Wednesday, April 12, 2006

My Favorite Poet


My Favorite Poet


John Scalzi asked us who was our favorite poet and poem. "If" by Rudyard Kipling.


'if' by rudyard kipling

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!


We had to memorize all of this and recite it in third grade!


What do you think of it?


Please write down your thoughts.


Extra credit:


Do you write poems? yes I do!


You will find some here!


Do you?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

    Kipling certainly knew what he was talking about.  If only we could do all those things ... can  you imagine how different the world would be?
   I have tried my hand at poetry ... and not been too successful at it.  My son writes beautiful stuff.  I'm trying to find one particular poem that he wrote, so I can post it.  Every time I read it, it brings tears to my eyes. ... such a Mom thing!  Luv&hugs, Tina

Anonymous said...

Nat!! This is one of my favorite poems! Every year, I show the first and the last verses to my students, and then compare it to another poem titled "If"... by a woman author.... ELizabeth Browning? I don't remember the poet. But it's great to use in the classroom. Great entry. This is good advice for any parent to pass on to their children. Bea