The Man Who Could Be King

The Man Who Could Be King

‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling is a masterwork of poetry that seems to have a timeless quality. This piece of work stemmed partly from his love of the empire and imperialism as a good thing, the celebrated white man’s burden, and also from his desire to instil a sense of purpose into all the youth that constituted England at that time. It seems to be a poem for all times, for all races if one merely looks beyond the colonial context in which it was in all probability written. And it has been immortalised in sport in its own unique way- being inscribed at the gates of SW19 5 AE- The All England Tennis And Croquet Club

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;
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:

The first stanza deals with the attributes that an able leader should possess. This includes the ability to maintain calm in a crisis. All of us will be familiar with this. However, it must be borne in mind that calm in a crisis does not imply passivity. Also self belief, in the face of opposition is a must, but not at the expense of being branded pig headed or dogmatic- one must be open to questions on ones ideas, opinions and logic. Patience as a virtue is also extolled here as is lack of vindictiveness, hatefulness, and an ability to be modest in speech and action. Moderation rather than extremes is recommended. It must be remembered that the British were supposed to maintain a dour, sombre grey atmosphere, one symbolising their sober tastes. The dress code at Ascots is a classic case in point- and their conduct is supposed to reflect the aforementioned spirit. Anything that was too loud would obviously be considered inappropriate- Apollonian behaviour pattern as many sociologists would proclaim, in the fashion of the discoverer, Ruth Benedict.   

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

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,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

The second stanza deals with some more stellar qualities that our hero should possess, and shows up the truth of the statement- those who dream with their eyes open are the most dangerous for they have the power and the ability to act upon their dreams. Also it describes an individual as one whose visage shows little in both times of triumph and moments of adversity. The misuse of ones words to mislead the gullible should not cause one any consternation- a bit odd since that would tarnish ones image. Perhaps Kipling is being naive or he has an implicit message that false propaganda should be countered with statements containing the unabashed truth. Also he recapitulates the line about triumph and disaster, by restarting ones work should all else fail. This sounds monotonous and I daresay noble but difficult to implement. Most men would fall apart, and it would be a very strong, steely man who would be able to withstand this sort of rough treatment at the hands of fate.

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

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!'

Gambling is not a sin provided you always win said Roald Dahl in his revolting rhymes. Here Kipling urges our leader not to wail on losing after taking inordinate risks. Rather the leader should restart and uncomplainingly work. Cynics will retort that that is but impossible for an intelligent being is wont to lament his misfortune. Perhaps unlike King Richard II, of England, who on his loss of power to the Earl of Bolingbroke, bemoaned his ill luck and blamed all and sundry present, and decided to escape disguised as a friar, our hero  should have better manners in case of a severe crisis. This man will have both physical and mental stamina of singularly superb dimensions. Thus he would be able to hold his nerve in any crisis. Essentially the lesson is simple- one must have enough will power to weather any storm.

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

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!

Empathy- that much touted word is the one doing the rounds in this paragraph. Here one must combine modesty with dignity- one must not lose the faith of either his followers or his peers- so he advocates an absence of snobbery. This will help the leader retain his popular support as also his relationships with those who matter.

He states emphatically that treat friends and foes alike- there is a quote that comes to mind- God save me from my friends. I can protect myself from my enemies by Claude Louis Hector De Villars. Hence the onus is on oneself to be wary and not to fall to the wiles of ones enemies but also from the flattery of friends. This is important as it will ensure that the leader doesn’t start living with his head in the clouds but with his feet on the ground.

The last lines deal with time management- how to make the most out of every moment, instant and microsecond. This kind of a leader has the entire world of victories as his own cake to eat and relish.  The lessons in this classic are there for all time.