Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem "The White Man's Burden" in 1899, at the height of the British Empire. He intended the poem to be read by educated Englishmen, who he believed had a responsibility to spread Western civilization to the "uncivilized" peoples of the world. Kipling believed that the British Empire was a force for good, and that its mission was to bring peace, prosperity, and Christianity to the colonies.
What do you think that audience might have said in response to it?
The poem was met with mixed reactions when it was first published. Some Englishmen agreed with Kipling's sentiments, and they saw the poem as a call to action. They believed that it was their duty to civilize the world and spread British values. Others, however, were critical of the poem, and they saw it as a justification for imperialism and racism. They believed that Kipling's poem glorified war and conquest and that it ignored the suffering of the people who were being colonized.
In the years since it was first published, "The White Man's Burden" has continued to be a source of controversy. Some people see it as a celebration of British imperialism, while others see it as a critique of colonialism. The poem is still widely studied today, and it is often used to spark discussions about the ethics of imperialism and the role of the West in the world.