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Wednesday 21 September 2016

K for Rudyard Kipling

Last week, 
 I wrote the introduction for ABCW about the Jungle Book stories written by Rudyard KIPLING the English writer and poet,
I thought it only fitting that I should to tell you a  little more about him.
One of his most poignant writings was called ......


RUDYARD KIPLING as a young man in India.

      .... ....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 others doubt you,
But make allowances for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired of 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 imposters 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 winning
Ans risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
- And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word against 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 distance run -
Yours is the earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - 
You'll be a man my son !

Lieutenant John Kipling British Army  Regiment of The Irish Guards.

Ruyard Kipling's beloved son who lost his life in the Battle of Loos Atois In France during World War One; He was just eighteen years of age.

 Kipling was distraught with grief because he introduced his son Jack (John)  to a close friend in the Irish Guards and was accepted into the regiment at Kipling's request.  Jack had already been turned down by the Royal Air Corps and the Royal Navy because he had such poor eye sight and desperately wanted to serve his king and country.

Insignia of the Royal Irish Guards which would be worn on the sleeve.

After his son's death Rudyard KIPLING wrote,


"If any should question why we died, tell them, 

 because our fathers' lied" !


As we complete the penultimate round of abcw, I  hope to write more about RUDYARD KIPLING, his amazing works and life.

My sincere thanks to the KINDLY Denise the founder of   abcw, also to Roger our most KNOWLEDGEABLE Admin. Man. Also to The Pedalogue Leslie who is blessed with the 'KNOWHOW' to support Roger and his team of helpers who KNUCKLEDOWN each week and visit others by  reading and encouraging their 'contributions to ABCW.
Best wishes,
Di,
ABCW team.



26 comments:

  1. Wow Di... it is beautiful... every sentence, although in another language, I understand what it means. Making my mind wonder off...

    Good for you to write a second post about this creative man.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Melody,
      So lovely to hear from you again, I'm delighted that you understand the meaning of Kipling's words, so poignant, really stirs the emotions..
      Best regards,
      Di.
      ABCW friends xxx
      Di xx

      Delete
  2. What a nice poem..! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Murthy K vvs
      So pleased to hear from you,
      I'm really pleased that you
      enjoyed the poem..
      Best wishes Di.
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Hi Vicki,
      Thanks for dropping by, I'm so pleased that
      you love 'IF' also one of my favourite poems.
      I must confess that there are so many poems that stir
      different thougths and emotions within it is difficult
      to pick a favourite.
      Best wishes,
      Di,
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  4. It is certainly a poem for all situations. I seem to remember it being voted the nations favourite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Joy,
      So sorry I'm late in replying x
      I too can remember it being the nations favourite, but when? I can't remember.
      Cheers,
      Di.
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  5. Not a fashionable writer now I know but he spoke like no other for my greatgrandfathers and their contemporaries as they soldiered around the empire.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Thud, sorry I'm late in replying.
      It mean't a lot to my gran as she lost a son called Jack in W.W.2.he was her youngest child just aged 21. She talked about him all the time, her way of dealing with her grief, like so many mothers and widows of the two wars...just futile !
      Best wishes,
      Di,
      ABCW team.xxx

      Delete
  6. We just watched the 2016 Jungle Book movie. I'm quite sure the original book by Rudyard Kipling was quite different.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ann,
      Yes the original book was quite different from the Disney book. I read the book when i was quite young and found it quite scary in parts, but watching the movie lightened it a little.
      Good to hear from you again,
      Regards,
      Di.
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  7. "If"is one of my favourite poems, because my father gave it to me when I was a teenager with a lot of questions. Thank you for the extra information about Rudyard Kipling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Wil,
      I thought that you would connect with this poem.
      I think it moves a lot of people for varying reasons,
      particularly those who have endured the pains of war
      and all all the misery and sufferring inflicted upon
      innocent decent people by selfish miserable despots.
      I'm so pleased you're enjoying my peregrination around
      Mr Kipling.
      maybe more to come,
      Best regards,
      Di.
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  8. I just love that poem, Di - lovely excuse to read it again. Always interesting to find out more about such great writers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi FP,
      Good to hear from you again.
      I like to find out abour the great writers and I believe i am related to Kipling throgh my maternal grandmother's mother's second cousin; if you can you can work that out?
      A bit of illegitimacy involved too!
      Cheers,
      Di.
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  9. That's an extremely sad tale re Jack

    ROG, ABCW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Roger, I'm so sorry in replying to yuor poignant comment.
      yes it's such a sad story and teue.
      Kipling had a tough life and suffered quite a few losses of loved ones, I think,sadly all he endured sparked him into writing such evocative prose...
      best regards,
      Di.
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  10. My father, who passed away in 1986, gave me a copy of this poem by Kipling when I was a teenager. I still have it. Blessings, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Arnoldo,
      lovely that your dad gave you a copy, but sad that he passed away when you were so young,
      Blessings to you too!
      Best regards,
      Di.
      ABCW team.

      Delete
  11. How did I go all these years without ever coming across this poem? The message is timeless. I can feel the pain and sadness in Kipling's words that he wrote after his son died. Hugs, Di.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Susie,
    I guess it's down to the educational systems and all within the curriculum. Being English, Kipling was on top of the list of favourite writers and poets.
    Although, we read a lot of American poetry from writers such as such as Longfellow and Egdar Alan Poe etc!
    Best regards and more hugs for all
    Di xxx.

    ReplyDelete
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I usually like to reply to your comments but for some reason when i do post a reply it just diappears, any advice would be most welcome,Thanks Di x

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