#rudyard kipling

I agree with this statement. To be great is not to be born with successful lineage, and it is something that is often misunderstood. In truth, anybody can be great, as greatness can only be attained through hardships and persistence. If, by Rudyard Kipling, is a poem about a father advising his son about the makings of a true man. He wants for people to develop emotional strength, perseverance and humility before they call themselves a man.

A man must have emotional strength as it is the foundation of being a great man. Emotional strength allows for one to think rationally and ethically before taking action. In stanza 1, a certain quote stands out: “Being hated, don’t give way to hating.” In this particular line, the father tells the son that while others subject him to hostility, and while it may be tempting to return the negativity, it takes strength only a man has to not give in. Kipling uses the literary device of contrast wisely — “being hated” as the opposite of “don’t give way to hating,” shifting from a passive state of victimhood into an active choice of response. Upon reading this line, readers realise that emotional strength, the base of a true, great man, is more important than physical strength as it can build character and resilience. When one stays calm, one allows the brains to properly process information and make the correct decision rather than determine something rashly, potentially destroying long-lasting relationships. A quality like this is hard earned through experience, and before having emotional strength, one must be patient. This quality supports the idea of great men being made and not born because emotional strength is not something one can be born with, only honed through constant trial and error. I would like to be emotionally strong, as this means I can properly face my problems head on and be able to take criticisms and hostility well.

Next, to be a great man, one must have perseverance. To have perseverance is to ensure that one will have the will to hold on rather than give up upon the slightest bit of hardship. In stanza 3, there ia quote: “Start again at your beginnings.” In this line, the father tells the son that even when pushed back to the start, while it is easier to give up and leave this as a memory, to be a man is to start again. When faced with success, one must have humility and ensure that this minor achievement will be the beginning of many more achievements; when faced with failure, one must have the attitude that of a resilient fighter, who never gives up with just a small setback. In the same stanza, Kipling personifies will by capitalising its first letter, giving it a sense of humanity; when all is long gone and through pure force you make your dead heart pump, one must be resilient and have the will to hold on. In line two, there is a traditional coin game mentioned: “Pitch-and-toss”, where the player relies on pure chance. It serves as the symbol for life’s unpredictability, gambles and personal ventures. Kipling symbolises that greatness requires bravery and willingness to lose everything for a chance to growth whereas triumph and disaster are both impostors. Triumph is temporary growth, and will trick one into becoming arrogant and lazy, therefore making them cease growth. Disaster is a temporary setback, and will trick one into giving up entirely, masking the fact that failure is the mother of success. So when your Will tells you, “Hold on!” it symbolises the ultimate manifestation of the human spirit, and the refusal to give up. Failure is the mother of success, only through failure will one learn from their mistakes and succeed therefore. Perseverance will bring bout the fruit of one’s labour, just as how rome was not built in one day, and how farmers do not get their crops in just a few days’ time. Greatness develops with perseverance because a great man must learn to wait and be patient, to gamble with life for a chance to grow, rather than remain stagnant and mediocre forever. Through my many failures in life, even with my young age of 17, I have learned lots of valuable lessons, such as how one must be resilient in order to succeed.

Last but not least, to be a man, is to have humility. When a man is arrogant, he is no man in truth. He is but an insecure boy who want for something to brag. In stanza 4, the line “Talk with crowds and keep your virtue.” is the father telling the son to always stay humble despite the many praises the general public may sing—to combat the pressure to conform. Kipling uses contrast once more, pitting “Kings” and “the crowds” together, with the “Kings” representing the highest levels of power and success while “the crowds” represent the ordinary masses. Kipling compares them to show the two ultimate tests to one’s ego, fighting the danger of losing one’s virtue to the vulgarity of the mob masses, or losing one’s common touch to the people by becoming arrogant and snobbish. This comparison brings forth the message that the world shall always pose questions and challenges, among the people you know best and the people you idolise, and only a man will be able to face forward and retain humility while being in touch with both sides. When a man gains success, he can stay humble by donating to people in need and learning more about the political state of the world—choosing the side that is truth rather than delude himself with his falsified version of reality. For one to be respected as a good character, one must always treat others with respect and keep a proper open mind—to change bigoted ways for acceptance. Only then, will they receive true respect as a man. Humility makes men men because it keeps them in touch with the reality they are in—arrogance and selfishness will never win over a man who listens—like the 2025 New York mayoral race between Mamdani and Cuomo. In a leader, I admire someone who will listen and provide accordingly, as situations will be fixed easily and quickly while ensuring that everybody’s desires are heard.