The White Mans Burden, Rudyard Kipling | Analysis

The snow-clad Mans buck, Rudyard Kipling AnalysisI aim to evaluate the use of badinage and symbol in the poems The White Mans Burden and the Real White Mans Burden to see how effective twain savers were in using these elements to select meanings. In the case of Kipling, I will understand two points of views. The first point of view is that Kipling was an imperialist who livings the trail oer of other governments to show superiority. The second point of view is that Kipling was an imperialist who supports the take over of other governments as an act of humanity to select civilization to the uncivilized and, that he warns of the perils of showing superiority as oppose to set downing on-key liberation. In the case of Crosby, since he presents a single view point, I will evaluate his effectiveness of using irony and symbolism in parodying the work of Kipling. efficaciously used, irony and symbol could convey a message with more than one meaning as portrayd in Rudyard Kiplin gs poem The White Mans Burden or, they could convey a single message demonstrated in Ernest H. Crosbys poem The Real White Mans Burden. In the final analysis, I submit that the effective use of the elements of poetry, in this case, irony and symbol, are vital to the correct interpretation and understanding of the meaning of both poems.In order to establish a hygienic-rounded understanding of the buttocks for the two interpretations of Kiplings work and the single interpretation of the work of Crosby, I submit definitions for the terms imperialism, irony, and symbol. These definitions will also serve to show whether or non on that point was effectiveness in the use of the elements of poetry, in both poems. As defined by Dictionary.ComImperialism is the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or country over foreign countries, or of acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies. Irony is the discrepancy between what is said, done, expected or intended, and what is meant, what happens, and what others understand. Satirical irony is the exposure of the vices or follies of an individual, a group, an institution, an idea, a society, usually with a view to correct the folly. Symbol is anything that stands for something else. (Dictionary.Com)Having establishing the definitions, I will now analyze the use of irony and symbols in Ruyard Kiplings poem. time Kipling uses both irony and symbols, his use of irony is greater. Kiplings expertly uses irony to bring about the intended end result of two opposing perspectives as to whether imperialism is for human broad(a) or elitist gain.In the first view point, Kipling uses the poem The White Mans Burden to encourage America to take over the Phillipines imperialisti clamory or, for elitist gain. Kipling writes check up the White mans institutionalize / Send forth the best ye breed / Go bind your sons in exile / To serve your captives need (1-4)The first observation of the poem is Kiplings decision to c all the poem The White Mans Burden. Undoubtedly, the use of the phrase White Man is the lightening rod that sparks the view that Kiplings sentiment was that of an imperialist having at its core the tenets of Social Darwinism. correspond to Kretchner, the concept of Social Darwinism purports that natural order obligates powerful, civilized nations to appropriate the limited resources of the weak. (Kretchmar) Hence, Kiplings urging of America to assist the Phillipines to reach civilization may be understand as him supporting the imperialistic movement.Even further, Kiplings encouragement that the empire should send forth the best ye breed has very strong racial connotations. During that time in history, blacks were not considered as equals to whites in America. The unequal treatment of blacks was so prevalent in Americas economic, political, and complaisant systems that James Weldon Johnson, writes Lift Every Voice and Sing also known as the Black National Anthem, to encourage bl ack people to sing and march until victory is won. This cry for equality continues in 1968, with Martin Luther King quiesce only having a dream of equality. Though, in 2008, Barrack Obama contracts the first black President, there still remains the cry for current equality.In addition to the charges to Take up White Mans burden / Send forth the best ye breed(1-2), Kiplings use of phrases such as To veil the threat of terror / And check the show of pridefulness. (11-12) asserts that the conglomerate must do what is necessary to eliminate resistance and to subdue insurrections against Imperialism. Not only should the pudding stone silence the voices of the captives, but she must also limit or remove any signs of pride that they might muster.Further, Kiplings characterizations of the people as On fluttered folk and wild / New caught- sullen peoples, / Half-devil and half-child. (6-8) may be easily construed as connatively condescending. Kipling seems to imply that the empire must be prepared to reinforce her stance By open speech and simple / A hundred times cave in plain (13-14). Kiplings distinction of the empire seem to be lofty in its tone. By marrying the symbols of the captives as being inferior people to the santimonious responsibility of the imperium to bring civility to the uncivilized, one can conclude that Kipling supports that the Empire is superior and hence has the responsibility to bring civility to the uncivilized.Ironically, the same body of work that interpretively champions the Empire as being superior to the captives, implores the empire to be fair and complete in its liberation of the captives. The second point of view to the work of Kipling in the The White Mans Burden is 4that he advocates for the fair treatment of the captives. Kiplings urging of the empire to liberate the captives and to take care of their needs can be found throughout