What is this poem saying about imperialism and what is the historical context of this poem by Kipling?

Question

Online source: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/Kipling.asp

Answer 1

Kipling's famous poem, "The White Man's Burden," was written in a time of intense colonization and imperialism, particularly in Africa and parts of Asia. It was written regarding the United States' annexation and colonization of the Philippines, and it deals mainly with the idea that it is the duty (or burden) of white societies to colonize other parts of the world and "civilize" the "savages" living there. This was a common justification for imperialism: that the nonwhite, non-Christian people of the world were "Half-devil and half-child" and did not want to change, and that white colonizers were doing their Christian duty by "civilizing" them.

Kipling is ultimately pro-Imperialism in this poem, saying that it is a noble and necessary pursuit. He also frames imperialism as something that benefits the colonized and hurts the colonizer, hence it is a "burden" on the white man. He says that it is difficult, that white men will be separated from their homes, "work[ing] another's gain," and bearing the "The blame of those [they] better / The hate of those [they] guard--" but that the white man leading colonized people to the light as Moses led the Jews from slavery.

Of course, when read ironically the poem is a scathing critique of imperialism. In reality, colonization greatly benefited Western powers. At best, it helped colonized people in a clumsy or minimal fashion. At worst, it was outright exploitative, harmful, and sometimes even genocidal. In the face of this reality, "The White Man's Burden" is a striking window into the imperial West's self-delusion, and its disconnect between rhetoric and practice.