Analysis

“The White Man’s Burden” is a poem written by the British writer and poet Rudyard Kipling. In 1899, the poem was published in the magazine called McClure’s. Rudyard Kipling composed the poem initially for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee but decided to change the poem to match the American colonisation of the Philippines. The poem deals with issues such as racial oppression and the white man’s racial primacy. Kipling’s poem is a lyrical depiction of the white man’s burden during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The poem is composed of seven stanzas each consisting of eight verses. The rhyme scheme is, “A – B – C – B – D – E – F – E”. In other words, the poem rhymes with every second and sixth verse. Thus, it has a traditional rhyme scheme. In each line, there are three iambs and the rhythm is, “u–u– u–“. Each verse consists of six syllables, which means that the same rhythm occurs throughout the whole poem. The rhythm is regular and it creates the sense of soldiers marching off to war.
“The White Man’s Burden” is constructed of different poetic devices that give the poem a certain effect on the reader. For instance, Kipling makes use of stylistic devices such as the imperative form, alliteration, and imagery. Of these, the most significant is the usage of the imperative form. The imperative form marks the entire poem. For example, “Take up the White Man’s Burden” (p. 262, l. 1), “Go make them with your living” (p. 262, l. 34), and “And reap his old reward;” (p. 263, l. 2). The use of the imperative form provides the effect as if the speaker gives orders to the white man.
Another poetic device is the usage of alliteration that makes the poem flow more smoothly. For instance, “The silent, sullen peoples” (p. 263, l. 16) ...

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... by focusing on the brown man’s burden. The sympathy lies with the brown man rather than the white man. Accordingly, the poem becomes a contrast/respond to Rudyard Kipling’s poem and an intertextual reference as well.

In conclusion, Rudyard Kipling employs different poetic devices in “The White Man’s Burden” in terms of imagery, the imperative form, and other stylistic devices. The poetic devices connect to the content of the poem as the rhythm creates the effect of soldiers marching off. Through this poem, Kipling manages to express the white man’s burden to educate and to civilise other races. The poem can be interpreted as literal, sarcastic, and suitable for the occasion. Henry Labouchère’s poem “The Brown Man’s Burden” is an intertextual reference and a contrast to Kipling’s poem. Labouchère’s poem stresses the brown man’s burden as subject to the white man.