Question

Take up the White Man's burden-

Have done with childish days-
The lightly proffered laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers!
—Rudyard Kipling,
"The White Man's Burden"
Focus on the last line of this stanza.
According to this stanza, why should nations attempt to become imperialist powers?

Answer 1

Nations should become imperialist powers as a test of maturity, according to Kipling's poem, which assumes the superiority and responsibility of Western nations to civilize others.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the last line of the stanza in Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The White Man's Burden,' nations should attempt to become imperialist powers because it is a test and affirmation of their maturity and strength. The poem suggests that moving beyond 'childish days' of 'easy, ungrudged praise' to embrace the challenges and hardships of imperialism is a journey that defines manhood. The line 'The judgment of your peers' implies that nations are measured and evaluated by their capacity to undertake the difficult task of civilizing and guiding other nations deemed less developed, a notion deeply embedded in the cultural and racial superiority advocated during the era of imperialism.

Answer 2

The last line suggests that nations should become imperialist powers because they will receive praise and recognition from their peers.

Step-by-step explanation:

The last line of the stanza from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'The White Man's Burden' suggests that nations should attempt to become imperialist powers

because they will receive praise and recognition from their peers as a result.

According to the stanza, taking on the 'burden' of imperialism brings about 'the lightly proffered laurel' and 'the easy, ungrudged praise.'