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
Pury
Maya
Citra
Ina
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IF
By Rudyard Kipling
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General information about this poem
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 Written in 1895 (victorian era)
 The initial publication of the poem is in 1910 in the
"Brother Square Toes" chapter of the book Rewards and
Fairies
 The poetic inspiration Leander Starr Jameson,
 Politician, author, poet, and leader and
hero of Boer War 1 who was in many
ways a military disaster.
 Purpose : to give advice and strengthen his son to be a
true fighter to achieve what he want.
 It became favorite poem
Rhythm
If you /can keep/ your head/ when all/ about /you A
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
Are los/ing theirs/ and blam/ing it/ on you, A
( iambic pentameter)
If you/ can trust/ yourself/ when all/ men doubt/ you, A
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
But make/ allow/ance for/ their doubt/ing too; A
( iambic pentameter)
If you/ can wait /and not/ be tired/ by wait/ing, B
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
Or be/ing lied/ about/, don’t deal/ in lies, C
( iambic pentameter)
Or be/ing ha/ted, don’t/ give way /to hat/ing, B
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
And yet/ don’t look/ too good,/ nor talk/ too wise: C
( iambic pentameter)
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If you/ can dream/—and not/ make dreams/ your mas/ter; D
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
If you/ can think/and not/ make thoughts /your aim; E
( iambic pentameter)
If you /can meet/ with Tri/umph and/ Disas/ter D
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
And treat /those two/ impos/tors just/ the same; E
( iambic pentameter)
If you/ can bear /to hear/ the truth/ you’ve spo/ken F
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
Twisted/ by knaves/ to make/ a trap/ for fools, G
( iambic pentameter)
Or watch/ the things/ you gave /your life/ to, bro/ken, F
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
And stoop/ and build /’em up/ with worn/-out tools: G
( iambic pentameter)

If you /can make/ one heap /of all/ your win/nings H
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
And risk/ it on/ one turn/ of pitch/-and-toss, I

( iambic pentameter)
And lose/, and start/ again/ at your/ begin/nings H
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
And ne/ver breathe/ a word/ about/ your loss; I
( iambic pentameter)
If you/ can force/ your heart/ and nerve/ and si/new A
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
To serve/ your turn/ long af/ter they/ are gone, J
( iambic pentameter)
And so/ hold on/ when there/ is no/thing in/ you A
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
Except/ the Will/ which says/ to them:/ ‘Hold on!’ J
( iambic pentameter)
If you/ can talk/ with crowds/ and keep/ your vir/tue, A
( iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
Or walk/ with Kings/—nor lose /the com/mon touch, K (
iambic pentameter)
If nei/ther foes /nor lov/ing friends /can hurt/ you, A
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If all / men count/ with you/, but none/ too much; k
(iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
(iambic pentameter)
If you/ can fill/ the un/forgiv/ing mi/nute L
(iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
With six/ty se/conds’ worth/ of dis/tance run, M
(iambic pentameter)
Yours is /the Earth /and e/verything/ that’s in/ it,
L
(iambic pentameter with extra syllable)
And—which/ is more/—you’ll be/ a Man/, my son! M
( iambic pentameter)
Source: A Choice of Kipling's Verse (1943)
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Stanzaic form:
octave (a stanza of eight lines)
Type of poetry :lyric poetry
Tone: didactic
Biographical Approach
Biographical Approach
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 Hard life in past
-Born in India (colony of England),
-Sent away to England to receive a formal British education
(he is bullied by his friends),
-Lived with foster family named Holloways (brutal family),
-Had nervous breakdown and continouing school in Devon,
-Became writer,editor and develop his skill in journalist,
-Got married,
-Her daughter named Josephine is dead (pneumonia),
-got hard living in era of the 1st world war
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 Advise his beloved son,John by writing “If”
-He love Great Britain, he encouraged his son to enlist
military in World war 1,
-But plagued with the same eyesight problems,
-John was repeatedly turned down.
–Finally, Kipling made use of his connections and
managed to get John enlisted with the Irish Guard as a
second lieutenant.
Meaning of “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!