Analysis of The Lesson
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
1899-1902 -- Boer War
Let us admit it fairly, as a business people should,
We have had no end of a lesson: it will do us no end of good.
Not on a single issue, or in one direction or twain,
But conclusively, comprehensively, and several times and
again,
Were all our most holy illusions knocked higher than Gilde-
roy's kite.
We have had a jolly good lesson, and it serves us jolly well
right !
This was not bestowed us under the trees, nor yet in the shade
of a tent,
But swingingly, over eleven degrees of a bare brown conti-
nent.
From Lamberts to Delagoa Bay, and from Pietersburg to
Sutherland,
Fell the phenomenal lesson we learned-with a fullness ac-
corded no other land.
It was our fault, and our very great fault, and not the judg-
ment of Heaven.
We made an Army in our own image, on an island nine by
seven,
Which faithfully mirrored its makers' ideals, equipment, and
mental attitude--
And so we got our lesson: and we ought to accept it with
gratitude.
We have spent two hundred million pounds to prove the fact
once more,
That horses are quicker than men afoot, since two and two
make four;
And horses have four legs, and men have two legs, and two
into four goes twice,
And nothing over except our lesson--and very cheap at the
price.
For remember (this our children shall know: we are too near
for that knowledge)
Not our mere astonied camps, but Council and Creed and
College--
All the obese, unchallenged old things that stifle and overlie
us--
Have felt the effects of the lesson we got-an advantage no
money could by us!
Then let us develop this marvellous asset which we alone
command,
And which, it may subsequently transpire, will be worth as
much as the Rand.
Let us approach this pivotal fact in a humble yet hopeful
mood--
We have had no end of a lesson, it will do us no end of good!
It was our fault, and our very great fault--and now we must
turn it to use.
We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single
excuse.
So the more we work and the less we talk the better results
we shall get--
We have had an Imperial lesson; it may make us an Empire
yet!
Scheme | a bB xcx bded xxfbgcfh xixicjxj xagagkxk xxcxelxl xhxhmjB xnmnxoxo |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 11 11011101010101 11111101011111111 110101010101011 10100010001010 01 011011001011011 11 1110101100111101 1 111011100111001 101 111001001101110 1 111110111 100 1001001011101011 101101 1110101010110101 1110 11110010110111011 10 110010110010100 1010 0111101001110111 10 1111101011101 11 11011011011101 11 0101110111101 01111 01010011010010110 1 101011010111111 1110 110111110010 10 10010101111001 1 1100110101110101 10111 1110101111101 01 011110000101111 1101 1101110010010110 1 11111101011111111 1110101010110111 1111 1110101011011010 01 101110011101001 111 111101001011111100 1 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 2,044 |
Words | 395 |
Sentences | 15 |
Stanzas | 10 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 8, 8, 8, 7, 8 |
Lines Amount | 57 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 162 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 39 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 30, 2023
- 1:58 min read
- 447 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"The Lesson" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/33484/the-lesson>.
Discuss this Rudyard Kipling poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In