Rudyard Kipling is one of the best known English writer of his time. He was born in India 1865, but when the first five years of his life was gone, the family moved to England. Kipling was an English writer, journalist and poet. Kipling then...
Fundamental to personal growth is humanity’s innate need for achievement. As success is subjective, I believe that achievement cannot be defined by a mere number as it is an individual measure of effort. I firmly believe that success can be achieved by reaching set goals...
Rudyard Kipling’s “If-” explores the themes of manhood, hard work, and discipline. The speaker feels that one should have humility, confidence, and several other virtues in order to be a man. Kipling uses literary techniques including anaphora, juxtaposition, and personification to persuade his son to...
Throughout Kipling’s Kim, the protagonist, Kim, moves between the white and nonwhite worlds in India with the ease and skill of a chameleon. His unique ability to ignore caste divisions and experience true freedom of motion allows Kipling to render a vision of India unconstrained...
Kim by Rudyard Kipling There are many literary works that are entirely centred around the Empire and its’ colonies. One of the most notable is Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, the novel set within the British Empire, therefore highlighting how some books were highly representative of it....
The White Men’s Burden was written by Rudyard Kipling. We can say that this is a fight song, a hymn and an encouraging song that he wrote for the white people, addressing the white people. This was the time when the white people were considered...
Introduction Kim is a novel about a young boy named Kim and his maturation into an adult. He goes on many adventures all the while playing the “Great Game” and trying to help the Lama attain “freedom from the Wheel of Things” (Kipling, 2002, p....
First, we must examine what social Darwinism means. In the 19th and early 20th century this theory gained in popularity to rationalize policies that were imperialist, colonialist, and racist as the Anglo-Saxon culture spread out and took land and territories from other cultures. Social Darwinists...
In Kipling’s Kim, our protagonist fills the role of a hybrid: He is Irish, but born in India. As a result, his life is split in two by the different influences. His duality allows him to fill the various roles that are requested of him....
The ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ is a novella written by Rudyard Kipling in 1888. Kipling is best known for publishing on this topic of British exploitation. This novel is narrated by the narrator, who lives in India. The story opens up with the...
Rudyard Kipling was regarded by his peers as a fine satirist. Many of the leading wits of his day, including Mark Twain, met him in person and acknowledged him as a peer. One of the things Kipling subtly criticized through his poetry was the traditional...
Our day to day experiences are what shape our understanding of the world we know. Every moment of existence shapes the person we will become. However, what if the world as you know it is merely an illusion? How would this affect your behavior, and...
In order to unpack Kipling’s complicated stance toward English imperialism in his novel Kim, one can begin with an investigation of the role of the occult in the novel. Some critics have read Kipling’s use of the occult as fantasy, a tool for bridging the...
Rudyard Kipling is widely understood to be a strong defender of the British Empire. However, Kipling’s prose piece, ‘The Man Who Would Be King’, reveals a deeper ambiguity about the Empire, exposing many of the flaws that lay at the heart of the imperial expansion....
Rudyard Kipling begins The Man Who Would Be King by quoting a phrase commonly associated with the Masonic Order; the story itself contains many Masonic references including the degrees, the forms of recognition, the overall Lodge hierarchy, and certain aspects of the initiatory process. But...
The nineteenth century was a period of great colonial expansion for the British Empire. It was during this period of time that Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous novella “The Man Who Would Be King.” It tells the story of two British explorers in India who...
It all started from the Spanish-American War and lead to the Philippine AmericanWar; the Philippine American War began in the year 1898 and was declared over 1902, but it has been said that it lasted longer. The U.S tried to invade the Philippines more than...
Rudyard Kipling’s short “On the City Wall” story displays an extremely complex look of 19th century British rule over India. The setting is Lahore where a courtesan named Lalun hosts a salon in her apartment on the city’s divider. If you want to know what...
“A situation in which one country has a lot of power or influence over others, especially in political and economic matters. ” This is how the Cambridge dictionary defines the term imperialism. A closely related term to imperialism is “colonialism”, which is described as “the...
Social Darwinism is an ideology that occurred around 1865 to 1900 and was developed by Charles Darwin. Social Darwinism was used significantly to encourage human competition because doing so will help with evolution in the human society. Charles Darwin used Social Darwinism to justify his...
Hero or Villain? Hero or villain? that is the question when considering the mongoose character in Rudyard kipling’s short story “Rikki-tikki-tavi.” In the story, Rikki-tikki the mongoose takes great measures to protect his human family from the fatal attacks of a king cobra family. Rikki...
“Rudyard Kipling’s short story “”Rikki-Tikki-Tavi”” is a classic tale that has captivated readers for generations. The story follows the adventures of a brave and cunning mongoose named Rikki-Tikki-Tavi as he protects his human family from a pair of deadly cobras. Throughout the story, Kipling utilizes...
Short Story, Novel, Children's Literature, Poetry, Travel Literature, Science Fiction
Notable Works
The Jungle Book
Just So Stories
Kim
Captains Courageous
"If—"
Gunga Din
The White Man's Burden
Quotes
"Fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run."
"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same."
"Take up the White Man’s burden, Send forth the best ye breed— Go, bind your sons to exile To serve your captives’ need."
Date
30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936
Activity
Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, his tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907.
Works
"The Jungle Book", "The White Man's Burden", “Actions and Reactions”, “Captains Courageous”, “Debits and Credits”, “Many Inventions”, “The Light That Failed”, “The Man Who Would Be King”, “The Phantom Rickshaw”, "If"
Themes
Kipling's poems are a clear demonstration of English self-control and stoicism. He wrote about courage, bravery and a strong spirit which makes a man stronger. In his view, manhood is a set of certain qualities such as honesty, courage, stoicism in order to be strong enough to have a British stiff upper lip.
Style
Kipling's writing style is very imaginative and humanistic. His literature represents life and political elements from earlier literature periods. Also his style of writing is patriotic, autobiographical, and encouraging, which is shown throughout his short stories. His verse is indeed vigorous, and in dealing with the lives and colloquial speech of common soldiers and sailors it broke new ground.
Legacy
Kipling's writing has strongly influenced that of others. His stories for adults remain in print and have garnered high praise from writers as different as Poul Anderson, Jorge Luis Borges, and Randall Jarrell. His children's stories remain popular and his Jungle Books made into several films.
Quotes
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
“I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble”
“I never made a mistake in my life; at least, never one that I couldn't explain away afterwards.”
