If | Powerful Poetry

As modern stoicism begins to make its come back, we are once again seeing the re-emergence of this poem’s popularity. As a historian it always amazes me, not only how history repeats it-self but how many things work in cycles, whether it be fashion, war and peace, music, poetry, research interest and much more. It is also interesting how so little of what we see, hear and know is new. If we trace back so many ideas, stories and philosophies for example, we can find hundreds of years of the rehashing of an old story with a new touch every hundred years or so.

Transcript

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too. If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, Don't deal in lies. Or being hated, Don't give way to hating. And yet, Don't look too good, Nor talk too wise. 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 disaster, And treat those two imposters just the same. If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken, Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools. Or watch the things you gave your life to, Broken, And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools. If you can make one heap of all your winnings, And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss. And lose and start again at your beginnings. And never breathe a word about your loss. If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone. And so hold on when there is nothing in you, Except the will which says to them, Hold on. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue. Or walk with kings, Nor lose the common touch. If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you. If all men count with you, But none too much. If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run. Yours is the earth and everything that's in it. And which is more. You'll be a man, My son.

Reviews

Beautiful read💛 I heard/read this when I was a young girl ..and some of it ..I didn’t quite understand. Now as a grown woman it resonates deeply ..and it could be read to a young woman as well ..and much more than this.. you’ll be a woman my daughter. 💜thank you!