Summary of the Poem ‘IF’ by Rudyard Kipling
The poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling is a motivational and inspiring poem that encourages the reader to hold on to their values, persevere through challenges, and maintain their integrity in the face of adversity. The poem is structured in a series of conditional statements, each one presenting a challenge that the reader must overcome to become a person of character.
The opening lines set the tone for the poem and establish the theme of the importance of maintaining one's composure and keeping a level head in difficult situations. The speaker challenges the reader to be able to remain calm and collected in the midst of chaos and confusion, even when others are blaming them for the problem.
The second stanza encourages the reader to trust themselves even when others doubt them, while also acknowledging the importance of considering others' opinions. The third stanza emphasizes the importance of patience and perseverance in the face of obstacles and adversity, and the need to resist the temptation to resort to dishonesty or hatred.
The fourth stanza stresses the importance of having dreams and aspirations but not becoming a slave to them. The speaker encourages the reader to have a balanced perspective and not let their thoughts and ambitions consume them. The fifth stanza deals with the need to be able to handle success and failure with equal grace and not be swayed by either.
The sixth stanza stresses the importance of being able to handle criticism and setbacks and to be able to bounce back from failures. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of being able to continue pushing oneself even when faced with physical or emotional exhaustion.
The seventh stanza deals with the importance of maintaining one's values and integrity, regardless of the situation. The speaker encourages the reader to be able to interact with people from all walks of life and to remain grounded in reality, regardless of their status.
The final stanza sums up the poem's message by emphasizing the importance of making the most of every minute and every opportunity, and by reminding the reader that if they can accomplish all of the challenges presented in the poem, they will be a true success in life.
Overall, the poem is an inspiring and timeless piece of literature that encourages readers to strive for excellence and maintain their values, no matter what challenges they may face.
The Vocabulary of the Poem
Composure - calmness and self-control
Adversity - difficult circumstances or misfortune
Integrity - the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles
Aspirations - a strong desire to achieve something
Slave - a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them
Grace - elegance or refinement of movement or gesture
Criticism - the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes
Setbacks - a reversal or check in progress
Exhaustion - a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue
Values - principles or standards of behavior
Confronted - face up to and deal with a problem or difficult situation
Overcome - succeed in dealing with a problem or difficulty
Doubt - a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction
Wait - stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens
Lied - past tense of lie, to speak falsely or deliberately deceive someone
Hating - feeling intense or passionate dislike for someone
Dream - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
Impostors - a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others
Triumph - a great victory or achievement
Disaster - a sudden event causing great damage or loss
Bear - endure an ordeal or difficulty
Twisted - distort or change the meaning or context of something
Knaves - a dishonest or unscrupulous man
Trap - a device or stratagem for catching someone in a trap
Fools - a person who lacks good sense or judgment
Watch - observe or pay attention to someone or something
Stooping - bend one's head or body forward and downward
Build - construct something by putting parts or material together
Heap - a large and disordered pile of things
Winnings - money or another valuable object won or obtained
Risk - a situation involving exposure to danger
Pitch-and-toss - a gambling game in which a coin is thrown and the player who correctly calls which side will come up wins the coin
Nerve - a person's steadiness, courage, and sense of purpose
Sinew - a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone or bone to bone; a tendon or ligament.
Serve - perform duties or services for (another person or an organization)
Virtue - behavior showing high moral standards
Kings - a male ruler of a country who is not an emperor
Unforgiving - not willing to forgive or excuse faults or errors
Minute - a period of time equal to sixty seconds
Earth - the planet on which we live, the third planet from the sun in the solar system
Here are 20 more challenging words from the poem along with their meanings:
Cogitate - to think deeply and carefully about something
Cleave - to split or sever something with a sharp instrument
Suborn - to induce someone to commit an unlawful act, especially bribery or perjury
Impudence - disrespectful behavior or speech
Prudence - the quality of being careful and cautious in making decisions
Renown - the state of being known and celebrated by many people for one's achievements or qualities
Arduous - involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring
Pallor - an unhealthy pale appearance
Requite - to make appropriate return for (a favor, service, etc.)
Slander - the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation
Chastise - to rebuke or reprimand severely
Dissemble - to conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs
Ignominy - public shame or disgrace
Obstinate - stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action
Dilapidated - in a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect
Gird - to prepare oneself for something difficult or challenging
Sordid - involving immoral or unethical behavior
Unscrupulous - having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair
Endeavor - an attempt to achieve a goal
Condone - to allow or overlook something considered wrong or objectionable
Some Important Question and Answer about the Poem
What is the poem "If" about?
The poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling is a moral instruction on how to live a virtuous life. It describes the qualities that an individual should possess, such as self-control, perseverance, honesty, and humility, in order to navigate life's challenges and become a successful person.
What is the theme of the poem "If"?
The main theme of the poem "If" is the importance of character development and the virtues that an individual should strive to possess in order to become successful in life. The poem emphasizes the importance of self-control, patience, determination, honesty, and humility in achieving one's goals.
What is the tone of the poem "If"?
The tone of the poem "If" is didactic, meaning that it is intended to teach a moral lesson. The poem is written in a calm and measured tone, conveying a sense of wisdom and authority.
What is the structure of the poem "If"?
The poem "If" is a rhyming quatrain, meaning that each stanza has four lines and follows an ABAB rhyme scheme. The poem is divided into four stanzas, each of which describes a different quality or virtue that an individual should possess.
What is the significance of the last line of the poem "If"?
The last line of the poem "If" is "Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, / And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!" This line emphasizes the idea that if an individual possesses the virtues described in the poem, they will be successful in life and will have the world at their feet. The reference to "being a Man" suggests that these virtues are particularly important for men to possess, but the lesson is equally applicable to both men and women.
Some literary devices used in the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling along with examples:
Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
Example: "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two impostors just the same" Here, Triumph and Disaster are metaphorically referred to as impostors to convey the idea that success and failure are temporary and should be treated with equanimity.
Personification: A figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to non-human things.
Example: "If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew / To serve your turn long after they are gone" Here, the heart, nerve, and sinew are personified as if they were people, to emphasize the importance of perseverance and determination.
Repetition: The repeating of a word, phrase or idea to emphasize its significance or importance.
Example: "If you can keep your head when all about you / Are losing theirs and blaming it on you" The repetition of "if" at the beginning of each stanza emphasizes the importance of each condition, while the repetition of "you" emphasizes the individual responsibility to possess the described virtues.
Alliteration: The repetition of the initial consonant sound in a series of words.
Example: "If you can fill the unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds' worth of distance run" The repetition of the "f" sound in "fill" and "forgiving" and the "s" sound in "sixty seconds" and "distance run" create a musical effect, drawing attention to the idea of making the most of every moment.
Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words.
Example: "If you can dream - and not make dreams your master" The repetition of the "e" sound in "dream" and "make" creates a musical effect, while drawing attention to the importance of maintaining a balance between ambition and reality.
Hyperbole: Exaggeration used to emphasize a point or create an effect.
Example: "And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss" The idea of risking everything on a single toss of a coin is an exaggerated example of taking risks to achieve one's goals.
These are just a few examples of the many literary devices used in the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling.
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