Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN, by RUDYARD KIPLING Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Take up the white man's burden Last Line: The judgment of your peers! Subject(s): Imperialism | ||||||||
Take up the White Man's burden -- Send forth the best ye breed -- Go bind your sons to exile To serve your captives' need; To wait in heavy harness On fluttered folk and wild -- Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child. Take up the White Man's burden -- In patience to abide, To veil the threat of terror And check the show of pride; By open speech and simple, An hundred times made plain. To seek another's profit, And work another's gain. Take up the White Man's burden -- The savage wars of peace -- Fill full the mouth of Famine And bid the sickness cease; And when your goal is nearest The end for others sought, Watch Sloth and heathen Folly Bring all your hope to nought. Take up the White Man's burden -- No tawdry rule of kings, But toil of serf and sweeper -- The tale of common things. The ports ye shall not enter, The roads ye shall not tread, Go make them with your living, And mark them with your dead. Take up the White Man's burden -- And reap his old reward: The blame of those ye better, The hate of these ye guard -- The cry of hosts ye humour (Ah, slowly!) toward the light: -- "Why brought ye us from bondage, "Our loved Egyptian night?" Take up the White Man's burden -- Ye dare not stoop to less -- Nor call too loud on Freedom To cloak your weariness; By all ye cry or whisper, By all ye leave or do, The silent, sullen peoples Shall weigh your Gods and you. Take up the White Man's burden -- Have done with childish days -- The lightly proffered laurel, The easy, ungrudged praise. Comes now, to search your manhood Through all the thankless years, Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom, The judgment of your peers! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE GARDEN AGAIN by KAREN SWENSON COLONISATION IN REVERSE by SIMONE LOUISE BENNETT RECESSIONAL by RUDYARD KIPLING CHANT OF LAMENTATION by HAUNANI-KAY TRASK BALLADE OF EXPANSION by HILDA JOHNSON FRESCO: DEPARTURE FOR AN IMPERIALIST WAR by THOMAS MCGRATH ODE ON THE OPENING OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE, MAY 10,1893 by LEWIS MORRIS (1833-1907) THE IMPERIAL PRAYERS by VICTOR GUSTAVE PLARR IMPERIALISM by BERTRAND SHADWELL FUZZY-WUZZY' (SOUDAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE) by RUDYARD KIPLING |
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