The Beginnings

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



It was not part of their blood,
    It came to them very late
  With long arrears to make good,
    When the English began to hate.

  They were not easily moved,
     They were icy-willing to wait
  Till every count should be proved,
    Ere the English began to hate.

  Their voices were even and low,
    Their eyes were level and straight.
  There was neither sign nor show,
    When the English began to hate.

  It was not preached to the crowd,
    It was not taught by the State.
  No man spoke it aloud,   
    When the English began to hate.

  It  was not suddenly bred,
    It  will not swiftly abate,
  Through the chill years ahead,
    When Time shall count from the date
    That the English began to hate.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 04, 2023

37 sec read
2,623

Quick analysis:

Scheme xaxA baba cacA dadA eaeaa
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 709
Words 126
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 5

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

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1 Comment
  • alanswansea18
    The best work I ever seen. Beautiful.
    LikeReply3 months ago

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"The Beginnings" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/33372/the-beginnings>.

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