Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

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Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) is a person.

  • Context:
    • They can (typically) be known for Kipling Publications, such as:
      • The Jungle Book* (1894), a collection of stories featuring iconic characters like Mowgli and Baloo, which explores themes of adventure, morality, and nature.
      • Kim (1901), a novel that blends adventure with political intrigue, set against the backdrop of British India and showcasing Kipling's nuanced understanding of colonial India.
      • Just So Stories (1902), a collection of whimsical tales written for children, offering imaginative explanations for natural phenomena.
      • If— (1910), a famous poem offering stoic advice on personal integrity and resilience, often cited as one of Kipling’s most popular works.
    • They can (often) be regarded as one of the most influential literary figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, having been the first English-language writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.
    • ...
    • They can range from being a children's author to a poet and novelist who addressed themes of British imperialism, cultural identity, and human nature.
    • ...
    • They can be seen as a complex figure, whose works reflected both his celebration of British colonialism and his critiques of its excesses and moral contradictions.
    • They can influence later authors and cultural works through their distinct narrative style, use of exotic settings, and deep engagement with British colonial themes.
    • They can be remembered for their contributions to literary and political discourse, often sparking debate about the ethics of empire and the representation of colonized peoples.
    • They can have a lasting impact on both children's literature and political writing, with works like *The Jungle Book* continuing to inspire adaptations in films, theater, and popular culture.
    • They can explore themes such as loyalty, courage, and survival in challenging circumstances, often using exotic settings like India and the African jungle.
    • They can have been a prominent public figure in Britain during his lifetime, admired for his literary achievements but also criticized for his support of imperialist policies.
    • They can (often) be viewed through the lens of modern literary criticism, with scholars reexamining his works to understand the complexities of his views on race, empire, and identity.
    • ...
  • Example(s):
    • ...
  • Counter-Example(s):
    • George Orwell, who, unlike Kipling, critiqued imperialism in his works, often portraying the injustices and moral complexities of British rule in India.
    • Joseph Conrad, whose novel *Heart of Darkness* offers a darker and more critical view of European imperialism in Africa, contrasting with Kipling’s more ambivalent approach to colonialism.
  • See: Colonial Literature, The Man Who Would Be King, Malabar Hill, Bombay Presidency, Poets' Corner, The Jungle Book, Just So Stories, Recessional (Poem).

References

2023

  • (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling Retrieved:2023-9-3.
    • Joseph Rudyard Kipling (; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)[1] was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.

      Kipling's works of fiction include the Jungle Book duology (The Jungle Book, 1894; The Second Jungle Book, 1895), Kim (1901), the Just So Stories (1902) and many short stories, including "The Man Who Would Be King" (1888). [2] His poems include "Mandalay" (1890), "Gunga Din" (1890), "The Gods of the Copybook Headings" (1919), "The White Man's Burden" (1899), and "If—" (1910). He is seen as an innovator in the art of the short story.[3] His children's books are classics; one critic noted "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".[4] [5] Kipling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was among the United Kingdom's most popular writers.[3] Henry James said "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius, as distinct from fine intelligence, that I have ever known."[3] In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, as the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and at 41, its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and several times for a knighthood, but declined both.[6] Following his death in 1936, his ashes were interred at Poets' Corner, part of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey. Kipling's subsequent reputation has changed with the political and social climate of the age.[7] [8] The contrasting views of him continued for much of the 20th century.[9] [10] Literary critic Douglas Kerr wrote: "[Kipling] is still an author who can inspire passionate disagreement and his place in literary and cultural history is far from settled. But as the age of the European empires recedes, he is recognised as an incomparable, if controversial, interpreter of how empire was experienced. That, and an increasing recognition of his extraordinary narrative gifts, make him a force to be reckoned with."[11]

  1. ↑ The Times, (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12.
  2. ↑ "The Man who would be King" . Notes on the text by John McGivering. kiplingsociety.co.uk.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Rutherford, Andrew (1987). General Preface to the Editions of Rudyard Kipling, in "Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies", by Rudyard Kipling. Oxford University Press.
  4. ↑ Rutherford, Andrew (1987). Introduction to the Oxford World's Classics edition of 'Plain Tales from the Hills', by Rudyard Kipling. Oxford University Press.
  5. ↑ James Joyce considered Tolstoy, Kipling and D'Annunzio the "three writers of the nineteenth century who had the greatest natural talents", but that they "did not fulfill that promise". He also noted their "semi-fanatic ideas about religion, or about patriotism". Diary of David Fleischman, 21 July 1938, quoted in James Joyce by Richard Ellmann, p. 661, Oxford University Press (1983)
  6. ↑ Birkenhead, Lord (1978). Rudyard Kipling, Appendix B, "Honours and Awards". Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London; Random House Inc., New York.
  7. ↑ Lewis, Lisa (1995). Introduction to the Oxford World"s Classics edition of "Just So Stories", by Rudyard Kipling. Oxford University Press, pp. xv–xlii.
  8. ↑ Quigley, Isabel (1987). Introduction to the Oxford World's Classics edition of "The Complete Stalky & Co.", by Rudyard Kipling. Oxford University Press, pp. xiii–xxviii.
  9. ↑ Said, Edward (1993). Culture and Imperialism. London: Chatto & Windus, p. 196. .
  10. ↑ Sandison, Alan (1987). Introduction to the Oxford World's Classics edition of Kim, by Rudyard Kipling. Oxford University Press. pp. xiii–xxx.
  11. ↑ Douglas Kerr, University of Hong Kong (30 May 2002). "Rudyard Kipling." The Literary Encyclopedia. The Literary Dictionary Company. 26 September 2006.
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