3.1. If - Std X - Mah Board - My English Coursebook - Semi English and Marathi Medium
- Jun 18
- 14 min read
Updated: Jun 22
SECTION 1 — Chapter Information / पाठ परिचय
Feature | Details |
Chapter | Unit 3 — Chapter 3.1: If |
Type | Poetry |
Poet | Rudyard Kipling |
Textbook | My English Coursebook, Std X, Maharashtra State Board |
Board Section | Section II — Reading Skills (Textual) — 20 marks |
मराठी टीप: हा पाठ परीक्षेत Reading Skills Textual विभागात येतो — एकूण 20 गुण.
SECTION 2 — About the Poet / कवी परिचय
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was a highly acclaimed English journalist, short story writer, poet, and novelist. He was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1907, at the age of 42, he made history by becoming the first writer in the English language to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. This specific poem, "If", is a masterpiece that deals with the profound and practical advice given by a father to his son on how to navigate the challenges of life and become a true human being.
मराठी टीप: रुडयार्ड किपलिंग हे एक जगप्रसिद्ध इंग्रजी कवी आणि लेखक होते. १९०७ मध्ये त्यांना साहित्यासाठी नोबेल पुरस्कार मिळाला. 'If' ही कविता म्हणजे एका वडिलांनी आपल्या मुलाला जीवन कसे जगावे आणि एक परिपूर्ण माणूस कसे बनावे, याबद्दल दिलेला एक उत्तम उपदेश (advice) आहे.
Exam Tip: Poet introduction may be asked as part of Poem Appreciation (5 marks) or as a short answer (2 marks).
SECTION 3 — Full Text / पूर्ण पाठ्यांश
Stanza 1
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:
Stanza 2
If you can dream and not make dreams your master; If you can think and not make thoughts, your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth, you've spoken, Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
Stanza 3
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings, nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And which is more you'll be a Man, my son!
SECTION 4 — Stanza-wise Meaning / कडव्यांचा अर्थ
Stanza 1
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:
English Meaning: The poet advises his son to remain calm and composed even when everyone else is panicking and blaming him. He must trust himself when others doubt him, but also politely consider their reasons for doubting. He should be patient, never respond to lies with more lies, and never let hatred take control of his heart. Finally, despite having all these good qualities, he should remain humble and never show off his knowledge or goodness.
मराठी अर्थ: कवी आपल्या मुलाला सांगतो की जेव्हा लोक रागावून तुला दोष देतील, तेव्हा तू शांत राहा (keep your head). जेव्हा लोक तुझ्यावर संशय घेतील, तेव्हा स्वतःवर विश्वास ठेव, पण त्यांच्या संशयाचाही विचार कर. संयम ठेव, कोणी खोटे बोलले किंवा तुझा तिरस्कार केला, तरी तू खोटे बोलू नकोस आणि तिरस्कार करू नकोस. हे सर्व चांगले गुण अंगी असूनही कधीही शहाणपणाचा किंवा चांगुलपणाचा देखावा (show off) करू नकोस.
Exam Tip: Questions about "keeping one's head" and dealing with lies/hatred are very common from this stanza.
Stanza 2
If you can dream and not make dreams your master; If you can think and not make thoughts, your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth, you've spoken, Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
English Meaning: The father advises his son to have dreams and thoughts, but not let them blindly control his life. He must face both success (Triumph) and failure (Disaster) equally, treating them both as temporary illusions or 'imposters'. He must possess the mental toughness to watch his truthful words be twisted by dishonest people, and the physical endurance to patiently rebuild his shattered life's work using his tired, exhausted skills (worn-out tools).
मराठी अर्थ: तू स्वप्ने बघ आणि विचार कर, पण त्यांना तुझा मालक (master) बनू देऊ नकोस. यश आणि अपयश या दोन्ही खोट्या गोष्टींना (imposters) समान वागणूक दे. दुष्ट लोकांनी (knaves) तुझे सत्य फिरवून मूर्खांना फसवले, किंवा तुझे आयुष्यभराचे काम उद्ध्वस्त झाले, तरी न खचता तुझ्या उरल्यासुरल्या ताकदीने (worn-out tools) ते पुन्हा नव्याने उभे करण्याची तयारी ठेव.
