Cornell University Library PR4857.D941914 A handbook to the poetry of Rudyard Kipl 3 1924 013 494 228 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013494228 A HANDBOOK TO THE POETRY OF RUDYARD KIPLING BY RALPH DURAND GARDEN CITY NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1914 EV. ni4 "73 Copyright, I gi 4, by DOUBLEDAY, PaGE & COMPANY All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian DEDICATION TO HENRY JOHN STALLEY ('UNCLE JOHN') FOR MANY YEARS ASSISTANT MASTER OF THE RELIGIOUS, ROYAL AND ANCIENT FOUNDATION OF CHRIST's HOSPITAL It used to be the custom in the East when a man had com- mitted a capital offence to execute not only the criminal but also the man who had been entrusted with the criminal's edu- cation. We in the West are not so logical. We do not punish the tutor for the pupil's misdeeds, and, on the other hand, those of us who escape the gallows are apt to forget to what extent our escape is due to the men who educated us, I wondex how many of the thousands of 'Old Blues' who have passed through your class-room realise how great is the debt they owe you. Most of us knew you first as the dread Pluto of the De- tention School. Without the care that in that capacity you lavished on us we should probably all be worse men than we are. That point of view, however, did not occur to us at the time, and it was not until in fear and dread we entered your class-room that we began to learn to love you. When we first came to you, not as defaulters but as pupils, we believed that the science of Geography consisted of nothing more than an endless string of meaningless and unpronounceable names. You taught us that the world was a very wonderful and fasci- nating place, and made us yearn for the time when we should be able to go forth and have a look at it for ourselves. We came DEDICATION to you holding the belief that the science of History was nothing more than 'William-the-Conquerer-ten-sixty-six-William-the- Second-ten-eighty-seven,' multiplied by dreariness to an in- definite degree. Under the magic of your wand we saw Norman knight and Saxon footman fight to the death on Senlac Hill; we heard the thunder of Spanish guns echo along the Sus- sex shore; we mingled with the crowd in Whitehall, and, with a clearer focus than our forefathers could have used, saw how much there was of good and how much of base both in the king who died there and in the men who killed him. You taught us directly the measure of the privileges and responsibilities be- queathed to us by those who lived and fought and died for England. Indirectly you taught us that knowledge has a value more precious than its power to win marks in school and money in after life. Soon after I began work on this book, I re-read the lines, addressed by Rudyard Kipling to one of his former masters: 'Let us now praise famous men' — Men of little showing — For their work continueth. And their work continueth, Broad and deep continueth. Greater than their knowing ! The words immediately called you to my mind. For that reason I dedicate this book to you, not in payment of the debt I owe you — I have not wealth enough for that — but in ac- knowledgment of it. RALPH DURAND. VI INTRODUCTION This book is offered to the public in the hope that it will prove of service to those to whom Mr. Rudyard Kipling's poems are a constant source of delight. Rudyard Kipling has made Extended observation of the ways and works of man, From the Four-mile Radius roughly to the plains of Hindustan, with excursions into prehistoric times, ships' engine- rooms, Freemasonry, and other subjects. His poems consequently abound in precise technicalities, archaic words, and slang expressions enough to justify a glossary of the terms that he uses. An engineer does not need to refer to a dictionary for a definition of the word slip; a soldier perhaps understands what exactly are slingers; a Biblical student may know all that is now guessed as to the whereabouts of Javan, and a classical scholar needs no information as to the difference between a thranite and a thalamite. But the general reader who wishes to understand these terms must search for them in dictionaries and other works of reference, and may possibly find his search fruitless. When doubt arose as to whether expressions were too well known to