Have I memorized this yet?

If you can keep your head while all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait and and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look to good nor talk too wise.

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can thing–and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
And treat those two impostors just the same,
If you can bear to hear the truths you’ve spoken
Twisted by Knaves to set a trap for fools.
If you can see the things you gave your life to broken
And stoop to build them up with worn out tools

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk them all in one game of Pitch ‘n’ Toss
And lose and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss
If you can [something about muscle and] sinew
[something more] long after they are gone,
And say to them when there is nothing in you,
Except the will to say to them, “Hold On.”

If you can talk to crowds and keep your virtue
Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch.
If neither foe nor loving friend can hurt you.
If all men count with you, but none too much.
If you can fill the unforgiving minute,
With sixty seconds worth of distance run.
Then yours is the earth and all that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a man, my son.

Obviously, I need to study it more. I’ll grade it in full, later. Though you’re welcome to leave corrections in the comments. Gotta run.

One thought on “Have I memorized this yet?

  1. mark Post author

    If you can keep your head WHEN all about you

    If you can bear to hear the TRUTH (SINGULAR) you’ve spoken

    OR WATCH THE THINGS you gave your life to broken
    And stoop AND build ‘EM up with worn out tools

    …one TURN of pitch AND toss

    If you can FORCE YOUR HEART AND WILL AND sinew
    TO SERVE YOUR TURN long after they are gone.
    And SO HOLD ON when their is nothing in you
    Except the will WHICH says to them, “hold on.”

    Then Yours is the earth and EVERYTHING that’s in it

    Reply

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