SUPPLYING STUDENTS WITH STRONG PERSONALITIES

FOR COLORING GLOBALIZATION ERA

BY TEACHING RUDYARD KIPLING’S POEM “IF”
Taufiqurrohman
Nahdlatul Ulama’ Islamic University (UNISNU) Jepara
Pecangaan Kulon RT:02 RW:07 Pecangaan Jepara 59462
Email: ufiq1289@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Teaching literature doesn’t only means transferring knowledge but also means supplying
students with strong mental to live their life, especially in this globalization era. This thought is
proved in this paper by interpreting one poem as the example of teaching literature. The poem
taken here is the most popular Rudyard Kipling’s poem entitled “If”. The writer uses Riffaterre
semiotics as the approach to analyze the poem. It uses four steps of interpreting poem, namely
Heuristic reading, Hermeneutic reading that consists of socio-cultural and intertextual
interpretation, model and matrix.The result of analysis says that poem “If” uses signifier behind
each two lines of the poem. The signifier found functions as the emphasized personalities
behind each personality described. It is about how to use the strong personalities to master
everything happens in this life. Meanwhile, mastering life nowadays means men, especially
students, can’t be wrong-influenced by globalization, but they can color it. It is also concluded
that this content of the poem is suitable to the fact that this poem is very popular inspiring poem
in this world, especially in England.
Keywords: teaching poem “If”, semiotics, strong personalities, globalization era.

I. Introduction
Teaching students doesn’t only mean transferring contents of the course or the subject
but also supplying students with good behavior attached by the course or the subject. In case of
teaching literature, students would be given many sources on literary works which contain
values of life. Here, students would meet sentences and symbols talk about moral messages.
Literary works which commonly referred by poetry, prose and drama have their own
beauty aspect of works. Poetry has its own characteristics on the using of concise words, rhyme,
rhythm, symbol and figure of speech. This characteristics of course make many students
interested in knowing the contents or the meanings of one poem.
In case of students who learn literature, they have to learn two things at the same time.
Number one is about the features of form and content of one poem. Number two is about the
messages attached by the poem. This is in line with students’ competence on affective aspect
that should be owned as taken for granted.
As we know in the goal of national education written in the law in no. 20 year 2003 that
cognitive, affective and psychomotor domain should be owned by students. Affective, as one of
the domains, operates in the moral aspect. That’s why, in teaching poems, teachers or lecturers
should use certain methods how to supply students with good and strong behaviors can be taken
advantages in their life.
 Meanwhile, the teacher’s role and responsibility in education are very hard in
globalization era. It is due to the fact that education had a vital role to develop the science and to
guide the learners in order to have a holistic intelligence (Akhyak in International Journal of
Social Science and Humanity, 2014: 391). By seeing the symptoms of globalization in this
world nowadays, such as the super-free information, so the role and responsibility of teachers
are higher and more complicated.
Besides, this era transforms many fields of life into one melting-pot of life. This can be
shown by the existence of free-interactions among people worldwide across countries. This kind
of interactions must waste many values power in which they are considered not good. That’s
why strong personalities are indeed needed to be owned by every single student. It is to make
them well-prepared in communication in this globalization era.
That’s why teaching strong personalities nowadays becomes an urgent thing. It needs to
be done well because students must have moral supply so that they would not get bias in the
follow-up of living in globalization era. They need to own strong personalities so that they can
color globalization, not bad-influenced by it.
Then in relation to teaching poems as the consequence for literature teachers, teachers
should supply students with moral messages taken from the poem would be given. Teachers
must choose any poems which give moral messages to students. These moral messages then can
be used as their supply in living this life in globalization era.
That’s why this writing is aimed at giving example of teaching students with strong
personalities for being used in globalization era. In this case, the example taken is teaching one
poem. The poem chosen by the writer here is Rudyard Kipling’ most popular poem entitled “If”.