his poem. According to Bonamy Dobree, firearm speaking to Canadians in 1907, Kipling saidI have , I confess it now, done my best for about twenty years to make all men ofthe baby nations within the Empire interested in each other. Because I know that at heart all our men are pretty much alike, in that they have the same aspirations,and when all is said and done we have only each other to depend upon. (Dobree 80)Kipling demonstrates a view consistent to those who believe that true liberation is not oppressive. For example, he writesTake up the White Mans burden / The dotty wars of peace- / Fill full the mouth of Famine / And bid the sickness blockade (17-20)Further, Kipling warns the Empire that all of its actions or inactions, all that it say or not say will help to determine how the captives view the Empire and its God. Here is what Kipling saysBy all ye cry or whisper, / By all ye leave or do, / The silent, sullen peoples / Shall weigh your gods and you. (45-48)In addition to how the captives view the Empire and its God, Kipling writes that other countries and emerging ge nerations will also look at the treatment of the captives and judge the Empire. Kipling goes on to tell the empire not to celebrate its victory or relish in the praise, since these acts are childish, but that the Empire should be more concern with how the work would be judged by the Empires peers for years to come.To encapsulate the view that Kipling wanted the Empire to bring civilization without showing superiority, his closing verse from the poem is submitted. Kipling writesTake up the White Mans burden / Have done with childish days / The lightly preferred laurel, / The easy, ungrudged praise. / Comes now, to search your manhood / Through all the thankless years / Cold. Edged with dear-bought wisdom, / The judgment of your peers (49-56)These words clearly indicate that Kipling encourage the Empire to be unspoiled in its dealings with the Natives.Contrary to the school of thought that Kipling advocates civilization with true liberation, is Crosbys position that the Empire uses ratifyings as a doorway to go in and take away the true riches of the people and in exchange gives them an oppressive life style. Unlike Kiplings rendering of his poem, The White Mans Burden where he shows his trust for the Empire, Crosby in his parody The Real White Mans Burden, blatantly shows his mistrust of the Empire. Most importantly, though he employs heavy use of irony and symbols to demonstrate his opposing view of the Empire, Crosby does not dillute the single message of his poem.First, Crosbys title of the poem is a clear indicator of his dissent from Kiplings views. He uses the term White Man to solidify the object of his remarks, but, he goes further by using the word Real which ironically implies that there is a masking of the truth. Crosbys title speaks strongly of his judgment against the Empire. Historically, his point of view is displace from his experiences as a social activist and as a black man living in America at the time of the Spanish American War. Accordi ng to an essay by Andrew Hebard, Crosbys position on Imperialism mirrors that of Amy Kaplan who says imperialism is as a network of power relations that changes over space and time and is riddled with instability, ambiguity, and disorder, or else than as a monolithic system of domination that the very word empire implies. (Hebard)Next, are observations of the blending of symbol and irony used by Crosby to demonstrate his view of the Empire. Crosby believes that the motive of the Empire is ill-willed. He also believes that their chaiotic sytems bring failure, and the Empire dangle proverbial carrots in exchange for far more valuable gains. Crosbys position is that the eventual outcome of imperialism will be social, economical, and political oppression.At this time, a detailed look at Crosbys use of irony and symbols to depict the social mood that prevailed in America, the climate which he opposed to being introduced to the Natives, is warranted. Crosby assertsTake up the White Mans burden / Send forth your sturdy sons, / And load them down with whiskey / And Testaments and guns. (1-4)Ironically, these lines subliminally say that the drinking of whiskey mask the truth, since it is widely known that people who consume too much alcohol are not as cognitively aware as they should be and, therefore, not able to think correctly are apt to believe anything told to them. Further, being loaded down with whiskey causes a usually sturdy person to stagger, and even fall. More overtly though, is the fact that Testament represents truth and wholesomeness, and guns represent power and destruction. But, because the minds are altered with alcohol, the masking of the in truth motive is easily perpetrated. There is a strong possibility that the soldiers will introduce the social ill of alcoholism to the natives, and will also help to dispense propoganda about the good of imperialisim thereby causing the natives to become drunk and misinformed. The abililty of the natives to t hink reasonably correct about their condition will be diminished.To further support his view of social failure and to show that the Empire thinks that the Natives have limited information and can be easily captured if not military, certainly they can be captured through the spread of socially communicable diseases. Crosby writesThrow in a few diseases / to spread in tropic climes, / For there the healthy niggers / Are sort of behind the times. (5-8)Crosby bolsters his position of social oppression by sayingGive them electrocution chairs, / And prisons too, galore, / And if they seeminclined to kick, / Then spill their heathen battue. (21-24)The symbols of electrocution chairs, prisons, and gore ironically speaks of death both physically and mentally. Physically speaking, there is the death of the person whether by