Question

Give three examples of some of the specific difficulties Kipling foresees in taking up “the white

man’s burden.”

Answer 1

First of all, in lines three and four, Kipling instructs the imperialists to "send their sons" to faraway lands. For the imperialists, then, colonisation requires the sacrifice of their men.

Answer 2

In "The White Man's Burden," Kipling explains why colonization and imperialism can also affect the colonizers. He calls this responsibility a "burden." These are some of the reasons why he might advise us not to take this burden:

• Imperialism requires the "best" people, but it sends them into exile, and does not allow their native country to benefit from them (Send forth the best ye breed—/Go send your sons to exile/To serve your captives' need).

• The men who work in this system rarely see the benefits, as it is other people who profit (To seek another’s profit/And work another’s gain).

• You receive no recognition, as even when you do a great job, the locals will hate you and blame you for everything (And reap his old reward:/The blame of those ye better/The hate of those ye guard—).