perhaps more so than many of his contemporaries who were influenced by Victorian ideals but less publicly critiqued them. His portrayal of the ideal man as one who withstands adversity with poise and control differs from the more rigid emotional suppression typical of the era, offering a pathway to constructive self-improvement amid trials rather than mere endurance .

Kipling's "If" suggests that essential qualities for a virtuous life include self-discipline, perseverance, wisdom, and the ability to remain composed in adversity. These reflect Victorian ideals, particularly the notion of stoicism, which emphasizes uncomplaining endurance and self-mastery. The poem advocates detachment from emotional turmoil and suggests that true control stems from being in charge of one’s responses to external circumstances .

The poem’s message of self-control and perseverance would have strongly resonated with readers during Kipling’s time due to the value placed on stoicism in Victorian society. Its emphasis on self-mastery, balanced emotions, and personal integrity could inspire individuals to strive for self-improvement and adherence to societal ideals. The guidance provided in the poem likely encouraged readers to navigate the rigid social expectations of the era with greater ease and composure .

Kipling's turbulent early life, characterized by bullying and abandonment during his childhood in England, likely shaped the themes in "If". Experiencing emotional hardship taught him the necessity of enduring adversity with composure and self-reliance, concepts that are central to the poem’s message. His past experiences with hardship and the pursuit of personal mastery reflect the ideals of stoicism and resilience advocated in the poem .

The use of opposites in "If" enhances its guidance by presenting balanced perspectives on behavior and decision-making. By juxtaposing conflicting actions and emotions, such as triumph and disaster or doubting and trusting, Kipling underscores the importance of moderate, thoughtful responses in life's situations. This technique illustrates that wisdom lies in maintaining equilibrium between extremes and offers a nuanced approach to virtuous living .

You might also like