Analysis of 'If' by Rudyard Kipling

Voice in 'If'

• The poem uses a paternal voice, offering advice from a father to a son.

• The poem is written in a maternal voice, providing guidance from a mother to a daughter.

• The poem employs a neutral voice, presenting facts without personal bias.

• The poem uses a whimsical voice, filled with humor and light-heartedness.

Quotation from 'If' - Will

• "If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew / To serve your turn long after they are gone."

• "If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;"

• "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,"

Context of 'If'

• Written in 1895, the poem reflects Victorian values of stoicism and resilience.

• The poem was inspired by the author's childhood experiences in the countryside.

• It was published as a response to the industrial revolution's impact on society.

• The poem emphasizes the importance of romantic love and personal relationships.

Quotation from 'If' - Patience

• "If you can wait and not be tired by waiting."

• "Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting."

• "Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."

• "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."

Quotation from 'If' - Trust

• "If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, / But make allowance for their doubting too."

• "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

• "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."

• "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."

Big Ideas in 'If'

• The poem emphasizes the importance of maintaining composure and integrity.

• The poem discusses the inevitability of failure and despair.

• The poem highlights the value of wealth and success.

• The poem focuses on the significance of popularity and fame.

Quotation from 'If' - Dreams

• If you can dream—and not make dreams your master.

• Dreams are the touchstones of our character.

• To dream is to be alive.

• Dream big, work hard, stay focused.

Structural Choice - Culmination

• The poem's structure leads to a climax in the final lines, emphasizing the ultimate reward of manhood.

• The poem's structure is random and does not contribute to its meaning.

• The poem's structure is simple and lacks any significant climax.

• The poem's structure focuses solely on the theme of nature.

Imagery - Triumph and Disaster

• The personification of Triumph and Disaster as 'impostors' creates a vivid image of these concepts as deceptive.

• Triumph and Disaster are depicted as ultimate goals to achieve.

• The concepts of Triumph and Disaster are portrayed as equally beneficial.

• Triumph and Disaster are represented as permanent states of being.

Quotation from 'If' - Unforgiving Minute

• If you can fill the unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds' worth of distance run.

• If you can conquer every fear and doubt.

• If you can dream and not make dreams your master.

• If you can wait and not be tired by waiting.