electrocution, or the spilling of the blood. Then, there is death of having freedom of space, since prisons limit movement. While subtle, based on Crosbys account, the i ntention to kill the dreams of the natives, screams from the pages of history. Crosby knows from his experience, that if any form of resistance, whether through word or action, is shown, if any attempt to pursue any dreams, ideologies, or customs that threatens the goals of the Empire is made, that the Empire would by any means necessary, ensure that the pursuit of those dreams was deferred and dry up like A Raisins in the Sun. (Diyanni 1870 )In addition to social oppression, Crosby purports that the Natives will be opressed economically through hard mash as well as through the Empires system of taxation and debt. The view point of oppresive labor is aptly projected through the use of irony. Crosby claimsAnd dont forget the factories. / on those benighted shores / They have no cheerful iron mills / Nor eke departmemnt stores / They never work twelve hours a day, / And live in strange content. (9-14)Through his masterful use of irony, Crosby argues that the natives, who did not wor k as long hours as did the Americans, were very content with what teeny-weeny they thought they had. However, the bigger issue for Crosby appears to be that Empire knew that the natives were actually very successful and wealthy and sought to make them believe that their way of life was inadequate, and to treat them from being owners of the land to laborers in the land so that the Empire may be expanded. (A perfect combination of imperialism and colonialism) Even more indicative of his stance against economic oppression, Crosby decried the imposing of taxation and debt. He writesTake up the White Mans burden, / And teach the Phillipines / What interest and taxes are / and what a mortgage means. (17-20)Again, in Crosbys minds eye, there is the irony of a people who are successful in their simple but, independent way of life who being militarily inferior are consequently forced to become failures by their dependence on a monstrous financial system.In a final attempt to show the falla cy of the Empire, Crosby highlights the political climate that the Empire embraces. He pensThey need our labor question, too, / And politics and fraud. / Weve made a pretty mess at home / Lets make a mess abroad. (25 -28)The irony in these lines humorously evaluate the endeavor of the Empire to fix anothers problem, when it cannot solve its own problems. In a nutshell, Crosby believes that Imperialism is a preposterous veiled attempt to cloak rapacity in kind deeds by using methods that are disfunctional.In summarizing his single message of the failure and hypocrisy of the Empire, Crosby does three things. First he mocks what the Empire regards as a valiant mission, Next, he shows the unparrarel trade that the Empire wants, and then, he addresses the faade of the scripting of the mission that the Empire prefer to be written in the narration of history. The use of satirical irony and symbols are well armoured vehicles to deliver these points. Crosby declaresTake up the White Mans bu rden / to you who thus succeed / In civilizing savage hordes / They owe a debt, indeed (33 -36)Crosby questions the validity of the mission. He goes on to weigh the exchange between the Empire and the Natives. He addsConcessions, pensions, salaries, / And priviledge and right, / with outstretched hands you raised to bless / Grab everything in sight. (37 -40).In terms of irony, not only is there a contrast between how much is give verses how much is taken, but, also of what is given verses what is taken. The natives receive a few limited handouts like agreements, benefits, and paychecks and, in exchange the Empire takes ownership of the natives land and naturual resources. Interpretively, Crosby demostrates this transaction as a falling outpouring by going from owning to owing which is very much an uneven trade. Finally, he attacks the hypocrisy of using the art of writing to distort the issue and hide the true motive of the Empire. It is necessary to present the catalog of words C rosby uses to expose what he views as being socially, economically, and politically incorrect . Crosby concludesTake up the White Mans burden, / And if your write in verse, / Flatter your Nations vices, / And strive to make them worse. / Then learn that if with pious words / you ornament each phrase, / In a world of canting hypocrites / This kind of strain pays. (41 48)Fittingly, Crosby uses satirical irony to reveal the true motive of the insincere enthusiam that Crosby believes Kipling is showing for the Empires high ideals of pious goodness. Crosby is successful in presenting the single viewpoint of the Empires greed clothed as bringing civility to the uncivilized.In conclusion, the expert use of irony and symbol by both Kipling and Crosby prove to be excellent conveyors of the poets messages. Kiplings use of irony and symbol brillantly delivered two very contradictory positions. He lauds Imperialism by advocating that it is the responsibility of civilized nations to help to b ring civilization to underdeveloped nations. He also decries the pride of thinking to be superior and being unfair to people perceived to be less finanically fortunate, not as socially advanced, and not as politically savvy. Like Kipling, Crosby employs irony and symbols to deliver his solo message. Crosbys message is that the Empire is hypocrital in its motive and that the gist of what they really wanted to do was camoflagued by missions to humanity, and described as helping to bring civilization to the uncivilized. Clearly, the poets use of irony and symbol shaped the understanding and interpretation of the poems intended meanings. The use of Irony and Symbol was so well executed, there remains no argument as to the value of these elements in both poems.