Question
by Rudyard Kipling
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;
5 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;
10 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,
15 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
20 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!"
25 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
30 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!
2
Select ALL the correct answers.
Which two themes are found in this poem?
Taking risks often ends in failure.
One must accept misfortune gracefully.
It is hard to trust oneself.
It is important to have balance in life.
Having big dreams leads to success.
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;
5 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;
10 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,
15 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
20 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!"
25 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
30 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!
2
Select ALL the correct answers.
Which two themes are found in this poem?
Taking risks often ends in failure.
One must accept misfortune gracefully.
It is hard to trust oneself.
It is important to have balance in life.
Having big dreams leads to success.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The two themes found in the poem "If—" by Rudyard Kipling are:
1. **One must accept misfortune gracefully.**
2. **It is important to have balance in life.**
These themes are reflected in the poem's emphasis on maintaining composure in the face of adversity and the importance of humility alongside achievements. The other options, while they may have some relevance, do not capture the primary themes of the poem as clearly.
1. **One must accept misfortune gracefully.**
2. **It is important to have balance in life.**
These themes are reflected in the poem's emphasis on maintaining composure in the face of adversity and the importance of humility alongside achievements. The other options, while they may have some relevance, do not capture the primary themes of the poem as clearly.