Rudyard Kipling created “the White Man’s Burden.” The author is noted for his children’s books and poems about British armies in India. He was also an English short-story writer, novelist, and poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 for his praise of British imperialism. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the author’s poems and stories were unusual and well-known, but his reputation as a serious writer suffered following World War I. The author’s point of view is positive, and taking on the white man’s burden is meant to reclaim power over others who are perceived to be weaker.
The “white man’s burden” was first published in McClure’s in February 1899. The poem was written and published in London. It’s critical to check a source’s date to see if it’s current and if the material is trustworthy. Date information aids the reader in determining the source’s relevance, demonstrating the creator’s legitimacy.
A first-hand account of a topic or event is a primary source. The nature of the source is one of the symbols that aid in comprehending the primary source, especially when dealing with a source. For example, it is an original ancient letter rather than a transcribed and published version of the same letter (Kipling,2008). Also, consider what can be learned from the source, whether it was written on beautiful paper in elegant handwriting or scribbled in pencil.
The imperialist countries, including the burgeoning imperialist power in the United States, were the target audience for “White Man’s Burden.” Teddy Roosevelt, who supported American imperialism, was a friend of Kipling’s, and the poem was written to appeal to those with some knowledge. Identifying the intended audience is critical in evaluating a source because it encourages the reader to consider credibility by letting them know whether the source is too general or too specialized.
The “White Man’s Burden” document was produced to encourage the US government to take control on Philippines, one of the valued regions of the Spanish-American civil war. The American government was supposed to rule with the same authority and honor as the British government over non-white populations in Africa and India, according to the author. The purpose of an article assists the reader in determining the source’s reliability by evaluating how well the results correspond and whether the purpose was achieved using strong evidence.
Furthermore, the “White Man’s Burden” portrays white people’s defeat of non-white races as a selfless moral obligation. The conquest, according to the poem, is not for individual or national gain, but for collective benefits , particularly the defeated (Kipling,2008). The speaker establishes credibility as a realist who understands the challenges that an imperialist effort poses by emphasizing the issues of “burden.”
Finally, the “White Man’s Burden” is significant as a source because it influenced imperialism’s economic, political, and cultural concepts. Because of their enormous populations, European countries aspired to invade and extract wealth from regions such as Africa and Asia. Europeans were racists who believed they were superior to others in other countries. As a white supremacist, Kipling urged the United States to deal with the burden of civilizing the people using European powers.
Reference
Kipling, R. (2008). The White Man’s Burden.” 1899. The Kipling Society, 21.
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