One must examine the totality of Rudyard Kipling’s poem "If" in order to identify the lines that provide instruction. The "if" statements can be construed as instruction. After reading the poem, which is composed of numerous “if” statements followed by a “then” statement, the reader determines that the narrator is instructing his son on the attributes necessary to become a "man."
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a...
One must examine the totality of Rudyard Kipling’s poem "If" in order to identify the lines that provide instruction. The "if" statements can be construed as instruction. After reading the poem, which is composed of numerous “if” statements followed by a “then” statement, the reader determines that the narrator is instructing his son on the attributes necessary to become a "man."
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Kipling provides instruction on integrity, dreams, social standing, hard-work, prosperity or the lack thereof. Each stanza focuses on an ideal, which the author elaborates on by stating a case using “if” statements. When speaking about “dreams" and forward thinking, the lines say,
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;
But the author does not immediately reveal what will happen if the reader takes these actions.
Each stanza continues to build on the theme of integrity and quiet strength even when faced with adversity. The author explains that it is noble to pick oneself up after failing, to rebuild, and to move forward.
Therefore, each "if" statement is instructional before the teaching ends in the final line when the outcome of the lessons is revealed.
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