“We are human, and nothing is more interesting to us than humanity.” M.H. Abrams once stated this. This quotation proves why authors such as, Rudyard Kipling and Robinson Jeffers wrote poetry about humanity and how it is portrayed. Through his use of conceits and personification Kipling provokes a feeling of optimism and inspiration in the reader, in his poem “If.” Unlike Kipling, Jeffers uses alliteration and imagery to portray man as a savaged creature who has not evolved, in his poem entitled “Original Sin.”
A conceit is an extended metaphor. This, when used, can be very powerful to convey a message. Kipling uses this literary device to get his point across in “If”. “If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss” serves as a very good example of a conceit, and how Kipling views the humanity of man. Kipling tells us that man has the potential to become so much more than they have been and how men should live their lives through lines such as this.
Alliteration by definition demonstrates the repetition of consonants in words that are close together. Jeffers uses strong alliteration in his poem “Original Sin”, which is portrayed in the first line. “The man-brained and man-handed ground-ape physically The most repulsive of all hot-blooded animals,” shows the alliteration of the use of "an". This use of alliteration guides the reader through the repulsive track of what Jeffers says man is.
“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,” describes the frequency of winning and losing, but through a personified form. This gives Triumph and Disaster humanistic qualities. The reader is pulled into the poem more because of the personification, giving the reader an understanding of how common wins and losses are. This shows the reader a sense of humility and states that if one wins or losses they should act with humility, acting the same with each outcome.
Imagery is known as the formation of mental images, figures, or likeness of things, or of such images collectively. Used correctly and sparingly, imagery can paint a picture within a poem showing the read what they are reading. In “Original Sin”, Jeffers uses imagery to create the sense that man is repulsive. “Meanwhile the intense color and nobility of sunrise, Rose and gold and amber, flowed up the sky. Wet rocks were shining, a little wind stirred the leaves of the forest and the marsh flag-flowers;” demonstrates the picture Jeffers wants to put into the reader's head. This use of imagery sets up nature to be a beautiful thing while man is the exact opposite.
Martin Luther King once stated, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” King's quote relates to the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling states that when one thinks about rises above his individualist concerns, his true manhood comes through. This manhood helps one to be humble and "roll with the punches". In conclusion, man needs the inspiration that Kipling gives us, because this inspiration can help one to become a better person, rather than the slap in the face Jeffers gives mankind.
