Rudyard Kipling's 'White Man's Burden' Poem
Rudyard Kipling's 1899 poem 'White Man's Burden' was written in response to the American-Philippine War, which lasted from 1899 to 1902. He wrote it as an open invitation for the United States to colonize the Philippines. The poem's language suggested that white imperialism was the only way to deliver civilization to the black race. Kipling proposed that the United States colonize the Philippines in the same way that Europe occupied America in the past. He argues that the industrial revolution rescued the United States from the bonds of darkness and that the same should be done in the Philippines. He viewed members of the black race as primitive people that could only be redeemed by white imperialists.
Kipling's Lack of Remorse
In my observation, Kipling feels no remorse towards the black race; instead, he offers a defense for white imperialism. He castigates the black for their apparent 'backwardness' and believes that their only hope is to be colonized so as to adapt to the ways of the present day. From history, victims of colonialism suffered to a great extent under the watch of imperial rule. They suffered during the era of slavery and were denied their fundamental rights as human beings. Personally, I am offended by Kipling’s poem because it castigates one race and portrays it as inferior to the others. The author is pro-white supremacy, an idea that dehumanizes fellow human beings. I feel that his message is misplaced and biased and should be buried in the annals of history. My belief is that literature should act as a moral guide to society without discriminating any segment of the population.
