If Flashcards
Meaning
How to be a man. Situations are hypothetical but something to strive for
Language
- second person pronouns
- personification
second person pronouns
to simulate both friendly advice from. father and also as a general address to the readers
‘if you can dream’ ‘blaming it on you’
IF- title
conditional and an offer
personification
‘If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster”
to bring to life 2 events to help the reader see them in a different light. As not the end of ones story but part of ones journey
structure
- conditional tense
- uses opposites
- caesura
-listing
opposites
‘If you can dream- and not make dreams your master’
to clarify his message
caesura
Only stop is t the end of the poem to show that being a decent man is an on going journey
Capitalisation of words
‘Except the Will which says to them : “Hold on”
emphasises the mental strength needed to hold on
first 3 lines
rhyme to emphasise personal nature of address
Themes
- strength
- self control
- life
Could be compared with?
poem at thirty-nine,prayer before birth,do not go gentle into that good night and tyger
Why can If be compared with POEM AT THIRTY-NINE?
both poems are about a parent-child relationship where the parent has been influential in the maturation of the child
Why can If and prayer before birth be compared?
both poems are about the cruel world. But kipling sees it as brave to face it and in prayer before birth the poet thinks its better to not face life at all.
Why can If and do not go gentle into that good night be compared?
both are asking something of someone close to them. but where if is from a father to son do not go gentle into that good night is from a son to father
