The White Mans Burden

What is your general interpretation of the poem? My general interpretation of the poem is that Kipling presents that white people have an obligation to rule over people from other races or ethnicities. Also, it suggests that the “burden” of white people, is to help other countries to develop around the world. Finally, Kipling is suggesting that we need to “Take up the White Man’s Burden” meaning that we, the United States, must begin to colonize places around the world. I think that Kipling specifically wrote “Take up” as a message that the imperialistic era had begun, and the United States must begin to compete for colonies around the world.

How does the poem reflect the European’s and American’s attitude towards the peoples of Asia and Africa? The poem reflects the European’s and American’s attitudes for several reasons. For one, the poem suggests that white people have an obligation to rule over other, less fortunate people, around the world. During the Imperialistic Era, Europeans and Americans began to colonize places around the world for the similar thought that they were more powerful, and their respective government should be the one in power in all the colonies around the world. In addition, when Kipling writes “Fill full the mouth of Famine, and bid the sickness cease…” Kipling describes how the obligation of white people was also to help develop and improve the lifestyles of poorer countries. This reflects the attitudes of Europeans and Americans because part of the reason these countries colonized areas around the world was because they felt they needed to “save” Less fortunate countries around the world. Finally, in the poem, Kipling writes “To seek another’s profit, And to work another’s gain.” This can serve as an example of the American and European attitudes because during the Imperialistic Era, many of the mother countries around the world used their colonies as a market for their own domestic