What is the purpose of the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling?   | eNotes
What is the purpose of the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling?  
carol-davis | College Teacher | (Level 1) Educator Emeritus
Posted on
February 6, 2013 at 3:40 AM
Everything that is built needs a plan or guide.  Rudyard Kipling provided a blueprint for living a stellar life in his poem “If” written in 1895.  The astounding aspect of the poem comes from the applicability of his rules in today’s society.
The purpose of the poem
Kipling wrote the poem as if it were talking to his son.  He gives advice to help the young man to find his place in the world and to live with integrity and dignity.  The speaker talks to the person in second person.  This encourages the reader to place himself in the place of the son. If a person takes to heart Kipling’s advice, he will find himself in a happier world each day. 
The format
The poem has thirty-two lines with four stanzas.  His first stanza follows the rhyming pattern: AAAABCBC.  The three other verses use the pattern: ABABCDCD. Notice also that the poem is one long sentence with the thoughts separated by semi-colons.
The summary
If you can keep your head when all about you 
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; 
Self-control is the purpose of this verse.  Try to keep a clear head and do not become bitter when people speak against you.  Have patience in your daily life. Be honest and avoid dealing in emotions that work against you.  Do not try to look or act better than other people.
2nd Stanza
If you can meet with triumph and disaster 
And treat those two imposters just the same; 
Shakespeare said: “We are the masters of our fate…” This verse reinforces this idea.  Dream and ponder life.  However, always be in control.  Nothing should ever control you. 
There are two opposing poles in life: winning and losing [triumph and disaster]. A person must be just as graceful in losing as he is in winning.  It is playing the game to the best of your ability that is most important.
Life is not always easy.  When you have done something really well and it is broken beyond your control, you must begin again using whatever means that you can find.
3rd Stanza
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 
To serve your turn long after they are gone, 
Sometimes it is necessary to take chances.  In your risks in life, you may lose. Start over and do not talk about it.  When you are at the end of your life and your body no longer acts as it once did, never give up the will to go on. 
4th Stanza
February 5, 2013 at 2:52 PM
The purpose of If by Rudyard Kipling is to give advice to a boy on how to be a man. He is defining what it means to be a real man, someone who doesn't blame others for mistakes, listens to both sides of an issue, takes risks and accepts losses. He is saying if you can do all these things such as "keep your head," "trust yourself," "meet with triumph and disaster," "hold on when there is nothing in you," and "talk with crowds and keep your virtue," then "you'll be a Man my son!"
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