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The Poetry of Rudyard Kipling
A generous selection of Kipling's eminently quotable works, including the Nation's Favourite Poem If-, Mandalay and the moving Recessional.
Audio CD
Published January 1, 2005
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About the author
Rudyard Kipling
7,367 books3,759 followersJoseph Rudyard Kipling was a journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist.
Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".
Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."
Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".
Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."
Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 12, 2013
This is good old-fashioned poetry which fills your heart with delight as you read and listen to its witty wisdom and musical well-rhymed verses. I liked many of the poems, not all. I have huge reservations as many do against The White Man's Burden, I just don't get how the same poet who was very ahead of his era and wrote The Female of the Spcies Is More Deadly Than the Male could write a poem as dim-sighted as The White Man's Burden. But I guess this happened with a many great minds -Zarathustra had a great wasted intellect for example- and sadly it will always happen, for great minds also have their mishaps.
September 14, 2025
It's hard to comment directly on poetry because it can mean such a variety of things based on who may read it. Ultimately, agency is the force behind one's interpretation of a poet's work, so I can't recommend this to anyone directly without knowing something about you.
To speak on the book, it's short - which makes perfect sense, it's a collection of poems - so you can knock through it in about 2 hours. Kipling's work (for me) represents some of the greatest poetry for his time - that also goes for critics too: the introduction (Geoffrey Moore) highlights his reception of a Nobel Prize for literature, something I was unaware of - but a lot of it remains out of touch with today, especially for those who struggle with contextual application.
Despite my notation on opinion, I will comment on my favourite poem: 'If-'. I think this poem has a lot to speak on, particularly for men. There's a lot of confusion at the moment surrounding what a 'good' man is, and I think Kipling gets pretty close-which is interesting given the fact it was written in 1895, just over 130 years ago. I will spoil a portion of it too (I do write these to come back to, so I may as well celebrate bits of something I like).
.
It's a great pick-up, one I found at a second-hand book sale... and in fairness, I was searching for Kipling mostly just to get my hands on a physical copy of 'If-'. So, if you're interested in the maxims of morality and some old-style poetry from a writer who grew up on the streets of Bombay, India, then you'll probably find some enjoyment in this.
To speak on the book, it's short - which makes perfect sense, it's a collection of poems - so you can knock through it in about 2 hours. Kipling's work (for me) represents some of the greatest poetry for his time - that also goes for critics too: the introduction (Geoffrey Moore) highlights his reception of a Nobel Prize for literature, something I was unaware of - but a lot of it remains out of touch with today, especially for those who struggle with contextual application.
Despite my notation on opinion, I will comment on my favourite poem: 'If-'. I think this poem has a lot to speak on, particularly for men. There's a lot of confusion at the moment surrounding what a 'good' man is, and I think Kipling gets pretty close-which is interesting given the fact it was written in 1895, just over 130 years ago. I will spoil a portion of it too (I do write these to come back to, so I may as well celebrate bits of something I like).
.
It's a great pick-up, one I found at a second-hand book sale... and in fairness, I was searching for Kipling mostly just to get my hands on a physical copy of 'If-'. So, if you're interested in the maxims of morality and some old-style poetry from a writer who grew up on the streets of Bombay, India, then you'll probably find some enjoyment in this.
August 12, 2025
Some of my favorites..
✒️ Tommy
✒️ The Female of the Species
✒️ IF
✒️ The Thousandth Man
🖤
✒️ Tommy
✒️ The Female of the Species
✒️ IF
✒️ The Thousandth Man
🖤
February 3, 2012
The Ballad of East and West (1889) *****
Gunga Din (1892) *****
If— (1895) ****
The White Man's Burden (1899) **
Barrack-Room Ballads (1892 & 1896) ****
The Ballad of the "Clampherdown" (1892) ***
Fuzzy-Wuzzy (1892) *****
Danny Deever (1890) ****
The Widow at Windsor (1892) ****
The Last of the Light Brigade (1890) *****
Cold Iron (1910) ****
Recessional (1897) ****
July 5, 2017
There were parts of this book I thoroughly enjoyed (Jungle Books, Kim, Captains Courageous, and some of the short stories). I though his stories generally of life in India to be a little boring. His story of school days was sometimes good and sometimes bad. All in all the good outweighed the bad and thus the rating. This is a good collection of Kipling.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews