April
16 2014, Wednesday
If by
Rudyard Kipling
On the wall next to
the school lift on the ground floor, there is a big framed poster presenting
the poem If by Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936).
On a nearby moveable board is displayed DiZi
Gui or Students’ Rules written by Li Yuxiu (1661 – 1722). These two pieces
of celebrated work succinctly summarize what we expect of our students. I am here to share how I feel about the
former.
I love the poem which is actually a set of highly demanding rules for growing up. Each
line is a motto and maxim for life – the very positive energy we need at confused
moments. And the elegant imagery is so vividly presented that illustrations can
be easily drawn.
Kipling did not have an easy life with an abused childhood, failure at
school and deaths of his children. But he achieved fame quickly with his poems and stories. In 1907 he was
awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature.
The lines I love most are: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 DisasterAnd
treat those two impostors just the same;
According to Kipling, to be successful in life, we have to dream but we
should not just stay dreaming. We have to make our dreams happen. Very often,
we indulge in thinking too much and acting too little. The consequence is
nothing ever happens!
Of course, we often lose our heads rejoicing when sailing is plain and
give up in desperation when faced with tragedies. But Kipling reminds us that
these moments always come and go as they are imposters. We only have to take
them easy and life will go on!
As I age, I have to agree to the wisdom of Kipling’s advice. Read the
poem and find a line that resonates with you!
Here is the link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175772
