Asked by julie

Read the excerpt from "If—” by Rudyard Kipling.

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

What is emphasized by the dashes in these lines?

the contrast between the two ideas presented in each line
the impossibility of what the speaker is suggesting
the importance of looking for connections between ideas

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
the contrast between the two ideas presented in each line

The dashes create a pause that sets off the second clause as a counterpoint—allowing dreaming/thinking but warning against being controlled by them.