By Rudyard Kipling

Stanza No.1
to be stable and calm despite stress near; close to; around
If you can keep your head when all about you the natural pause after ‘head’ is caesura
to lose one’s calm and act irrationally; panic
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
placing the guilt for something wrong on someone; criticizing
have faith in; believe in disbelieve; distrust
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
take something into consideration, as when making a judgment
But make allowance for their doubting too;
being skeptical

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

not told the truth about (someone) you trade in
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, (remain truthful)
yield to: allow oneself to feel or express something
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
hatred; dislike
(conj) despite this; still appear to be of good moral character; indicate a likelihood of something successful
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: informed; crafty; shrewd
excessively; immensely exchange thoughts or opinions
 Stanza No.2
to have as an aspiration or hope or goal one that exercises control over others
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
imagine; fantasize about ideas target; purpose
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
experience; suffer success; victory failure; mishap
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
behaves towards; deal with deceivers; cheaters makes no difference one way or another (to one)
And treat those two impostors just the same; (personification)
endure; suffer
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken (enjambment)
misrepresented; falsified; distorted befool others
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
swindlers; cheaters
devoted; sacrificed defeated; smashed; failed
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
bend; kneel; crouch no longer usable; exhausted
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools: gadget; device; machine
develop; form steadily
 Stanza No.3
pile; stack something won esp. money; win
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
gamble; to expose to a chance of loss a gambling game
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
move; toss
be beaten; suffer defeat the start or first part of something
And lose, and start again at your beginnings (early stage or phase)
whisper; utter; say
And never breathe a word about your loss;
compel; push; thrust courage resolve; fortitude physical strength
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
be useful or helpful;
To suffice for one’s immediate need or purpose
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
refuse to yield; continue despite difficulties no substance or fabric
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
determination; doggedness
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
 Stanza No.4
mob hold on to; retain goodness; honour
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
be in the company of (conj) and not the ability of powerful or famous people to talk to and understand ordinary people
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
adversaries; rivals injure; harm
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
are significant for no-one more than necessary
If all men count with you, but none too much;
merciless time
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
become full with something usefulness; utility

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

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

even more importantly
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
•
Poetic Devices
Anaphora: Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or lines.
Kipling employs anaphora with the phrase "If you can" to emphasize the importance of the qualities he is
describing, such as courage, strength, and determination.
• Repetition: The word "if" is repeated at the beginning of many of the lines in the poem, creating a sense of
intensity.
• Enjambment: This is a poetic device in which a line of verse is terminated before the end of a sentence,
with the continuation of the sentence carried over to the next line. Enjambment is used in the poem to
create a sense of flow and movement, and to make the poem more challenging to read.
• Caesura: This is a pause in a line of verse, usually occurring after a stressed syllable. Caesura is used in "If"
to create emphasis and to give the reader a moment to reflect on the meaning of the poem.
• Imagery: The poem is full of vivid imagery that helps to create a strong sense of emotion and meaning. For
example:
 Lines 1 & 2 use imagery of a chaotic and stressful situation to create a sense of urgency and challenge.
 Lines 9 & 10 use imagery of dreams to create a sense of ambition and possibility.
 Lines 25 & 26 use imagery of crowds and Kings to create a sense of balance and humility.
 Lines 27 & 28 use imagery of foes and friends to create a sense of independence and self-reliance.

• In addition to these poetic devices, the poem also uses a number of other literary techniques, such as
metaphor, simile, and personification. These techniques help to create a vivid and memorable image of
the qualities that Kipling believes are essential for success in life.