IF

Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" is a collection of advice from a parent to his kid. In the poem,
the poet instructs his son on how to handle various circumstances in the years to come. This
poem offers a series of hypothetical situations and advises on how to navigate them with
wisdom and moral character. And to maintaining hope and optimism in the face of adversity

Theme
The poem's central topic is about the obstacles and situations we must encounter and get
through in order to thrive in life and make a lasting impression. While the poem offers
valuable lessons for all people, it has particular value for leaders who want to improve their
leadership abilities by embracing the guidelines for creating a strong, durable, and enduring
leadership style that inspires respect.

Theme of the Poem IF: The over-arching theme of the poem If is successful virtuous living
based on values pertaining to integrity, rightful behavior and self-development. The poem
speaks to each and every reader on what it means to become a complete man and how he
operates through the thick and thins of life.

Character Description
Narrator

Rudyard Kipling, the author, is most likely the narrator and is addressing his audience, who he
presumes to be young British males, personally. Instead of sharing his personal experiences,
the narrator gives counsel using metaphorical language that might be used in a variety of
contexts. The narrator reveals a lot of bad things, yet he is ultimately optimistic. The last
verse makes it clear that he believes his audience will overcome their obstacles and merit the
title of man.

Despite not having a name, the listener is suggested to be the narrator's son.

Stanza 1

When others fail and place the blame on him, the poet advises his son to be composed and
patient. When others question him, he should have faith in himself. He should, however, also
allow for their scepticism and make an effort to comprehend what prompted it.

The poet advises waiting patiently for success and not growing weary while waiting in the fifth
line since those who work hard and are persistent will succeed.

The poet then warns his kid that other people will frequently mislead him. He should,
however, always be genuine and should never lie in his life. People will despise him. But
instead of returning their hatred, he ought to show them love.

In the final line, the poet cautions him against seeming or sounding too knowledgeable or
superior to others since, if he follows all the advice given above, his kid would appear and
sound superior to others and appear too intelligent.

Stanza 2

The poet advises him to have huge aspirations but to never let those dreams rule his life.
Similarly to this, he ought to have positive ideas (about his objectives, the future, etc.), but he
shouldn't make them the focus of his life because success in life requires effort.

Simply daydreaming and pondering won't get you anywhere in life. Therefore, it is important
to set objectives, envision a better future, and work diligently towards achieving those goals.

The poet advises meeting Triumph and Disaster and treating those two imposters equally in
the third sentence. The words "Triumph and Disaster" have their initial letters capitalised.
These two extremes characterise existence. The poet refers to them as fakes or impostors.
They either bring immense happiness or terrible misery. However, because they are short-
lived, one should not take them seriously.

The poet advises speaking just the truth and having the guts to confront it when it is being
used to deceive people in the fifth line. He should also have the fortitude to rebuild things he
has built that are broken using outdated tools, that is, using the energy or abilities you now
possess.

Stanza 3

The poet advises making a pile of all one's accomplishments before taking significant risks. In
other words, one shouldn't be frightened to try new things because they may either help
them succeed or end up being disastrous (pitch-and-toss). If one fails after taking significant
risks, he should retry from the beginning without reflecting on or discussing the setback with
others. You should keep trying until you succeed.

The poet advises using one's heart, nerve, and sinew, or bravery, when one grows weary or
fails, in the fifth stanza of the poem. When there is nothing left in life, one should possess a
strong will that may inspire them to "Hold on!"

Stanza 4

According to the poet, one must maintain their qualities among ordinary people (and never
act like them), but vanity and ego are never appropriate among monarchs or other powerful
individuals. In other words, the poet is advising people to maintain their qualities while they
are poor and to never become conceited while they are wealthy.
Next, the poet asserts that one's beliefs in one's ideas and goals prevent one from being
harmed by either loving friends or adversaries. They should never be abandoned. Although
others will frequently depend on him, he shouldn't ever let them become wholly dependent
on him. The poet could be implying that one should never place too much value on other
people since doing so will cause one to become emotionally connected to them and cause
future harm.

The poet discusses the value of time in the following verse. He believes that time is limited
and will never be given back. Therefore, one should start making the most of every single
second of existence. The poet informs his son in the final two lines that if he (his son) follows
all the counsel he gave above, he will be able to do everything he wants and will be a Man, or
a genuine human.

Conclusion

Kipling informs his audience in the poem "If-" that success comes from not taking life too
seriously. He counsels staying loyal to oneself, taking risks, and not letting emotions control
one's actions. Kipling basically tells his kid to have enough trust and confidence in himself to
stay loyal to himself. He also appears to imply that his son will have faith and confidence
since he knows himself. It is a self-sustaining loop. Cycles are endless. According to Kipling,
success is measured by the 60-second run rather than by accomplishments-the journey, not
the destination. What is important is how we spend our lives, not when we die.