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If Poem by Kipling

If Poem by Kipling

One may judge poems and poetry in many different ways. To me, memorable poems that float into one's mind and continue to do so over the years, decades even, occupy a special place in my heart as well. Rudyard Kipling's IF poem is one of those. I often quote parts of it to myself and others; so I'm going to put IF here to find it again when the moment comes and you need to wonder if you can keep your head ...

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!

Posted Dec 9, 2010   
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starfields All poems, poetry exercises & images © StarFields 1993 - 2012 unless otherwise stated. All Rights Reserved by the respective authors. You are very welcome to use my poetry free of charge for personal use. All other uses, please contact me for permission. Enjoy!
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