In 1899, British novelist and poet, Rudyard Kipling, wrote “The White Man’s Burden: The United States and The Philippine Islands” urging the US to take over other nations as Britain and other European countries had. Many people immediately objected to Kipling’s imperialist views. “The Black Man’s Burden”, a response to Kipling’s poem, was written by an African American clergyman and editor H.T. Johnson was published in April 1899.
1 ST STANZA IN YOUR OWN WORDS…. Take up the White Man’s burden- Send forth the best ye breed- Go send your sons to exile To serve your captives’ need To wait in heavy harness On fluttered folk and wild – Your new-caught, sullen, peoples, Half devil and half child Send abroad your best – youngest, strongest, brightest Share the blessings of Western civilization and help those conquered Will be weighed down by the magnitude of the task Those encountered will be half devil & half child.
2 ND STANZAWHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Take up the White Man’s burden In patience to abide To veil the threat of terror And check the show of pride; By open speech and simple A n hundred times made plain To seek another’s profit And work another’s gain This is a moral responsibility It will take time Do not show your fear Do not be conceited Be open, honest, and simple Help others succeed/ improve – enrich the lives of others – not all about you….
3 RD STANZA WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Take up the White Man’s burden- And reap his old reward: The blame of those ye better The hate of those ye guard- The cry of hosts ye humour (Ah slowly) to the light: “Why brought ye us from bondage, Our loved Egyptian night?” Take up this thankless job It will be worth it in the end Those you strive to improve will blame you, will not appreciate your efforts., your protection. Those you try to help and protect will hate you. They will question you., be confused by you. They will ask why you brought them out of bondage toward the light. They will not be grateful to those who wish to help them!
LAST STANZA WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Take up the White Man’s Burden – Have done with childish days – The lightly proffered laurel, The easy, ungrudged praise. Comes now, to search your manhood Through all the thankless years, Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom, The judgment of your peers! You must take up the burden. You must leave your childish ways. You will work harder than you may have thought and will not get the praise you think you deserve. Seek the manhood that comes from many “thankless years” and “dear-bought wisdom.” Some of the best things in life are the hardest to do!
Pleads with the readers to take up the white man’s burden by sending the best of their country to dark, uncivilized places of the earth. There they should try to end famine and disease and serve their new captives - the native peoples.
Culturally imperialistic arrogance The superior British going into a country of brutes to impose their civilizing behaviors and institutions. Philanthropy/ genuine goodwill The mission of fulfilling the “Social Gospel” idea of philanthrophy, which said that the rich and powerful had an obligation to assist the impoverished and the sick. Not necessarily a bad idea, but was underlain with assumptions about racial superiority.
Why would colonial subjects embrace the violent, dehumanizing, humiliating treatment of other nations? Kipling seems to marvel that they wouldn’t jump up and down in thanks to their “civilizing” conquerors.
What was the goal of the poem? To conquer or to warn? Kipling was actually warning those who sought to undertake such actions.
1. Summarize “The White Man’s Burden.” 2. Summarize “The Black Man’s Burden.” 3. What are 3 things that Kipling urges “The White Man” to do? 4. How does Kipling describe the people “The White Man” is urged to “help?” 5. Which motive(s), according to section 1 of chapter 12, is Kipling showing? 6.What does “The Black Man’s Burden” say that shows what “The White Man” is doing wrong? 7. What is your reaction to the poems?