If Analysis

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!

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This poem is beautiful, it is a father telling his son that being a man doesn\'t come naturally. it may for some, but if you want something so much then you have to work for it to become yours.

| Posted on 2013-02-28 | by a guest

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This poem is beautiful, it is a father telling his son that being a man doesn\'t come naturally. it may for some, but if you want something so much then you have to work for it to become yours.

| Posted on 2013-02-28 | by a guest

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It is about a man called Dr Leander Starr Jameson. Please, get it right.

| Posted on 2013-02-18 | by a guest

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This is poem is a masterpiece of literature and parenting. It teaches the young that the strength in living as an honorable human being is about (1) finding the BALANCE between pride and humility; what you think and what you do; revenge and forgiveness and persevering despite the toughest obstacles and failures.

| Posted on 2012-12-05 | by a guest

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The real meaning behind this poem\"
All of the traits that this poem describes is what every person should strive for and virtually no one can ever truly achieve. If you do achieve all of this, \"you will be a Man, my son!\"
Notice \"Man\" has a capital \"M\" in the poem.hence, if you actually posses all of these traits, you must be a God (when Man referes to god, it is capitalized).that is the the true meaning of the poem.

| Posted on 2012-07-24 | by a guest

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I fluked my way to this swirling sum of knowledge that I immediately want to instill in my three young kids. Thank you for being able to capture this feeling I will have again after reading it again. I\'m glad others feel this is time tested as I immediately thought it might be. It is great for sporty people - perhaps those that dislike it were ready to give up already. I especially liked the word \"imposter\" as it\'s a better ride down the middle but experiences both a lot.

| Posted on 2012-02-24 | by a guest

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Why is there a capital \'M\' for man in the last line?

| Posted on 2012-02-13 | by a guest

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An awesome poem...the writer{WILLIAM BLAKE}gives a lesson to all the readers through a father telling his son

| Posted on 2011-12-18 | by a guest

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Kipling advices his son from this poem about honesty,patieence and fortifudes of characters..
the poem was written in 1895..

| Posted on 2011-12-16 | by a guest

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this is a didctic poem with lotssss of commands which a fatehr out of luv gives to his son. he wants his son to learn 4m d xperience of his father n knw dat lyf is nt easy. u need to strive 4 perfection to get d least of d luxuries. a nyc poem to read, ndrstnd, learn 4m, n inculcate the mentioned qualities in our life 2 bcum a MAN/WOMAN in d true sense of term.!

| Posted on 2011-12-09 | by a guest

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Rudyard kipling created a solution to life\'s problem in his clever piece IF written to his son with tender care,he offers a variety of commonsensical advice that is practical which stands the test of time.

| Posted on 2011-12-01 | by a guest

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I really liked it but i HATE THE ONE THAT CAN\'T!

| Posted on 2011-11-24 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH\'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-11-19 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-11-05 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-10-18 | by a guest

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The best poem i have read so far.It is universal to all human beings.

| Posted on 2011-10-10 | by a guest

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what type of peom is this ex sonnet , lyric or ..?

| Posted on 2011-10-04 | by a guest

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I had the pleasure of reading that \"The foolish man worries he knows not of others, whilst the wise man worries he knows not himself\" & I believe this poem to confirm the previously mentioned belief.

| Posted on 2011-09-28 | by a guest

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who ever is doing that stupid dont read this crap is an idiot get a life

| Posted on 2011-09-13 | by a guest

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who ever is doing that stupid dont read this crap is an idiot get a life

| Posted on 2011-09-13 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-07-31 | by a guest

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tis poem is a really motivational poem..
i ws overwhelmed reading dis...
every1 shud once in their lifetime shud read \"if\"..
by shubhi dixit..
mount carmel college..

| Posted on 2011-07-02 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH\'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-06-12 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH\'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-05-15 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-04-26 | by a guest

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this is what so called a bindass poem..its ambrosial , adorable n just waooo.cya..
byeee
annu..

| Posted on 2011-04-24 | by a guest

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Look for a poem for an English project and I was looking for a remarkable piece of poetry. I found it.

| Posted on 2011-04-19 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH\'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-04-10 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH\'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-03-28 | by a guest

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this is not a poem, this is a master piece. filling lucky to read it, just can\'t stop reading and reading, and every time understandig more and more

| Posted on 2011-03-18 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-03-10 | by a guest

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The poem is very true but i serously don,t understand the last stanza

| Posted on 2011-02-28 | by a guest

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If is a didactic poem that had given roots to paradox.Rudyard tried to give a picture of a theme has a reverberated throughout the poem.He penned about righteousness, work ethics, detachment and a balanced life.He had chalked out this piece to all the people addressing them as his son to make the advice spic and span.His contradictory extremes is the central theme of the poem.
vinutna

| Posted on 2011-02-28 | by a guest

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It is an encouraging poem .In this poem a father gives a set of moral advices to his son. Whom he tells that if he can follow them he will be a man The father speaks in a didactic way.

| Posted on 2011-02-26 | by a guest

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Not a good poem for people who don\'t understand poems.

| Posted on 2011-02-23 | by a guest

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DONT READ THIS !!!I KNOW THIS IS VERY SCARY BUT ITS TRUE !! NOW YOU HAVE STARTED READING !!! IF YOU POST THIS COMMENT ON FIVE OTHER SITES AND PRESS f4 YOUR CRUSH\'S NAME WILL APPEAR IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!! BELIEVE ME IT WORKS!!!!

| Posted on 2011-02-12 | by a guest

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This poem is about being yourself and believing in yourself. The poet want us to know that everyone of us is unique person and we must judge everything for ourselves instead of blindly following what other people are saying or doing (e.g. interpreting this poem).
It may appear sometimes that the popular thing is right and sometimes you may have doubts that you are on the wrong side of the road, but you have to trust yourself when that happens. Sure, it may happen that you were wrong but you will learn from failures and to use what you have learnt you should always have the will power to do it all over again until you get what you feel is right. And when you\'re right you have to be humble and take it in your stride yet still be prepared to fail the next time.
Similarly, we must give other people a chance to express their own opinions and not force what we think is right on everyone. You have to keep your mind open but in the end should have the wisdom to decide and act only on what you think is right.

| Posted on 2011-02-07 | by a guest

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hi i am astudying in nasr boys hyd and wehave read this poem it is very thoughtful.

| Posted on 2011-01-20 | by a guest

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its a boring poem read in my life by me by felt so bory and slepy while reading this poem and ithink that you will be also facing this bad experiece through reading because it is so boring poem

| Posted on 2010-12-12 | by a guest

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the poem offers a catalouge of thoughtful advice to a son , consisting of the mnay qualities he feels are essential to become a man , such as self belief , modesty , humility and truthfullness. Kipling\'s guidance takes the form of a series of opposites to make more of an impact. The poem is beautiful and can be applied to each and every one of us.

| Posted on 2010-11-25 | by a guest