Recessional

1. Recessional

2. Author Rudyard Kipling Rudyard Kipling works are known for their celebration of the British empire. Rudyard was born British parents in India, one Britain largest colonies. At the age of six, he was placed by his parents in a foster home in England, and later, at a chaotic boarding school.

3. Historical Background Before this he had had no intention of writing a Jubilee poem. “Recessional” was written and published only towards the close of the Jubilee celebrations. It forms a comment on them, an afterword. The poem Kipling found himself moved to write was at odds with the popular mood; anxiety on this score may account for his initial difficulties in composition. Dissatisfied with his first attempts, Kipling had thrown an early draft in the waste-paper basket, from which it was rescued, so the story goes, by his wife. Caroline Kipling made it her business to control what was published over her husband’s name, taking care that no unauthorised scraps or jottings in his handwriting should be permitted to reach the outside world. By the time recessional was put to stand at the end of five nations it had acquired a fresh historical resonance for it has been sung it by 10,000 British

4. The thesis statement lest we forget" forms the refrain of "Recessional." It introduces the reason for the entreaty expressed in the poem that God might spare England from oblivion or profanity "lest we forget" the sacrifice of Christ

5. The Theme The of the poem is Recessionalis a poem by Rudyard Kipling which he composed on the occasion of Queen Victoria s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The poem is a prayer. It describes two fates that befall even the most powerful people armies and nations, and that threaten England at the time: passing out of existence, and lapsing from Christian faith into profanity. The prayer entreats God to spare us England from these fates we forgot the of Christ. The poem went against the celebratory mood of the time providing instead a reminder of the transient nature of British Imperial power.In the poem Kipling argues that boasting and jingoism faults of which he was often accused, were inappropriate and vain in light of the permanence of God.

6. It use figurative language like drunk with sight of power, we looseWild tongues that have not Thee in awe—Such boastings as the Gentiles Lord of our far-flung battle lineBeneath whose awful hand we holdDominion over palm and pine

7. Examples Of Figurative Alright, the sky misses the sun at night. The poorest man is the richest, and the rich are poor. Hear the mellow wedding bells. Edgar Allen Poe Out of reach, I pull out with a screech. I move fast like a cheetah on the Serengeti. Her head was spinning from all the new information. The toast jumped out of the toaster. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

8. Poem Interpretation What does the poem mean ? The poem is a prayer. It describes two fates that befall even the most powerful people, armies and nations, and that threatened England at the time: passing out of existence, and lapsing from Christian faith into profanity.

9. Conclusion Restate thesis lest we forget" forms the refrain of "Recessional." It introduces the reason for the entreaty expressed in the poem: that God might spare England from oblivion or profanity "lest we forget" the sacrifice

10. The mood is calm and collected Figurative Language lord of our far flung battle line beneath whose awful hand we hold dominion over palm and pine

11. Work cited http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recessional_(poem Google