Analysis of If by Rudyard Kipling

1. Joseph Rudyard Kipling
1865-1936
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.

2. • Analysis of the poem using:
Structure
Language
Imagery
Meaning
Effect

3. 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 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;

4. • Enjambment?
Enjambment = the
continuation of a
sentence or clause over a
line-break

5. • 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…

6. 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?

7. If 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

8. 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;
Personification
is used to
promote
caution against
‘impostors’,
such as
‘Triumph and
Disaster’.

9. If you can make a heap of all your winnings
And risk it all 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!”
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.

10. 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!
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.

11. Poem published in 1910. His son died in 1915
The poet sends us a message:
1. Remain humble
2. Avoid extremes
3. Find goodness even in the darkest
circumstances
4. Give us advice/tell us what to do

12. • What do you feel when you hear this poem?
• What do you think about?
Remember to use the text when explaining
your feelings.