If-

Question 1

Form

Answer 1

• Didactic dramatic monologue - giving advice
• Narrative from father to son

Question 2

Rhyme scheme

Answer 2

• ABABCDCD
• This very simple rhyme scheme shows how the the challenges of life are unescapable, yet they should be met with stoic integrity
• Masculine and feminine rhymes reflects the speaker’s desire for the listener to maintain a balance in life in order to be successful and the balance between extremes.

• Masculine rhyme: one syllable rhyme.
• Feminine rhyme: two-syllable rhyme.

Question 3

Metre and stanzaic structure

Answer 3

• Iambic pentameter with alternate feminine endings
• Very regular stanzaic structure
• Shows how inescapable life’s difficulties are, yet how they should be met with stoic integrity
• The whole poem building to a climax shows that as long as you meet the requirements, you can have whatever you want

Question 4

Perpetual Enjambment / One long sentence

Answer 4

• The poem is written as one long sentence with lines flowing into the next.
• The constant enjambment creates pace, urgency, and dynamism.
• It makes the poem feel like the speaker is rushing to say something important that must be heard.

Question 5

Use of second person

Answer 5

• Shows how it is from father to son written like an instruction manual
• However it also higlights the universality of his message
• It was inspired by Kipling’s friend Leander Starr Jameson.

Question 6

‘don’t deal in lies… don’t give way to hating… don’t look too good, nor talk too wise’

Answer 6

• Repetition of imperatives - makes it emphatic
• Emphasises the poems didactic nature - don’t be immoral by hating and lying, and don’t be too full of yourself and show off
• Quiet stoicism is part of the stereotype of the imperial Victorian British gentleman who has a ‘stiff upper lip’

Question 7

‘If you can dream - and not make dreams your master’ and ‘If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim’

Answer 7

• Polyptoton
• Dashes add emphasis to the words that follow - You can’t only do the first one, but must do the second one too
• Part of the model of practical masculinity which formed the basis of the British Empire since actions are more important than aspirations.

Question 8

‘If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same’

Someone who pretends to be someone they are not in order to deceive you.

Answer 8

• Capitalisation of Triumph and Disaster personifies them
• While a real man is ambitious he must know how to deal with failiure
• Success and failure are never really what you think they are; they both have hidden drawbacks which mean that we should neither be too excited or too disappointed by outcomes.

Question 9

‘Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,’

Answer 9

• ‘Gave your life to’ is hyperbole
• ‘broken’ ends on a feminine ending, which breaks the metre and is mimetic of the meaning of the word, emphasising it
• The sentence highlights how it is inevitable that the things you devote yourself too may sometimes fall at the hands of others, but you must bear it

Question 10

‘Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’’

Answer 10

• Capitalisation personifies Will
• This shows the importance of willpower and how it is always with you, you just need to learn to use it
• The repetition of ‘Hold on’ end-focuses it to show the importance of will as it might be the only thing keeping you going

Question 11

‘If all men count with you, but none too much’

Answer 11

• Metaphor of ‘count’ drawn from mathematics.
• Suggests a rational and measured approach to relationships where everyone is valued equally but no one is favoured excessively.
• Develops the idea that a man should maintain emotional balance and independence.

Question 12

‘Fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance’

Answer 12

• Extended metaphor of life as an ‘unforgiving minute’.
• ‘Unforgiving’ personifies time as relentless and unstoppable, emphasising how short life is.
• The imagery of ‘distance’ suggests constant action and progress, reinforcing the idea that a man must seize every moment and never waste time.

Question 13

‘And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, ‘my son!’’

Answer 13

• Parenthetical clause and capatalised word
• Highlight the great, important reward of being a ‘Man’ - it is the real reward

• Makes the moment very personal, as if we are eavesdropping on the conversation.
• The exclamation mark shows strong emotion and pride.
• The father feels triumphant and excited that his son will become a great British man.