II. Approach of Study

The study in this writing uses one poem as the object. Because the meaning of poem
“If” that has to be analyzed, so this study uses one suitable approach as the medium to interpret
the poem. The approach used by the writer is semiotics of poetry. The kind of semiotics used is
Riffaterre’s theory.
Due to the existence of second (connotative) meaning in poem, so this model of
semiotics needs two analysis levels, namely Heuristic reading and Hermeneutic reading.
According to Riffaterre (1978:4-6), Heuristic reading is based on the language convention.
Meanwhile, Hermeneutic reading needs laminar interpretation in which it is divided into four
stages, namely Hypogram Actual, Hypogram Potential, Model dan Matrix.
Heuristic Reading, in the eyes of Riffaterre (1978:5), is used to reveal denotative
meanings. The competence of the readers of being capable to translate English lyrics is needed.
Hermeneutic Reading, in the perspective of Riffaterre (1978:13-19), consists of
Hypogram Potential (study of symbols), Hypogram Actual (inter textual study), Model (lyrics as
the core of poems) and Matrix (conclusion for the theme or the core of meanings in words or
phrases).

III. Analysis
The poem that would be analyzed below is as follows.
If

If you can keep your head when all about you 1

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, 2
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, 3
But make allowance for their doubting too; 4
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, 5
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, 6
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, 7
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: 8

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; 9

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; 10
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster 11
And treat those two impostors just the same; 12
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken 13
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, 14
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, 15
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: 16

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 17

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, 18
And lose, and start again at your beginnings 19
And never breathe a word about your loss; 20
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 21
To serve your turn long after they are gone, 22
And so hold on when there is nothing in you 23
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ 24

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, 25

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, 26
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, 27
If all men count with you, but none too much; 28
If you can fill the unforgiving minute 29
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, 30
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, 31
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son! 32

By Rudyard Kipling
Quoted from A Choice of Kipling’s Verse (1943) via
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175772

Heuristic Reading

Because it has been known that the title is “If”, so the situation given in this poem must
use conditions. Conditions then in turn show psychological meaning. It means the message
would be given by the writer must use something wanted to reach for men as the maximum
achievement. The real meaning on this assumption would be proved below.

In case of using pronoun object “you” in the poem, Kipling uses the readers as the
addressee. That’s why the message of the poem automatically addressed to the readers.
 There must be any meanings of line 1 that seems not complete as the sentence because
it ends with clause form. So there must be the answer in line 2. If the two lines are paraphrased
lexically, so the meaning must be “If we can still be strong even though we lose the attention of
others and we are blamed”.

Line 3 also says something that is continued to line 4. It is about how we can be a great
guy although we are underestimated by anyone else. We also should be pleased too though the
fact above exists.

Line 5 says about being patient without boring. Line 6 says about keeping being honest
to anyone else even though we have been deceived by him or her. Line 7 also says in one spirit
with the two previous lines. It is about how to stay being good although we are hated by anyone
else.

The last line of first stanza or line 8 talks about one advice for us not to seem either too
good or too wise. What behind this message can be explained in Hermeneutic reading
(Hypogram Potential) part.

The second stanza also uses “If” as the lyric’s start. The conditional sentence in line 9 is
about having dream but not controlled by the dream itself. Then line 10 says that we truly can
think great but not to use the thought as our aim.

Line 11 and 12 must be in one spirit because word “those two” line 12 refers to
“Triumph and Disaster” in line 11. The meaning of both lyrics is that we have to treat Triumph
and Disaster as the same thing. Words “Triumph” and “Disaster” seem not clear enough as
words of intact meaning. There must be something behind. It would be explained in Hypogram
Potential that functions as the interpreter of symbols and figures of speech.

Line 13 says that we have to keep telling the truth even though (line 14) anyone else
gives obstacles on the truth. Even, we have to keep building what has been broken with worn-
out tools after the glory we have got (line 15 and 16). Phrase “worn-out tools” seems unsuitable
to both the previous and the next lyrics. So it has to be discussed in Hypogram Potential.

Next stanza is started with our winning we have reached. But suddenly the winning
turns to be loss (line 18). It is okay based on the next line (line 19); we have to begin again
without showing jeremiad (line 20). Then we have to give our maximum effort (line 21) to wait
with smile for the return of our glory (line 22). Line 23 and 24 say about how we have to hold
on with the Will. What does “Will” mean”? it will be discussed in Hypogram Potential.

