If—

• If you can keep your head when all about you. Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
• If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
• If you can make one heap of all your winnings.
• If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

The poem “If” is a paean to British masculine rectitude and stoicism. The poem is structured in such a way that almost every line of every stanza of the poem starts with the word ‘If’. The poet is addressing his son in the poem, shedding light on his beliefs and conveying those to his son.

Rudyard Kipling

The overarching theme of the poem If is successful virtuous living based on values pertaining to integrity, rightful behavior, and self-development. The poem speaks to each and every reader on what it means to become a complete man and how he operates through the thick and thins of life.

An author’s purpose is his reason for or intent in writing. An author’s purpose may be to amuse the reader, to persuade the reader, to inform the reader, or to satirize a condition.

By “triumph,” the poet means moments of success and accomplishment in life, while by “disaster,” he implies the time of failure or loss. It’s human nature to celebrate and jubilate at time of success and victory. In a similar way, disaster brings in frustration and despair.

Answer: According to the poem the two impostors of life are Triumph and Disaster.

Personification is when something that is not human is described as if it was human. Triumph and disaster are concepts, and they are described as human, given human qualities like that ability to master you. Rhyme is one of a poet’s most powerful tools. When used well, it creates a rhythmic, songlike quality.

Dreams were like masters who can control our lives. In this case, dreams are assumed to have had a human role/quality; that is being a master. This is called personification because Triumph and Disaster are not creatures.

Personification means: “Giving an object or animal human characteristics to create interesting imagery.” An example of personification would be in the nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle” where “the little dog laughed to see such fun.”

transferred epithet

Triumph” and “disaster” are two opposite situations of life.By “triumph,” the poet means moments of success and accomplishment in life, while by “disaster,” he implies the time of failure or loss.

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise. MEANING: be patient, and can tolerate lies being told about you (you don’t lie) and being hated; not hate anybody yourself; not try to look or sound too good.

Rudyard Kipling wrote in his familiar poem of manhood, “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 of waiting, Or be lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or …

heaped; heaping; heaps. Definition of heap (Entry 2 of 2) transitive verb. 1a : to throw or lay in a heap : pile or collect in great quantity his sole object was to heap up riches.

heap used as a noun: A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of persons. A great number or large quantity of things not placed in a pile. A pile or mass; a collection of things laid in a body, or thrown together so as to form an elevation; as, a heap of earth or stones.

Heaps Synonyms – WordHippo Thesaurus….What is another word for heaps?

1,000,000 grains is a heap. If 1,000,000 grains is a heap then 999,999 grains is a heap.

1. heap up – arrange into piles or stacks; “She piled up her books in my living room” stack up, pile up. gather, pull together, collect, garner – assemble or get together; “gather some stones”; “pull your thoughts together”

The argument can be run equally in the opposite direction, from the premise that one million grains make a heap: if one million grains make a heap, then one million less one grain make a heap; and if one million less one grain make a heap, then one million less two grains make a heap; etc.