If—
by Rudyard Kipling · 1910 · 읽는 시간 1분 · 32행
“If—” by Rudyard Kipling is a poem about the self-control, courage, and balance a speaker urges his son to develop. It begins with staying calm while others panic and blame him, trusting himself without dismissing other people’s doubts, and refusing to answer lies or hatred in kind. It then turns to dreams, thought, and the need to face success and failure with equal steadiness. Broken life’s work must be rebuilt with worn-out tools. The demands grow harder: risk all winnings on a game, begin again after losing, and keep going when only will remains. Finally, the speaker calls for ease among crowds and kings, care for others without dependence, and full use of every minute. These conditions lead to his closing promise of mature manhood.
한 행씩 의미 풀이
1~8행: The speaker begins with calm judgment under pressure. He asks for self-trust that still leaves room for others’ doubts, patience without resentment, and honesty without retaliation. Each demand balances strength with restraint. The closing warning against seeming too good or wise keeps these virtues from becoming an excuse for pride.
9~16행: Dreaming and thinking matter, but neither should replace action or control a person’s life. By calling Triumph and Disaster impostors, the speaker challenges their apparent power to define someone. He then pictures harsher tests: having truthful words twisted and seeing important work destroyed. Rebuilding with worn-out tools makes persistence concrete.
17~24행: The poem raises the stakes through an image of gambling every winning on a single throw. The test is whether someone can lose, restart, and avoid complaining. It then turns inward, imagining a body exhausted beyond its strength. The capitalized Will becomes a commanding voice that urges continued effort when other resources have failed.
25~32행: The final stanza asks for balance across social ranks and personal relationships: remain principled among crowds, approachable among kings, and caring without letting anyone rule you. The running image makes each minute a chance for effort. Only at the end does the long chain of conditions reach its promised result: worldly possibility and, more importantly, mature manhood.
3개월 무료
200,000+권의 고전. 모든 형식을 무료로 시작해요.
전자책, 오디오북, 15분 요약을 즐기고, 어떤 책이든 큰글자책을 포함해 인쇄 비용만으로 받아보세요.
생각해 볼 질문 세 가지
- How does the poem balance trusting yourself with remaining open to other people’s judgments?
- What do the worn-out tools, lost winnings, and exhausted body suggest about the speaker’s idea of persistence?
- How does the final address to the son change your understanding of the poem’s many demands?
3개월 무료
200,000+권의 고전. 모든 형식을 무료로 시작해요.
전자책, 오디오북, 15분 요약을 즐기고, 어떤 책이든 큰글자책을 포함해 인쇄 비용만으로 받아보세요.