Word “If” is also used again in the first line of the last stanza. It is about how we can
keep getting virtue although we are in the crowds. Line 26 uses word “King” where we walk
with, but we don’t lose the common touch. The word “King” looks to be forced because this
word comes as if there are no relations to both the previous and the next lyrics. So, this one also
has to be explained in Hypogram Potential.

The next three lines (27, 28, 29) starts with “If”. They mean that if anyone can’t hurt us
neither the foes nor the loving friends, and if all men count with us without complementing too
much. But line 29 has the extension spirit with line 30. It is about filling the missing one minute
occasion with sixty seconds spirit of run. What does it mean? It must have the second meaning
because it seems strange if we interpret the psychological poem with spirit of run. The answer
would be discussed next in Hypogram Potential.
 Line 31 and 32 suddenly uses the pointing expression. “Yours is the earth …. (line 31
and 32)” is used by Kipling to point the rule of the readers. What behind this lyrics using would
be discussed in the next parts below.

Hermeneutic Reading

The lyrics have been explained by using Heuristic reading above have no difficulties of
meaning in being understood except line 8, 11, 16, 24, 26, 29, 30, 31 and 32. So below is the
signification of the lines by using Hypogram Potential.

Hypogram Potential

Line 8 gives an index that we have to make balance of our walk of life so that we can
control our character and behavior. At last, based on Kipling’s message, we can always go on
with our condition. We are not shocked by anything down if we keep living in this medium way
of living1.

Line 11 uses Triumph and Disaster with capital “T” and “D”. It gives sign that they
refer to anything bigger then. Because Triumph and Disaster are related to anything common in
this life, there must be familiar meanings of them. In this life, two things of life as couple that
need to be taken and treated are bliss and probationary. So when we get bliss, we have to thank
God without over-feeling of fun. In the other hand, we have to be patient without feeling so
sighing. The spirit of the meaning is quite same with what has been told in line 8.

“worn-out tools” used in line 16 is a symbol. It is due to the life that is rebuilt again. So
it is impossible if what must be rebuilt is something physical such as building. The symbol then
is connected to life. Something worn-out in life is around simplicity in life. The conclusion is
that we must be able to rebuild our broken life by only using simplicity, not only using
perkiness.

“the Will” in line 24 uses capital W and it refers to something happens to our life. So
this matter tends to show the destiny we get in this life. W capital means that it comes from
God. So it is a sure thing that “the Will” means the destiny itself.

The poem talks about character. In case of line 26 that uses both “Kings” and “common
touch” that seem in contrast, so “Kings” can symbolizes elite thing and “common touch”
symbolizes egalitarian thing. In both of social positions, we have to use humility so that we
cannot lose our sense of care to others.

“the unforgiving minute” (line 29) is filled with “sixty seconds’ worth of distance run”
(line 30). It means they are in turn. One minute that had been unwell-wasted must be changed
by well-productive things. It is what “worth of distance run” means. Sixty seconds also seem
more colorful than only one minute although in calculation of time they are the same.

Line 31 and 32 are actually one sentence. “Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it,
And--which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!” doesn’t mean we are the owner of this earth. It
means that we have potentials to be the master of every single thing we are related to in this life.
But being the master can refer to word “a Man” by using M capital.

1
In a popular anonymous Javanese saying; it doesn’t make us painful if we fall down from the close
terrace. Contrarily, it is very painful if we fall down from the high floor.
Hypogram Actual

For completing the meaning of the poem, it needs to use inter textual meaning too. So
the following extensive explanation is the inter textual meaning of poem “If”. Because the
concluded domain of the poem above is characters / personalities, so the other texts can be taken
are about personalities too.

According to Michelle C. Bligh (2011: 639) that since 1960s, there were researchers
who did many research on five dimensions of universal personalities. The personality
dimensions are conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness and extraversion. These
five dimensions were also used to measure many people’s personality and leadership by the
research done by Ioannis Tsaousis and Ploutarxos Kerpelis that has been written in journal
European Journal of Psychological Assessment (2004: 180-191).

