IF...............

www.poetryfoundation.org ^ | Circa 1895 | Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)

[Red Badger]

If— By Rudyard Kipling

(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)

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!

[crusty old prospector]

The third paragraph sounds like the stock market.

[Red Badger]

Every paragraph is pertinent in some way to some aspect of today’s craziness!............

[SkyDancer]

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

So true. One of my faves.

[gattaca]

One of my favorites.

[Magnum44]

That is awesome! Great post. Thank you.

[AAABEST]

If ever there was a master of words, it’s Kipling.

[Spruce]

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs then maybe you’ve misunderstood the situation.

- 1960s graffiti.

[Texas Eagle]

Thanks to both of you.

God is not in the business of giving us anything. He works through Holy Spirit to open our eyes to what we already possess.

[higgmeister]

I think it's better if you copy the formatting too.

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!

[NEMDF]

I was first introduced to this poem in about 1976 by a co-worker, who had been a POW in Viet Nam for 6 years. He said this helped him get through the ordeal. I carried the copy of it, he had given me, in my wallet for YEARS, before it was too worn out to read.

Thank you.

[jmacusa]

“If’’ is the middle word in ‘’life’’.

[ladyL]

I had to memorize this poem along with three others when I was in eighth grade...Chicago Public School system. I also had to pass a Civic test to graduate 8th grade. Chicago schools were excellent. My school had two people in the front office, the Principal and secretary, a teacher in each class and a janitor. Nothing fancy but turned out good students...this was in the late 50’s.

[JZelle]

If is the middle word in life

- Col. Kurtz

[BenLurkin]

I only smile in the dark
My only comfort is the night gone black
You know I like it when the news is bad
I’m only happy when it rains

[Churchillspirit]

My favorite poem. Thank you so much for posting it here.

[Red Badger]

Thanks, it was formatted in preview..................

[higgmeister]

Google Chrome makes it easy.

Just right click anywhere on the pave and then select View page source.

Then scroll down through all of the HTML code until you find the start of the text you want to copy.

Then copy that with the formatting code included.

Some Web sites will be using DHTML, HTML4, XHTML or scripting language which will not work as a cut-and-paste copy of the formatting.