Responses to the questions can be found in the comments below this post.
1. Based on the poem, how would you define the phrase, “white man’s burden”?
2. How would you classify the tone of the poem? What technique does Kipling use to create this tone? Does the tone change?
3. Each stanza of the poem identifies a specific aspect of “the white man’s burden.” Highlight a word or phrase from each stanza that defines each aspect of that “burden.”
4. Who is the speaker of the poem? Does the speaker agree or disagree with “the white man’s burden”?
5. Identify and explain at least one Biblical allusion in the poem.
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Answer 1. The "White Man's burden" is mentioned at the start of each stanza, obviously aiming to point the reader toward contemplation of the phase. From the poem, Rudyard Kipling writes from the point of view of a man who once carried the "White Man's burden." This burden is prideful ignorance.
"Take up the White Man's burden
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
A hundred times made plain
To seek another's profit
And work another's gain."
This stanza helps the reader to understand that the White Man is ignorant. They begin with good intentions, and eventually come to the realization that they are wrong. However, their pride keeps them from making the admission to others, and they aim to keep others locked in the ignorance, resulting in continuing the "good intentions" that they have in their ignorance.
They're hurting the country with their prideful attempts at success - the tone could also be satirical, saying to the other's, "Go ahead, keep on doing this." Other verses say that if they keep up this charade of pride, they'll get what's coming to them:
"Ye dare not stoop to less
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloke your weariness;
But all ye cry or whisper,
But all ye leave or do,
The silent, sullen peoples
Shall weigh your Gods and you.
Stay silent, and you'll regret it.
--Jordan K., Kathryn T., Damien L., Josh B.
Answer 2. Kipling's tone in his poem, "The White Man's Burden," appears to be grim and hopeless throughout the poem. We also think that he is mocking or criticizing all of the complaining and hopelessness that he seems to describe in the poem. I doubt Kipling thinks there is actually a white man's burden. Some techniques that Kipling uses are: 1) Using anaphora, or the same phrase over and over. 2) He uses many negative words in general throughout the piece. We don't feel that the tone really changed at all as the poem progressed. --Patrick M., Alex M., Big Poppa Deuce
Answer 3. Stanza #1: Go bind your sons to exile
Stanza #2: To seek another's profit,/And work another's gain.
Stanza #3: Watch sloth and heathen Folly/ Bring all your hopes to nought.
Stanza #4: But toil of serf and sweeper / Go make them with your living / And mark them with your dead.
Stanza #5: The blame... / The hate... / The cry...
Stanza #6: Ye dare not stoop to less/ Nor call too loud of Freedom/ To cloke your weariness;
Stanza #7: Through all the thankless years... / The judgment of your peers!
--Emma B., Brittany B., Haley C., Bailey G., Hannah J.
Answer 4. Who is the speaker of the poem? Does the speaker agree or disagree with "the white man's burden"?
In general “The White Man's Burden" is the feeling that colonization is necessary, an expectation, and even a duty of the white man. Kipling's poem is given from the perspective of a white man, probably American or British, speaking to his fellow white men. This speaker agrees with the white man's burden that they need to colonize by whatever means possible. "The hate of those ye guard, the cry of those ye humour, (Ah, slowly!) toward the light" are all things you must deal with as an imperialist. Even though the "white man" may despise those he is imperializing and know that his fellow imperialists are being killed but it is still something he must deal with to get closer to "the light" (colonization).
--Paige, Chelley, and Laura
Answer 5. "Why brought he us from bondage, / Our loved Egyptian night?"
This alludes to how the Israelites complained about how Moses brought them out of Egypt, even though they were enslaved there.
"Send forth the best ye breed / Go bind your sons to exile"
This alludes to the exile of the Israelites when the youth of the nation, the strongest and most promising, were taken away to Babylon.
--Whitney, Adam, Grayson
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