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Rudyard Kipling Metaphors

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Rudyard Kipling, an English poet born in India, was known for his classic poems that reflect the harsh treatment he received in America. From such a harsh past, Kipling was able to describe several topics through the use of multiple stylistic elements. The author creates a theme of the cruelty of society in his poems “If-, “The Thousandth Man,” and “The White Man’s Burden” through the use of metaphors, little imagery, and repetition. To begin, Kipling uses a metaphor-heavy writing style to effectively get his point across. In the poem “If-,” Kipling uses metaphors to create more meaning behind the quote, “If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken / twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools” (“If-” Lines 13-14). This metaphor stresses …show more content…

An example of where Kipling could’ve elaborated on his ideas with imagery is when he implied that “Yours is the Earth and all that’s in it” (“If-” Line 31). Here, Kipling presents himself with an opportunity to further elaborate on the subject. While he could have described what the reader can obtain or gain from the world, Kipling keeps it open to our imagination to decide what’s in it. Another example of where Kipling could’ve elaborated his ideas with imagery is when he exaggerated that “Nine hundred and ninety-nine of ‘em go / by your looks, or your acts, or your glory” (“The Thousandth Man” Lines 11-12). The lack of adjectives used by Kipling in this text prevents him from being able to describe each of these aspects. This suggests that the nine hundred and ninety-nine people are blind by what you are actually doing, and only view you by your authority. One last scenario of where Kipling could’ve elaborated his ideas with imagery is when he orders his sons to ”Go bind … to exile / to serve [the] captives’ need” (“The White Man’s Burden” Lines 3-4). Based on Kipling’s idea on slavery, he could have emphasized using more imagery. Using imagery, the author would have better revealed his idea of slaves being shackled and put to work against their

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