“Recessional” Rudyard Kipling (p. 928) (1865-1936)

Rudyard Kipling’s works are known for their celebration of the British Empire, yet they also warn of the costs of world dominion. While praising the benefits of imperialism, he emphasizes the responsibility of the British to bring their “civilized” ways to other parts of the world.

Early Success Kipling was born to British parents in India, one of Britain’s largest colonies. At the age of six, he was placed by his parents in a foster home in England, and later, at a chaotic boarding school. One critic speculates that the theme of self-preservation in Kipling’s work was inspired by experiences at the boarding school that tested his courage. Kipling would later immortalize his school days in a collection of stories called Stalky and Co. (1899). In 1882, Kipling returned to India to work as a journalist. During the next seven years, he published a number of witty poems and stories, and by the time he returned to England in 1889, he was a celebrity.

Kipling’s Achievements Kipling is known as a Victorian author because he produced his best work before the death of Queen in 1901. In its great variety, that work includes poetry, short stories, and novels. Some of his books have become children’s classics, such as The Jungle Books (1894, 1895), (1897), and (1901). For years, Kipling was the most popular English poet, and in 1907 he became the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Preview (p. 929) Connecting to the Literature Some Victorians proclaimed that the British Empire and the were perfect. Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” and Rudyard Kipling’s “Recessional” both show the truth behind this boasting assertion.

Literary Analysis Mood as a Key to Theme Poems contain emotional thoughts and thoughtful emotions. With thought and emotion so closely linked, the mood, or feeling, that a poem calls up is bound to be related to its central idea, or theme. Read poetry with your feelings—responding to emotionally charged words and images—and you will find your way to its ideas. In “Dover Beach,” for example, the crash of waves brings “The eternal note of sadness in.” This mood of sadness leads you to the theme of the poem, which concerns a world with “neither joy, nor love, nor light.”

Comparing Literary Works The moods in these poems relate to a characteristic dilemma of the Victorian Period. The era was marked by increasing scientific progress, material prosperity, and British domination of the globe, yet each of these successes brought with it fresh anxieties: • Scientific progress brought a greater questioning of religious faith. • Material prosperity for some brought greater poverty for others. • Expansion of the Empire brought heavy responsibilities.

Compare the way in which “Dover Beach” and “Recessional” present and address such issues.

“Recessional” Rudyard Kipling 1 “Recessional” (p. 932-934) Rudyard Kipling

Background In 1897, a national celebration called the “Diamond Jubilee” was held in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of ’s reign. The occasion prompted a great deal of boasting about the strength and greatness of the empire. Kipling responded to the celebration by writing this poem, reminding the people of England that the British empire might not last forever. ______

God of our fathers, known of old— Lord of our far-flung battle-line— Beneath whose awful Hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine— dominion n. rule, control. 5 Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet Lest we forget—lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies— The Captains and the Kings depart— Still stands Thine ancient Sacrifice, 10 An humble and a contrite heart.2 contrite adj. willing to repent or atone. Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away— On dune and headland sinks the fire3— 15 Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh4 and Tyre!5 Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose 20 Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe— Such boasting as the Gentiles use Or lesser breeds without the Law—6 Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget—lest we forget! continued on reverse

______1. Recessional hymn sung at the end of a religious service. 2. An . . . heart allusion to the Bible (Psalms 51:17) “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 3. On . . . fire Bonfires were lit on high ground all over Britain as part of the opening ceremonies of the Jubilee celebration. 4. Nineveh ancient capital of the Assyrian Empire, the ruins of which were discovered buried in desert sands in the 1850s 5. Tyre once a great port and the center of ancient Phoenician culture, now a small town in Lebanon. 6. Such boasting . . . Law allusion to the Bible (Romans 2:14) “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves.”

“Recessional” Rudyard Kipling 25 For heathen heart that puts her trust In reeking tube7 and iron shard8— All valiant dust that builds on dust, And guarding calls not Thee to guard— For frantic boast and foolish word, 30 Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

______7. tube barrel of a gun. 8. shard fragment of a bombshell.