Graduation weekend is upon us at the University of Richmond. I always find this a bittersweet time. While I am happy to have successfully navigated another academic year, I am saddened to say goodbye to the many students I have forged bonds with in their time here.
In the spirit of commencement, new beginnings, and endless possibilities, I am sharing this poem and dedicating to all the students graduating this weekend, especially those in my corner of the world.
If—
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when 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 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 too good, nor talk too wise:
Read the poem in its entirety.
I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Michelle at Today's Little Ditty. Happy poetry Friday friends!
It is bittersweet, isn't it? The bonds you've made are more important than you know!
ReplyDeleteYou might like to see the "If" art I posted a while back: http://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2013/08/meeting-with-triumph-and-disaster.html
Tabatha, thanks so much for sharing your post. This is my favorite poem to share at this time of year. I may need to add listening to it as a part of annual routine.
DeleteThanks for sharing Kipling's beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had wished me well with this poem at graduation! So inspiring.
ReplyDeleteAh, we started memorizing this in the fifth grade - I don't remember if I ever finished, but I must have finished enough for the test. We also used it for penmanship, and it came up again junior year in high school... and it's always good to hear again, though I change the final line from "a man," of course. Because I am contrary like that.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful poem filled with so much wisdom. Thank you, Tricia, for sharing it today.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Happy Graduation and Happy Mother's Day!
ReplyDeleteI remember vividly my eighth-grade English teacher reading this to our class, Tricia - as I'm sure your students will remember you sharing poems. Oh, hooray for teachers who love poetry!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Tricia! I came looking for a poetry stretch and found these wise words instead. It's a tall order, being the bigger person this way with consistency, but it's especially important for teachers to tread the high road, don't you think? We teach so much more than our "content"-- or rather the content of our characters is precisely what we teach most consistently. Thanks for the reminder at this time of year when it's easy to feel "done."
ReplyDelete