About the poet

Joseph Rudyard Kipling1865-1936

was an English short-story writer, poet and novelist.

Born in Bombay, India, which at that time belonged to Britain. When he was 5 years old his

family moved to England. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature in

1907. Kipling was also offered a knighthood on several occasions, but he declined this honour.

The Poem

• Analysis of the poem using:

StructureLanguageImageryMeaning Effect

SLIME

Structure

Rhyme scheme of the poem? Looking at stanza 2

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 with Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same;If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spokenTwisted 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;

Structure

• Enjambment?

Enjambment = the continuation of a

sentence or clause over a line-break

Structure

• Caesura(e)?

Caesura = a strong pause within a line. E.g. a question

mark in the middle of a sentence, a hyphen,

exclamation mark etc…

Let’s look at the language…

Before we move onto annotating the poem, count how many times the poet uses the word ‘If’.

Why do you think he keeps repeating the word?

Stanza 1If 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:

Imperatives do not feel like an

order or commanding,

but friendly and good-natured.

Giving us advice

The repetition of the word ‘If’ in the poem creates suspense. Piling on the

conditions while delaying the consequence

Stanza 2If 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 spokenTwisted 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;

Personification is used to promote

caution against ‘impostors’,

such as ‘Triumph and

Disaster’.

Stanza 3If you can make a heap of all your winningsAnd risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,And lose, and start again at your beginningsAnd never breathe a word about your loss;If you can force your heart and nerve and sinewTo serve your turn long after they are gone,And so hold on when there is nothing in youExcept the Will which says to them” “Hold on!”

Hints of recklessness in

the area of gambling, ‘risk it all’. Chances can be taken

and life should not be

mundane but lived to the

full.

Once again a capital letter is used to emphasise the

importance of your will power.

Stanza 4

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 minuteWith 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!

By constant repetition of the second person singular ‘you’, the narrator

achieves a direct appeal and

maintains our interest.

However, by the end of the

poem, we are shocked that

this is addressed to his son!

The final exclamation mark can be seen as encouragement to take his advice. Capital M for Man shows that to be a

real man is of great virtue.

Words ‘my son’ come as a shock, as we realise

that this is a dramatic monologue.

Meaning?

Poem published in 1910. His son died in 1915

The poet sends us a message:1. Remain humble2. Avoid extremes3. Find goodness even in the darkest

circumstances4. Give us advice/tell us what to do

Effect

• What do you feel when you hear this poem?• What do you think about?

Remember to use the text when explaining your feelings.