However, later in life Kipling also came to be seen (in George Orwell's words) as a "prophet of British imperialism." Many saw prejudice and militarism in his works, and the resulting controversy about him continued for much of the 20th century. According to critic Douglas Kerr: "He is still an author who can inspire passionate disagreement and his place in literary and cultural history is far from settled. But as the age of the European empires recedes, he is recognized as an incomparable, if controversial, interpreter of how empire was experienced. That, and an increasing recognition of his extraordinary narrative gifts, make him a force to be reckoned with."
if
Rudyard Kipling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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!
The lyrics to Rudyard Kipling's "If" are a timeless reflection on the qualities expected of an ideal man. The first stanza is a reflection on how true strength is being able to keep a level head in situations of chaos and not surrendering to frustration or anger when others expect you to. It's about trusting yourself and having self-confidence and not being overly arrogant at the same time. In the second stanza, Kipling talks about the importance of having dreams and thoughts but not letting them control you. It's about valuing those things but also realizing that neither triumph nor disaster will define you in the end.
The third stanza is about the grit required to persevere through failure and setbacks. The imagery of risking and losing everything in "one turn of pitch-and-toss" is a powerful metaphor for life's uncertainties, but the willingness to start again, to keep going despite setbacks, is the mark of a true hero.
The last stanza emphasizes the importance of character and virtue, of being true to oneself while still being able to connect and work with others regardless of their social position. Finally, it's about taking advantage of every single second of every single day, because a true man knows that those seconds are his wealth - and what will enable him to leave behind a legacy.
Line by Line Meaning
If you can keep your head when all about you
If you can remain calm in the midst of chaos and confusion
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
when everyone around you is losing their composure and blaming you for the problem.
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
If you can believe in yourself when all others doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too;
While keeping faith in yourself, be aware that others may not have the same opinion
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
If you can persist in patience without getting weary
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
If you can avoid the temptation to lie when others are lying about you
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
If you can resist the urge to hate when faced with hatred
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can find a balance by being humble yet confident in your abilities at the same time
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can nurture your dreams, but not allow them to overpower you
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can think clearly, but not let your thoughts consume you completely
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
If you can face both success and failure
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can remain balanced through both success and failure
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
If you can accept criticism for speaking the truth
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
If others twist your words to trap you in a deceitful way
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
If you can watch all your hard work and effort crumble into disarray
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can begin the arduous task of rebuilding what you've lost with the tools that are left
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
If you can gather all your winnings into one pile
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
If you are willing to take a big risk with the earnings you've accumulated
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
If you can accept the loss and begin again from scratch
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can keep quiet about the loss you've suffered
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
If you can motivate your body, mind and soul
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
If you can keep going even after you're drained of energy
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
If you can hold on even when you have nothing left
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!'
If you have the willpower to continue and follow the mantra, 'Hold On'
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
If you can communicate with large crowds without losing your morals
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If you can socialize with the elite without losing touch with the commoners
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If you're immune to both harm and hurt from foes and friends alike
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you value everybody but always keep in mind that you can't expect too much from anyone
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
If you are able to make the most of every moment
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
If you can achieve something significant in a short amount of time
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
The world and everything in it shall belong to you
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!
And what's more, you will be a Man, my son!
Contributed by Amelia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mr2octavio
I just wanted to say that this poem appeared on my feed the day I was planning the route of the coward, the loss of my own hope in myself, and now I can stop thinking about it on every second I live, I stopped drinking, stopped gaming, I said no more to my addictions.
I'm studying, trying, fighting for my own place. And I won't give up I promise, but whoever runs this channel on YouTube; I just wanted to thank you.
I'll for sure will never meet you and maybe this message you'll never read, but to me you're important now, and probably in years to come. You saved my life and my heart is at peace, because I am now facing my own defeat with my head up, and I'm not wearing a crown for doing so.
To you, sir or madam, thank you.
Edit - Jan 12:
Hello everyone, I was surely not expecting my comment to gather so much attention, but I feel that I should share that I am doing way better than when I wrote this original post. I put effort into my studying, and I managed to get a scholarship, I placed effort in my body, and now I am training daily, I am not drinking at all and I wake up with energy to face off the marvel that it's a day. As Kipling will say "fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds of distance run". I may not be doing the whole sixty but it's way better than what I were two months ago, so to whoever reads this, please, I know you don't even know me, but don't give up, life has its own beauty but it for sure doesn't come in a silver plate. I hope you can at least give it another chance with a different perspective.
And thank you everyone for your kind words.
August-11:
Just to keep you posted on how life under a new light can be blissful, what looked grim now looks grey and what looked grey now has light by itself. Be thankful for being here, despite all, you're alive, you're breathing and life can be enjoyed, YOU WILL FALL, TRIP, STUMBLE, that's a FACT, but the important thing is WHAT YOU DO after hitting the ground with your face.
GET UP and keep moving, stop stagnation.
I kept doing that, standing up, now I have a job, I live by myself, my own rules, I have shifted my life 180 degrees and 3 stories higher (my new apt is on the third floor, yes it's a rental but IT'S MY FLOOR), it's incredible what a daily routine and dedication to achieve your own goals can bring.
Don't give up, I didn't, you can't, you're valuable.
Stay safe, and be happy.
Oct, 2023.
This life is good, don't give up. I came across this video again because I felt I owed it a second hearing. And I stumbled upon my old comment. I'm on a way better place now.
@rickjensen2833
The two things I remember the most mom told me; nothing ever goes the way you planned it and give me the flowers now, not on my grave.
@doloresparra4604
Wise mother 🌹
@lorifenton1284
My mom used to say “Give flowers to the living.” Miss you Mom 😘
@cynthiadebeau4230
This was my mom’s favorite poem... I still have it, yellowed with age, in its old frame, and now loved by me too 🙏🏻❤️
@doloresparra4604
@@cynthiadebeau4230 oh, what a lovely memory and tribute to your mom. 🌠
@CAP753
Your statement is almost as powerful as this poem.
@nishantintouch
Success and disaster..
"If you can treat those two imposters just the same.."
Brilliant.
@sayvorie
Because the are one and the same; only different extremes. You can’t have one without the other.
@JustJake77
You can't have light without the dark. Hope without despair. Good without evil... This is the way of nature.... Balance is the key
@theman946
@@sayvorie In Mandarin, the character for disaster is also opportunity. An irrational number, if you will. Both + and -.