If, By Rudyard Kipling Poem by Kiran Ashtekar

If, By Rudyard Kipling

Rating: 4.6


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:

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 all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath 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!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Dvalles Valles 30 September 2009

.: : . This is thoughtful and didactic poem written by Rudyard Kipling. This poem takes us through many situations of life and how we should deal with them. The first Stanza talks about our self-confidence. I says we should believe in ourselves when we our doubted. We should also consider the doubting as there may be a fault in us. We should not give into lies when we are being lied about or hate those who hate us. We should be humble at the same time we must not look too good or wise. The second Stanza is about the fact that we should be as we our and not let thoughts master our mind. we should not let our dreams interfere with reality. We should take Success and Failure as the same as the aim of both of them is to change our life. Success can make over-confidence and other related feelings get into our head whereas defeat while lower our morale and confidence we may not want do something again. Further it says one should not give into the traps set up for fools by cunning people. We should not give into hopelessness when our dream world breaks. Instead we should bend down use the remainder and the worn out tools to start once again. The third stanza conveys that if one has collected all their experience, money, wisdom, etc. and have risked it all on one worthwhile adventure and we lose we should not say anything about our loss and should instead go on and start from the beginning to gain back all that we have lost. If our physical and mental strength is exhausted then we should just hold-on and should not lose our will power. When there is nothing inside a person they should just hold on to courage, will, -power, confidence as these our the things which will provide us support. The third Stanza says that one should not lose their virtue while interacting with the common crowds. Whereas at the same time should keep their state of mind and coolness when interacting with great people like Kings. We must not be affected by the love of friends and hatred of enemies. We must not give somebody extra attention nor should we ignore anybody. If one could fill every minute of our life with a worth wile activity. If a person has all these virtues then he/she is the true master of the Earth and will become a man/woman in the actual sense. I actually came to this site to find more hints and tips on this poem for myself but I did not find anything so i posted something who people could read who come later! ! !

21 9 Reply
Udara Gunawardena 21 November 2012

nice poem! .this can treat me greater than a doctor.

17 12 Reply
Anurag Ray 26 April 2012

From the beginning to the end this is a noble piece of inspiration. I say From the starting this poem ignites a fire within which is itself a fuel to our Aim in our lives. This is just off the mark and i will say Maya Angelou is just a small puff of dust in front of Rudyard Kipling. Maya has a different approach which is not bad but its just not reaching the benchmark which this poem has reached.

12 15 Reply
Krishna Somandepalli 21 August 2012

Every single time I read, it inspires me and sends a sharp tinge up my spine as if my mind is experiencing exaltation, but when I reach the end, I feel sad for I realize how far from perfection I really am.

16 9 Reply
Francisca Darko 17 August 2012

My favourite poem. It inspires me everytime I read.

14 8 Reply
Samantha Gill 10 October 2020

I quite like this poem. I feel like he is saying don't hate even though others may hate if you have everything you want but are around others that don't that you should be humble.Enjoy your success don't be smug about your success. I guess its about being human, having empathy and consideration of others as well as yourself.

0 0 Reply
Taewon 30 July 2020

Thank you for the good poem by Poet Kipling!

1 0 Reply
Jaxson Ruffner 03 April 2020

I am very confused. Can someone help me understand a little bit better?

0 0 Reply
Nancy Cohen 09 June 2019

Yes, a great poem! Personally, when rereading this poem today, I reflect on the fortitude needed to move forward, and the resolve it takes to not back step in the 'unforgiving minute'.

2 0 Reply
Taxis 04 July 2018

One of the greatest poems ever written

5 1 Reply
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