The five dimensions of personalities told above can be applied in describing the
personalities told in Kipling’s poem “If”. Conscientiousness, as the first dimension, is suitable
to the careful walk of character told in line 1, 2, 6, 7, 13, 14, 27 and 28. Those are the examples
of character that suggest people to communicate with others carefully. Kipling also suggests that
we should avoid behaviors that can hurt anyone else’s heart.

Agreeableness can be seen also in line 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 23 and 24 of the poem. Kipling,
in those lines, suggests that people should be wide-opened in receiving something happened
with positive acceptance. Meanwhile, neuroticism is not seen in any lines of the poem because
this kind of dimension is associated as negative character such as anxious and depressed.

Openness can be found in poem “If” line 9, 10, 15, 16, 25 and 26. In those lines,
Kipling describes good characters on being creative. Readers are suggested to be insightful in
the follow-up of everything happens. Meanwhile, extraversion is clearly found in line 17, 18,
19, 20, 21, 22, 29 and 30. In those lines, Kipling suggests the readers to own the characters of
true leaders. Those are like keeping waking up although getting unfortunate condition then
being able to change it to be the fortunate one.

Model

Based on the colorful explanation above, the meaning of the poem above can be
summarized as follows. “We, as human, should be tough in placing ourselves in positive
position. Although we feel hurt after being hurted by anyone else, we have to keep strong not to
hurt him/her. We also get used to be in straight attitude such as smiling in the unfortunate
situation so that we can retake the fortunate situation. By owning such characters, we will get
something very great as if we can master this world. It is what Kipling has called the owner of
the characters told above a Man.”

After getting the intact meaning of the poem, so it can be concluded that word “If” that
often be used in many lines needs answer. Besides, the poem has the characteristics in showing
each two lines that has one integrated meaning. This each two integrated lines also needs answer
too. Then the only answer can be got in that poem lies in the last two lines, namely line 31 and
32.

That’s why the model can be got in poem “If” is “Yours is the Earth and everything
that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!”. These lyrics can also be the
miniature of the poem because they reflect human with strong characters that can be shown in
word “a Man”.
Matrix

The core meaning of poem “If” that can be achieved is “strong personalities”. This
phrase can refer to all lyrics written by Rudyard Kipling. By having strong personalities, one
man can keep smiling in facing all situations. This is the spirit of the poem that can be absorbed
by the readers.

IV. Conclusion

The conclusion we can get is that poem “If” is quite suitable to be taught for students.
The strong characters have been told also can be absorbed and be owned so that students can
resolve any problems they face, especially in globalization era. Globalization era that uses such
global village interactions indeed is beaten by students or people who are unbeatable in
character.

Due to the great motivation given in this poem, it becomes one of popular poems in this
world. It is proved in http://www.drmardy.com/ifferisms/kipling.shtml. This site says that
Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” becomes the most favorite poem in England based on survey year
1995 done by British Broadcasting Company. Besides, one couplet of this poem,
“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same.”
is written above the entryway to Centre Court of Wimbledon’s All England Lawn Tennis and
Croquet Club. This fact also can be the proof of the importance of teaching poem “If’ to
students.

V. References

Akhyak, M.Ag., H. (2014). A Study for Searching New Foundation of Philosophy of Islamic
Education to Revitalizing the Teacher Roles and Duties in Globalization Era.
International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity, 4(5), 391-396.

Bligh, Michell C. 2009. “Personality Thories of Leadership”. Encyclopedia of Group Processes

& Intergroup Relations. USA: SAGE Publications.

Riffaterre, Michael. 1978. Semiotics of Poetry. Bloomington and London: Indiana University
Press.

Tsaousis, Ioannis and Ploutarxos Kerpelis. (2004). The Traits Personality Questionnaire 5
(TPQue5): Psychometric Properties of a Shortened Version of a Big Five Measure.
European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 20(3), 180-191.

http://www.drmardy.com/ifferisms/kipling.shtml

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175772