history paper

Rudyard Kipling, T he W hite M an's B urden, 1899.

T his famous poem, written by B ritain's imperial poet (born in India, boarding school in Britain, journalist in India,

fame in B ritain, and marriage and live for a time in USA ), was a response to the American take over of the

Phillippines after the Spanish-American W ar.

T ake up the W hite M an's burden--

Send forth the best ye breed--

G o bind your sons to exile

T o serve your captives' need;

T o wait in heavy harness,

O n fluttered folk and wild--

Y our new-caught, sullen peoples,

H alf-devil and half-child.

T ake up the W hite M an's burden--

In patience to abide,

T o veil the threat of terror

And check the show of pride;

B y open speech and simple,

An hundred times made plain

T o seek another's profit,

And work another's gain.

T ake up the W hite M an's burden--

T he savage wars of peace--

Fill full the mouth of Famine

And bid the sickness cease;

And when your goal is nearest

T he end for others sought,

W atch sloth and heathen Folly

B ring all your hopes to nought.

T ake up the W hite M an's burden--

N o tawdry rule of kings,

B ut toil of serf and sweeper--

T he tale of common things.

T he ports ye shall not enter,

T he roads ye shall not tread,

G o mark them with your living,

And mark them with your dead.

T ake up the W hite M an's burden--

And reap his old reward:

T he blame of those ye better,

T he hate of those ye guard--

T he cry of hosts ye humour

(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--

"W hy brought he us from bondage,

O ur loved Egyptian night?"

T ake up the W hite M an's burden--

Y e dare not stoop to less--

N or call too loud on Freedom

T o cloke your weariness;

B y all ye cry or whisper,

B y all ye leave or do,

T he silent, sullen peoples

Shall weigh your gods and you.

T ake up the W hite M an's burden--

H ave done with childish days--

T he lightly proferred laurel,

T he easy, ungrudged praise.

Comes now, to search your manhood

T hrough all the thankless years

Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,

T he judgment of your peers!