The Jungle Books (1894).

 

Perhaps his most famous works, The Jungle Books was a collection of short stories by Kipling. Featuring illustrations from his father, there is evidence that The Jungle Books were written for his daughter who died aged only 6; after, a poignant handwritten note dedicating the books to her, was found in a rare early edition.

Some of the most famous stories follow Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, and are tales and fables of an ‘anthropomorphic’ nature; whereby animals take on characteristics of humans, such as talking/communicating and forming emotional attachments. Each story has a moral lesson, and the books are said to contain everything Kipling knew or “heard or dreamed about the Indian jungle.”[1]

The Jungle Books include other lesser known stories, such as “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi“, the story of a heroic mongoose, and “Toomai of the Elephants“, the tale of a young elephant-handler. The educational and instructional tone of the stories, combined with their connections to nature and animals, meant they were hugely popular with both children and adults, and came to be used as motivational books within the lower division of the Scouts, the Cubs.

 

Recessional (1897).

 

Recessional was a poem that Kipling composed for the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. This particular poem is a prayer; describing two fates, passing out of existence and lapsing from the Christian faith into profanity.

The poem went against the celebratory mood of the time, providing instead a reminder of the fluidity and strength of British Imperialism.

Apt for the current time, the poem gave birth to the phrase ‘Lest We Forget’. Repeated at the end of each verse, the line delivers the meaning behind the poem; that God might spare England “lest we forget” the sacrifice of Christ.

The phrase passed into common usage after World War 1 and is linked with Remembrance Day and the memorial of those who lost their lives fighting for their country.

The poem can be read here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176152

 

The White Man’s Burden (1899).

 

Originally written for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, the White Man’s Burden was replaced by Recessional; Kipling changed the text of “Burden” to reflect the subject of American colonization of the Philippines, which was occurring at the time. At face value it appears to be a rhetorical command to white men to colonise and rule other nations for the benefit of both themselves and the colonised nations. Because of these themes, the poem has been associated wit racism and emblematic of Western aspirations to dominate the developing world. A century after its publication, the poem still rouses strong emotions, and can be analysed from a variety of perspectives. This is perhaps the most infamous and controversial prose by Kipling, depicting the racist undertones and problems connected with Imperialism at the time.

The poem can be read here: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/Kipling.asp