IF

[Wilchbla]

I'm not the biggest fan of poetry but this one by Rudyard Kipling is probably my favorite.


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 all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath 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!


--Rudyard Kipling

[HappyChristian]

I like this poem, too.

[Guest Guest]

Thanks for posting this, it brings back memories. Rudyard Kipling just happens to be one of my favorite writers. I had to recite this in eighth grade. It really is a good poem. The year before that, I recited MacArthur's "Build Me A Son".

On a completely unrelated, humorous note, my younger brother was in high school and had to do a book report on "The Jungle Book". Being the excellent student that he was, he did not actually read the book but instead relied on what he knew about the book. The opening line of his book report was: "First, I'd like to say how awesome it is that someone decided to make a book out of the Walt Disney classic." :roll

True story.

[HappyChristian]

On a completely unrelated' date=' humorous note, my younger brother was in high school and had to do a book report on "The Jungle Book". Being the excellent student that he was, he did not actually read the book but instead relied on what he [i']knew about the book. The opening line of his book report was: "First, I'd like to say how awesome it is that someone decided to make a book out of the Walt Disney classic." :roll

True story.

[offtopic] Sounds like something kids would say today...I work for a library, and we are finding more and more parents are steering their kids to the movie section instead of books!

Speaking of "Jungle Book" - my brother had all the stuffed characters. Does anyone remember them?[/offtopic]

[phil 4.8]

Wow that's a poem!

[Guest zrynx]

yeah!

this poem also is in my Book of Poems...
I also chewed it into pieces!