IF - f. Supreme Court

I suspect that this poem was composed recently (ghost-written by Dr. Wilfred Funk? by Norman Lewis?). The poem sounds to Me like a parody of the personality of God, as will be clear IF you change "you" in the poem by You. - G

                              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 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!

by Rudyard Kipling

[ghost writer Wilfred Funk? Norman Lewis?]

Comments (527)

02 Jul 02:44

I read it just at the time while Sino-US trade war was raging.That made me think a lot about emotional and rational thing.

Rajnish Manga

28 Jun 10:32

This poem is unique like kohinoor but perhaps more precious. I don't remember as to when did I read it for the first but the poem has stayed with me ever since. Thanks.

Rudyard kipling

28 Jun 10:00

I håvę rįšęñ frøm thę dęåd Tô ãłł whø sęês thįś çømmęñt, I łøvę dūçkš

Nadine Fernandes

15 Jun 04:26

This is one of my favorite poems. It has so much wisdom. I give it to high school and college graduates to inspire them to reach the fortitude of character this poem depicts.

Geeta Radhakrishna Menon

08 Jun 11:40

Rudyard Kipling's poem, i must have read at least thousand times, because my father who was a voracious reader had framed this poem and kept it on the study table, Every day i would look at it and read it. For me this is an unforgettable poem that has a lot of old memories of my younger days.....A full score

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f. Supreme Court 

I wonder why f. Supreme Court is turning a blind eye to f. Indian politicians of one f. party changing to any other f. party at will. This makes a farce of elections in India and therefore should be BANNED. Indian MLAs and MPs should NOT be allowed to change party after election. Of course, Indians now realize that fucking Nazi elections are BULLSHIT and therefore male and female Nazi politicians should be lynched. - G