If—
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"If—" is a poem written in 1895[1] by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. It was first published in the "Brother Square Toes" chapter of Rewards and Fairies, Kipling's 1910 collection of short stories and poems. Like William Ernest Henley's "Invictus", it is a memorable evocation of Victorian stoicism, self-control and the "stiff upper lip" that popular culture has made into a traditional British virtue.[2] Its status is confirmed both by the number of parodies it has inspired, and by the widespread popularity it still enjoys amongst Britons. It is often voted Britain's favourite poem.[3][4]
The poem was printed, framed and fixed to the wall in front of the study desk in the officer cadets cabins at the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Pune India. The poem's line, "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same" is written on the wall of the Centre Court players' entrance at the British tennis tournament Wimbledon.
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[edit] Publication
According to Kipling in his autobiography Something of Myself, posthumously published in 1937, the poem was inspired by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson, who in 1895 led a raid by British forces against the Boers in South Africa, subsequently called the Jameson Raid.[5] This defeat increased the tensions that ultimately led to the Second Boer War. Jameson's life - and the connection to the poem - is covered in the book The If Man.
[edit] Text
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
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:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
[edit] Influence
- Joni Mitchell used this poem in the song "If" from her 2007 album "Shine". She changed the last verse and updated the language.[6]
- At the 2012 Pride of Britain Awards, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Elton John, Sir Richard Branson, Simon Cowell and Stephen Fry recited the poem in tribute to the 2012 British Olympic and Paralympics heroes.[7]
- In 2008, part of the poem was read in a promotional video by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal prior to their epic 2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles final.[8][9][10]
- The first four lines of the poem are used in the chorus of the Judie Tzuke's song "If (When You Go)".
- "If" was Ayn Rand's favorite poem. Her graveside service in Valhalla, New York, consisted only of a reading of the poem "If" before Rand was buried beside her husband.[11]
- In 1970, actor Dennis Hopper recited the poem on The Johnny Cash Show.
- The poem is referenced in the Brand New song "Sowing Season (Yeah)".
- In 2007 in response to the question about the two grueling days of hearing on Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus told reporters at the National Press Club that he took some strength from Kipling's poem "If".[12]
- The poem is read at a pivotal moment by Mike Basset in the 2001 film Mike Basset: England Manager.
- Des Lynam famously read the poem over the ending credits of the BBC coverage of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
- In 2003, actor Ralph Fiennes read the poem from Kipling's study in Bateman's, East Sussex, for a CD published by the National Trust.[13]
- in 2012, during the season 3 Boardwalk Empire episode "Two Imposters", the first verse of the poem is spoken in delirium by Eddie Kessler after having been shot.[14]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Robert Falcon Scott; Max Jones (2006-11-24). Journals: Captain Scott's last expedition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-929752-8. http://books.google.com/?id=BIKSfHT6hjsC.
- ^ Spartans and Stoics - Stiff Upper Lip - Icons of England. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
- ^ Emma Jones (2004-10-01). The Literary Companion. Robson. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-86105-798-3. http://books.google.com/?id=WELwa9Sds-EC&pg=PA25.
- ^ Mike Robinson (2004) Literature and tourism
- ^ "Modern History Sourcebook". Fordham.edu. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/kipling-if.html. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
- ^ "IF by Joni Mitchell". Songfacts. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=9969. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Golden ode: Stars create Olympic Pride of Britain poetry tribute". The Mirror. Retrieved 1 November 2012
- ^ Des Kelly (7th July 2008) Federer’s a winner for taking defeat like a man, my son Daily Mail'.' Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ Jaume Pujol-Galceran; Manel Serras (2008-08-14). Rafael Nadal: Maître sur terre. Editions Prolongations. p. 6. ISBN 978-2-916400-39-6. http://books.google.com/?id=gZOeOdjW9BcC&pg=PA6.
- ^ René Stauffer (2007-06-25). The Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection. New Chapter Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-942257-39-7. http://books.google.com/?id=9Ka_Lf3sB6gC&pg=PA104.
- ^ "Ayn Rand biography". Jewish Women in America. Jewish Virtual Library. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Rand.html. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Crocker, Petraeus Address Report on Iraq 'Progress'". The Washington Post. 12 September 2007. http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/crocker_petraeus_news_conference_091207.html. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Rudyard Kipling Readings by Ralph Fiennes".Allmusic. Retrieved 11 November 2012
- ^ "Boardwalk Empire Watch: Season 3, Episode 11 - Two Imposters". Cinema Blend.com. Retrieved 29 November 2012
[edit] External links
- George Horne's typographic animation of "If—" (read by Des Lynam, music by Fauré).
- Reading of "If—" in Wikimedia
- Free human-read audio recordings of "If—"
- Authentic digital editions archive of "If—" multiform editions at Dalhousie University Library, Canada - Original Author Autographed, Calligraphed/Typed Broadsides, Collector Multipage and Human Voice, Enhanced Video based Multimedia"
- The If Man: Dr Leander Starr Jameson, the Inspiration for Kipling's Masterpiece by Chris Ash
- Rudyard Kipling's "If" made into a song by Six Elements a video of the song produced by "All Things If" magazine.
