The Question
Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)
Brethren, how shall it fare with me
When the war is laid aside,
If it be proven that I am he
For whom a world has died?
If it be proven that all my good,
And the greater good I will make,
Were purchased me by a multitude
Who suffered for my sake?
That I was delivered by mere mankind
Vowed to one sacrifice,
And not, as I hold them, battle-blind,
But dying with open eyes?
That they did not ask me to draw the sword
When they stood to endure their lot --
That they only looked to me for a word,
And I answered I knew them not?
If it be found, when the battle clears,
Their death has set me free,
Then how shall I live with myself through the years
Which they have bought for me?
Brethren, how must it fare with me,
Or how am I justified,
If it be proven that I am he
For whom mankind has died --
If it be proven that I am he
Who, being questioned, denied?
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 26, 2023
- 54 sec read
- 78 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | abAb xcxc dxdx xexe fafa abAbAb |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 838 |
Words | 180 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6 |
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"The Question" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/33537/the-question>.
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