need explanation, it was de- vil INTRODUCTION cided, for the benefit of the foreign reader, to err on the side of giving too much rather than too Httle infor- mation. A mere glossary of the obscure expressions which he uses would, however, leave the student of Rudyard Kipling's poems but half satisfied. For this reason no apology is needed for embodying in this book short biographical notices, such as those on ' Eddi of Man- hood End,' on ' Gholam Hyder, the Red Chief,' and on * her that fell at Simon's Town in service on our foes,' or for including references to the rite of johar, the myth concerning 'Upsaras,' or the original pro- pounder of the question 'Is not Calno like Carchem- ish ? ' And this book jvould certainly be incomplete without an explanation of the personal interest that attaches to 'The Rhyme of the Three Captains.' My notes follow the order of the poems as they appear in the various volumes in which they have been collected, from Departmental Ditties to Songs from Books. The last pages are devoted to a few poems that appeared originally in Mr. Kipling's prose works but have not yet been collected into volume form. An alphabetical list of titles and a general inr dex will be found at the end of the volume. RALPH DURAND. VUI TITLES OF POEMS ANNOTATED FROM 'DEPARTMENTAL DITTIES AND OTHER VERSES' PAGE ARMY HEADQUARTERS 3 A LEGEND OF THE FOREIGN OFFICE . . 3 PUBLIC WASTE 4 WHAT HAPPENED 5 THE MAN WHO COULD WRITE .... 8 MUNICIPAL 8 A CODE OF MORALS 9 THE LAST DEPARTMENT 9 TO THE UNKNOWN GODDESS .... ID THE RUPAIYAT OF OMAR KAL'vIN . . . II DIVIDED DESTINIES 12 THE MASQUE OF PLENTY 12 THE SONG OF THE WOMEN .... I4 THE BALLAD OF FISHEr's BOARDING-HOUSE . 16 AS THE BELL CLINKS I7 THE GRAVE OF THE HUNDRED HEAD . . 1 7 WHAT THE PEOPLE SAID 1 8 ONE VICEROY RESIGNS I9 A TALE OF TWO CITIES 22 GIFFEn's DEBT 23 ix TITLES OF POEMS ANNOTATED FAGS IN SPRING TIME 24 rrHE GALLEY SLAVE 24 FROM 'BARRACK-ROOM BALLADS AND OTHER VERSES' BEYOND THE PATH OF THE OUTMOST SUN . , 26 TO T. A. (THOMAS ATKINS) .... 2$ VDANNY DEEVER 2/ TOMMY 28 vfuzzy-wuzzy' 29 screw-guns 31 CELLS 32 GUNGA DIN 34 (OONTS 35 aooT 37 'SNARLEYOW' 38 THE WIDOW AT WINDSOR 40 BELTS 40 .THE YOUNG BRITISH SOLDIER .... 4I 4lANDALAY troopin' THE widow's PARTY 42 43 43 FORD O KABUL RIVER 44 GENTLEMEN-RANKERS 44 ROUTE MARCHIn' 45 ISHILLIn' a DAY 47 THE BALLAD OF EAST AND WEST ... 49 THE LAST SUTTEE ...... C2 X TITLES OF POEMS ANNOTATED rACS THE BALLAD OF THE KINg's MERCY . . S3 THE BALLAD OF THE KINg's JEST ... 57 WITH SCINDIA TO DELHI 59 THE DOVE OF DACCA 64 THE BALLAD OF BOH DA THONE ... 65 THE LAMENT OF THE BORDER CATTLE THIEF 68 THE RHYME OF THE THREE CAPTAINS . . 69 THE BALLAD OF THE 'CLAMPHERDOWN' . 75 THE BALLAD OF THE 'boLIVAR' ... 76 "^ THE SACRIFICE OF ER-HEB .... 79 THE GIFT OF THE SEA 80 EVARRA AND HIS GODS 8 1 THE CONUNDRUM OF THE WORKSHOPS . . 8 1 THE LEGENDS OF EVIL 82 THE ENGLISH FLAG ...... 82 'cleared' 84 an imperial rescript 86 TOMLINSON ./ 87 THE LONG TRAIL 88 FROM 'THE SEVEN SEAS' TO THE CITY OF BOMBAY . . . 93 THE SONG OF THE ENGLISH . • . 93 The Coastwise Lights . 93 The Song of the Dead . 94 The Deep-Sea Cables . 96 The Song of the Sons . 97 The Song of the Cities y England's Answer . / . . . 97 99 XI TITLES OF POEMS ANNOTATED PAGE V J THE FIRST CHANTEY ./ 99 THE LAST CHANTEY ^ lOI THE MERCHANTMEN I03 m' Andrew's hymn '^ io8 T)A^ MIRACLES II9 HE NATIVE-BORN ^ II9 THE KING 122 THE RHYME OF THE THREE SEALERS . . I24 THE DERELICT . I34 THE SONG OF THE BANJO I3S THE LINER SHe's A LADY I38 MULHOLLANd's CONTRACT I39 ANCHOR SONG I40 THE LOST LEGION I46 THE SEA-WIFE . / I52 HYMN BEFORE ACTION I52 TO THE TRUE ROMANCE , - . . . . 152 THE FLOWERS g^^^ THE LAST RHYME OF TRUE THOMAS . . I55 IN THE NEOLITHIC AGE IJ§- THE STORY OF UNG ^"162 THE THREE-DECKER 164 / THE AMERICAN . v l6y V^E 'mary gloster' 167 SESTINA OF THE TRAMP-ROYAL. . . . 171 WHEN 'OMER SMOTE 'iS BLOOMIN' LYRE . I7I 'back to the army again' .... lJ3i^ 'birds of prey' MARCH I76 xii /: TITLES OF POEMS ANNOTATED PAGS i 'soldier and sailor too' . . . . 178 SAPPERS 180 that day i82 'the men that fought at minden' . . 182 cholera camp 184 the mother-lodge 1 85 'follow ME 'oME' 188 THE sergeant's WEDDIn' 189 THE JACKET I89 THE 'eATHEN 191 THE SHUT-EYE sentry I94 FROM 'THE FIVE NATIONS' Ibefore a midnight breaks in storm . 196