The Seven Seas

by Rudyard Kipling

This book is part of the TREDITION CLASSICS series. The creators of this series are united by passion for literature and driven by the intention of making all public domain books available in printed format again - worldwide. At tredition we believe that a great book never goes out of style. Several mostly non-profit literature projects provide content to tredition. To support their good work, tredition donates a portion of the proceeds from each sold copy. As a reader of a TREDITION CLASSICS book, you support our mission to save many of the amazing works of world literature from oblivion.

Genres: Poetry, Classics

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1896

About the author

Joseph 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."

Reviews

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10.

A great collection of poetry by Kipling. His most prevalent themes are seafaring, English nationalism, and piety of God. Kipling uses rhyme and rhythm to make singing his poems a joy. He has a very strong sense of ethnic identity, which was probably common until 1919 or 1945 (see this poem as an example: https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem...). I love his reverence for God and how he combines it with a sense of duty to nation. Kipling sees seafaring as the highest masculine calling for his time; it offers adventure, heroism, battling the elements and foes, and cultivates hardiness. The ship sailing through monstrous waves crashing down upon it, all while going through a wall of fog is a ship full of perseverant sailors. It is a ship with strong men, who battle to reach their destination. That type of virtue is what Kipling describes best.

You should read "The Ladies". It's quite humorous: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Se...

[jennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

TW: racism

Rudyard was doing great until the page count reached 190.
191- n word
192-“for she knifed me one night ‘cause I wished she was white”
213 - "coloured sergeant"
Like I understand this book was written in the 1890s but I still think people should know the language used in this book before going into it. Yes its to be expected sadly but still I haven't seen anyone explicitly warn people about it before they go into it.
Other chapters:
The Ladies:
"an' Aggie was clever as sin; older than me, but my first un- more like a mother she were-"
this man is proving Freud right about the Oedipus Complex and its killing me.
The Last Rhyme of True Thomas was good though- one of the poems/hymns that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I adore Kipling. I wrote my dissertation on The Jungle Books and I have an unhealthily large collection of antique Kipling's (including a first edition The Jungle Book and a first edition The Second Jungle Book. The Seven Seas is one of those old books I've collected and have darted in and out of in the past, but never really given it my full attention: Thanks to the TBR jar, it finally got its chance.


There were a few gems in here though, I particularly liked 'The Song of Ung' and 'L'envoi'. The poetry certainly wasn't bad poetry, it just wasn't to my taste or in an area I know enough about to truly appreciate it.

As I said, this collection won't be for everyone. It certainly looks gorgeous on my bookshelf, but it won't be one I pick up again for a re-read. If you're a full-blown Kipling fan, give this one a go, if not then steer clear!

[Светлана · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from a few works like “L’Envoi,” “The Song of the Dead,” and “The Merchantmen,” I had a hard time detecting any authorial intention. On the whole it was a pleasant a fast-moving little book of sailors’ rhymes, with occasional hints of profound loyalty—blind or genuine—to the English crown and cause.
I enjoyed the read, but wouldn’t read it again except for the poems mentioned above.

[Chris Purser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of poetry.

[Trounin · Rating 3 out of 5]

В год 1896 Киплинг публикует новый цикл стихотворений, едва ли не полностью пропитанный духом борьбы. Теперь основное внимание он уделял морю. Манера повествования не претерпела изменений. Поэтому нет смысла разбираться с датировкой, как и глубже вникать в работу с формой. Нужно только оставить для памяти, о чём повествовалось в представленных вниманию стихотворениях. Киплинг разделил сборник на два раздела: «Семь морей» и «Баллады казарм».
...
Дело читателя, стоит ли всему из этого уделять пристальное внимание. Почему-то кажется, сами англичане имеют смутное представление едва ли не обо всех примерах, нашедших место в данном сборнике. Зато далее предстояло отойти от морской темы, пополнив коллекцию представлений о творившихся в британской армии порядках. Добавит ли Киплинг хотя бы слово того же великолепного пафоса, каким он наградил «морских бродяг»? Читатель ведь отметил, насколько много среди моряков благородства, хотя они явно имели тот же самый характер, каковой присущ проходящим службу на суше.

(c) Trounin

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Depressing

[Brian Mikołajczyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poem about painting God's creation for the express purpose of reverence rather than money or fame. A decent poem!