Grade VII.

ENGLISH LITERATURE

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‘IF —’ by Rudyard Kipling

Poem Appreciation

In the poem "If," the author writes an instructive poem. He uses illustrations to give lessons to live by.
The speaker is teaching his son lessons in life. If the son will follow the speakers instructions, he will
inherit the earth and become a man.

The first stanza teaches the son significant virtues that will help the son become a man. He
admonishes the son to keep self control when others are losing theirs and "blaming it on you." Keep
self confidence and "trust yourself when all men doubt you."

The speaker instructs the son to live a balanced life. The speaker teaches the son the importance of
patience. The speaker teaches the importance of having honesty. The speaker teaches the the son not
to hate:

Stanza two continues in the teaching mode. Instructive messages fill each line. Dream but do "not
make dreams your master."

Stanza three speaks to the son and advises that he should be able to lose it all and begin again and
never utter a word about your losses

Finally comes the achievement that we can get if we fulfill all the conditions mentioned so far. We can
win this earth and everything in it. We can go to top of the world and rule over everything. And what
is more, We would be a complete and perfect human being.

Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’ is full of figurative languages and other poetic devices. Below is a list of
figures of speech and literary devices found in this poem —

Metaphor
Metaphors are implied comparison between two different things where there is a point of similarity.

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same

In the above lines, ‘triumph and disaster’ are compared to impostors. Success and failure both can
deceive us, as we may become too happy or too sad and forget our duty. Moreover, triumph and
disaster both are transitory — in most cases they don’t last long. Happiness comes after sorrow and
vice-versa. But we are often deceived in thinking them to be permanent.

Personification
Personification is attributing human characteristics to non-human objects.

If you can dream — and not make dreams your master

In the above line, the poet urges us not to allow our ‘dreams‘ to act like our master and control us.
Our dreams acting like a master is a personification of dream.

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

‘Triumph‘ and ‘disaster‘ are here attributed human characteristics and called ‘impostors’ or deceivers
who can befool us.

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

‘Minute‘ or time is here personified by the term ‘unforgiving’. Time waits for none. The poet says, it
does not ‘forgive’ those who waste their valuable time. Forgiving is a human quality attributed to
‘minute’ here.

Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

‘Will‘ or human resolution is personified as it can encourage us not to give up.

Symbolism
It is the use of language in a way that something has a symbolic or deeper meaning other than the
apparent one.

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

‘Pitch-and-toss‘ is a game. But here it is a symbol for big risks in life. The poet advises us to take bigger
risks if it is for good reasons.

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch

In the above lines, ‘crowds‘ symbolizes the common people, ‘kings‘ symbolizes important persons and
‘common touch‘ refers to humbleness.

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

This line is not to be taken literally. Kipling means to say that if we possess those good qualities, we
would find ourselves to be highly successful in life and winning the hearts of people. It would
resemble winning the earth itself.
Synecdoche
It is when we use parts of something to mean the whole or vice-versa.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

‘heart and nerve and sinew‘ are parts to mean the whole body. The poet says, we have to force our
body to keep working by the power of will, even after it has lost its vigour.

Anaphora
Anaphora is a rhetorical device that consists of repeating a sequence of words at the beginnings of
neighboring clauses.

The poem ‘If-‘ is a collection of a number of ‘if clauses’ which start with ‘If you can…‘

Antithesis
Opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction.
Eg: if all men count with you, but none too much.

Assonance
The repetition of the same vowel sounds in words close to each other.
Eg: And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise.

Hyperbole
Exaggeration of facts.
Eg.: ‘yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it’

The rhyme scheme is:

Stanza 1: aaaa bcbc

Stanza 2: abab cdcd

Stanza 3: abab cdcd

Q1 Write the meanings of: (Refer textbook)

Q2 Explain what the speaker means by:

1. If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs

Ans: If a person is able to think clearly in a difficult situation when no one else is able to understand
anything, the person will be able to provide solutions and lead everyone out of trouble.

2. If you can wait and not be tried by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies
Ans: A person has to be patient. In addition, the person mist continue to be honest even when
dishonesty surrounds him/her. One ought to hold on to one's integrity even in adverse situations.

3. If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
Ans: One must not be disturbed when dishonest people twist the facts that he/she has stated to
entrap other unsuspecting people.

4. If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone
Ans: One must be prepared to exert oneself to the extreme in spite of overwhelming exhaustion or
the urge to give up in order to achieve goals.

5. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings--nor lose the common touch
Ans: It is extremely necessary for a person to preserve a sense of individual identity: one needs to be
able to hold on to one's principles irrespective of whether one is walking with the Crowd or engaging
with the royalty. One should always be capable of lofty thought and simple life.

Q3 Answer these questions:

1. Does the speaker warn his reader to be careful in spite of his ideals? Give two examples from the
poem to highlight this.
Ans: The lines--'If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,/But make allowance for their
doubting too' and '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, not talk too wise'-- highlight the poet's warning to his readers to be
careful.

2. What should a perfect man do if he loses everything that he has gained?

Ans: The perfect man strains himself to regain everything that he has lost by expecting himself
entirety to that that cause. He works patiently and never gives up.

3. What should a man reconstruct in himself after everything is lost? Why is it important to do so?
Ans: A man should reconstruct his will. It is important to do so because all his other senses will be
devastated by the loss. Only his will can compel him to begin again from a scratch.

4. What, according to the speaker, are the speaker, are the qualities of a true leader?
Ans: A true leader leads by example. He is not only able to keep calm in unfavourable situations, he
also has faith in himself. In spite of others mistrust, his faith in himself in unwavering. Even then, he
allows room for other people's doubts in his actions. He is a patient, honest and principled person
who does not lie or hate anyone to avenge himself. He is also able to exercise moderation in his
actions--he can dream but does not become a dreamer and can think but does not brood. He prizes all
his acquaintances but never become extremely close to anyone of them. In spite of all his knowledge
and self-worth, he does not come across as 'too good' or 'too wise'. He is a practical man who knows
that the fact stated by him might be twisted by selfish people for seld-gain and is prepared for
situations when the principles that he stood for are trampled and have to be re-built painstakingly. He
is a risk-taker who can pawn all of his achievements at a game. When he loses all to them, he can
force his will to command his senses to restore all that was lost without a single word of protest or
complaint. He preservers in his endeavour, never giving up, even if his entire being seems to be set
against it. He has the ability to mix freely with commoners as well as royalty. His opinions are never
influenced by his proximity to either of them: he, on the other hand, is able to make balanced
decisions on the basis of his knowledge. He makes every second count, even when each moment is
painful and torturous, never losing spirit, counting Triumph and Disaster alike, unperturbed by both.
He is a person who is restrained and moderate in his manner, and extremely resilient by temperature.

Q4 Think and answer

1. Comment on the tone of the poem. Who do you think it is addressed to?
Ans: The tone of the poem is didactic. I think it is addressed to a student.