I - Semester, English Unit II

 

If

Rudyard Kipling

 

Summary:

 

The poem ‘If’ was written by Rudyard Kipling. He was a famous English poet and Novelist. He became a notable person by writing ‘Jungle Book’. The present poem “If” was written in 1895 and published in ‘The rewards and fairies’ in 1910. He mentioned in one of his autobiographies that he was influenced by a Scottish Politician named Leander Starr Jameson for taking part in a raid (unsuccessful raid) against the Transvaal Republic. The unsuccessful raid of Leander Starr Jameson inspired the poet to write the poem ’If’.

 

According to the poem, the Poet stated that a person can become successful in the society by maintaining calmness in the mind. He instructed people to believe in their own talent to become confident and introspect themselves in order to improve their talents. He had also mentioned that the people should not say lies; they should not hate others and never try to communicate in a too good or too wise manner because they make people become uncomfortable.

 

The poet instructed people to dream and think logically in the society, but, at the same time he cautioned people not to make dreams their masters and waste their time only in thinking. He advised people not to believe the impostors called triumphant and disasters in their lives. He also stated that people should always speak truth and try to build their career from the knowledge which they had acquired so laboriously. He mentioned that the people should not lose their courage when the career graph of them falls down because of any hasty decision. Instead, they should believe in their talent and stoop to rebuild their career again with worn out tools.

 

Sometimes men find losses to come into their lives for taking any decision in a proud manner. Naturally at that time, people become unhappy and lose their confidence. But, the poet stated that the people should not lose their confidence at that time, instead they should gather courage and try to reshape their life of success in an appropriate manner with whatever knowledge they had. The poet also mentioned that people should develop will power to do their works in the old age properly because will power can sinew both desire and nerve into any kind of person.

 

In the last stanza the poet advised the readers to speak with common people and kingly ones in an appropriate manner. He made them realize that the reputation of them grows in the society, if they maintain positive attitude. People should understand the importance of time and make use of each and every minute appropriately and work hard to become successful in the society.

 

The present poem has four stanzas. Each stanza has eight lines. In every stanza the poet explained many good qualities to be followed in order to become great or successful in the society.  With the introduction of the word ‘son’ in the last line of the poem, one can understand that the poem was written in the form of a parental advice from a father to his child. At the same time, it can also be understood that the poem can be treated as the perfect guidance given by an intellectual to all the people to make them visualize and walk on the path of success.