If—
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!
I first read this poem in my 10th grade Honors English class. Every class we would read something and then respond to it. Usually it was something lame or boring so I normally didn't care too much about the assignment and would never put much heart into it. But one ordinary day it just so happened that this was our reading prompt. I remember how hard this poem first hit me, partially having to do with that fact that i was not suspecting to learn something meaningful from our boring daily assignment.
In ways I could never hope to fully describe, this poem means so much to me. The way Kipling words and phrases everything in this poem takes my breath away and every line just hits home. I feel so strongly about this poem because it describes in so many ways who I want to be. To be everything in this poem is near impossible. I fall so short to the standards in this poem that it's pretty embarrassing, but I look to this poem as a challenge and will strive to develop these characteristics.
When I read this poem It becomes so visual for me.... I can see these characteristics in action. I love this and seeing this poem in my head helps me to more clearly visualize my goal. I have this poem taped up by my bead and I read it every morning. This poem has meant so much to me and I hope in heaven one day I can thank Mr. Kipling for the gift of his words.
Lines that mean the most to me:
"And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise."
"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same."
"If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you."
"Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools"
-LB
