Poetry
is one of the oldest arts. It has twin functions, ‘to please and to teach to
reader’. Sometime it gives pleasing
and something it gives teaching through pleasing. The poem ‘If’ is the best
examples of this type of poetry. It is written by Rudyard Kipling. He was a very famous poet of early part of the
twentieth century and was awarded Noble prize in 1907.
The
poem ‘If’ is an extract
from a longer poem ‘If’. It is a simple poem and like a piece of instruction in
which a father is giving to his son so that his son’s moral character would be
improved. Thus the poem shows simple faith and clear understanding.
The
title is always an outward impression of any literary work. In literature,
titles are generally given on the central ideas, central incident, or on the
name of the hero. Here the title ‘If’ is a short and simple. The word
‘If’ shows probabilities and possibilities. It means if son would achieve the
qualities put by his father, his moral character would be improved. This way,
it is an indicative and suitable.
The
theme of the poem is that the value of human life is depended on the moral
character, self-confidence and outspoken personality based on truth. ‘If’ is providing some clues to live
happy and successful life. In a way, all are some elderly advice to a young
man. Though the theme is very common but presented in the most glamorous way.
The poem is divided into three stanzas.
Through all these stanzas, the poet tells how to live a real life.
In
the first stanza the poet says when all are against you and all are blaming
you, at that time you must be able to keep your head up and answer all your
allegations. Secondly, when all
men doubt you, at that time you can truth yourself and clear the doubts that is
the real character. The faith is a great virtue and you should show faith in yourselves.
You should not lose you courage and faith doubting yourself. Only self-trust
will remove doubts. Trust will remove doubts but it does not mean you should
not allow other people to doubt.
“If you can trust yourself when all men
doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting
too.
Third
importance matter is that you should learn importance of patience. The poet
says, don’t lie, if you can wait and speak the truth that is the real
character. Fourthly if you are hated, don’t make your hatters and nevel look
too good and never talk too wise. ‘Too
good’ or ‘too wise’ may
bring ruin to be moral character. The father wants him to have very reasonable
and practical understanding.
In
second stanza, the father advises to dream and fulfill the dreams but not to be
slave of the dreams. Life is full of happy and unhappy or sad incidents and one
should be the same in every condition. In life ups (Triumph) and down (Disaster)
continue to come and one should treat carefully. “If you can meet with Triumph and
Disaster
And treat these two impostors
just the same.”
‘Triumph’
and ‘Disaster’ are cheaters and never remain for a long time. The father wishes
his son not to be trapped by the fools. You must be alert. The father again
says that if you speak the truth, be ready to bear or hear it. If you have to
win the ace, then you should build up your own personality. At the last, the
father talks about the value of time and look everything on earth with positive
eyes. All these things achieved, the whole world belongs to the son. The
meaning is that ‘the world becomes paradise and that is true living as well as
he is true ‘man’. As the poet says
“Yours is the Earth and everything
that’s in it.
And-which is more-you’ll be a
man, my son
The conclusion of all the three stanzas is to be man.
This is a general advice to all human beings.
The poem ‘If’ is very simple in
structure but heavy with thought and ideas. The poet has stressed in importance
of fearlessness, self confidence, tolerance, equality in any condition etc. Actually
the poem is an advice to all youth those who want to live successfully life and
be perfect man. The advice is to instill sense of responsibility and
discretion.
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