Exam Tip: The identification of the "two imposters" (Triumph and Disaster) is the most frequently asked 1-mark question in this poem.
Stanza 3
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings, nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And which is more you'll be a Man, my son!
English Meaning: The poet advises his son to stay connected with the common masses without losing his moral goodness, and to walk with kings without becoming arrogant. He should be emotionally strong so that neither enemies nor close friends can hurt him. He must value everyone, but not become overly dependent on anyone. If he can make maximum use of every single passing second (the unforgiving minute), he will conquer the entire world and truly become a perfect, balanced Man.
मराठी अर्थ: सर्वसामान्य लोकांत मिसळताना तुझी तत्त्वे (virtue) सोडू नकोस आणि मोठ्या माणसांसोबत (Kings) वावरताना तुझा साधेपणा (common touch) विसरू नकोस. मित्र किंवा शत्रू कोणीही तुला दुखावू शकणार नाही इतका तू खंबीर बन. वेळेचा प्रत्येक सेकंद सत्कारणी लाव. जर तू हे सर्व करू शकलास, तर हे संपूर्ण जग तुझे असेल आणि सर्वांत महत्त्वाचे म्हणजे तू एक परिपूर्ण माणूस (Man) बनशील.
Exam Tip: The meaning of the phrase "unforgiving minute" and the final reward (inheriting the Earth) are crucial for Extract 3.
SECTION 5 — Poetic Devices / काव्यात्मक उपकरणे
Device / उपकरण | Example from poem | Effect in English | मराठी स्पष्टीकरण |
Personification (व्यक्तित्वारोप) | "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster / And treat those two imposters just the same" | 'Triumph' and 'Disaster' are given the human quality of being 'imposters' (deceivers). | यश आणि अपयश यांना माणसासारखे 'फसवणूक करणारे' (imposters) म्हटले आहे. |
Antithesis (विरोधाभास) | "If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you" | Two completely opposite words ('foes' and 'loving friends') are placed together to emphasize emotional balance. | 'शत्रू' आणि 'मित्र' हे विरुद्धार्थी शब्द एकत्र वापरून भावनिक समतोल दाखवला आहे. |
Metaphor (रूपक) | "...build 'em up with worn-out tools" | 'Worn-out tools' indirectly represents the person's exhausted physical and mental strength. | 'worn-out tools' म्हणजे थकून गेलेली शारीरिक आणि मानसिक ताकद. |
Repetition (पुनरावृत्ती) | "If you can..." | The phrase is repeated at the start of several lines to strongly emphasize the conditions required for success. | उपदेशावर भर देण्यासाठी या शब्दांची वारंवार पुनरावृत्ती केली आहे. |
मराठी टीप: Figures of Speech हे Poem Appreciation मध्ये 5 गुणांसाठी विचारले जातात. किमान 3 सांगणे आवश्यक आहे.
SECTION 6 — Central Theme and Values / केंद्रीय भाव आणि मूल्ये
Theme Table / विषय सारणी
Theme / विषय | How it appears |
Conditions for a Balanced Life (संतुलित जीवनाच्या अटी) | The poem serves as a rulebook for life, detailing how to behave in extreme situations (success vs failure, crowds vs kings). |
Emotional Resilience (भावनिक कणखरपणा) | The father urges his son not to give way to hating or lying, and not to be emotionally broken by enemies or friends. |
Time Management (वेळेचे महत्त्व) | Valuing the "unforgiving minute" shows that time does not wait for anyone and must be fully utilized. |
Values / मूल्ये
Humility (नम्रता) — Not looking "too good" or talking "too wise" despite having superior virtues.
Patience (संयम) — Having the ability to wait and not be tired by waiting.
Equanimity (समभाव) — Treating absolute victory (Triumph) and complete failure (Disaster) as identical illusions.
Central Message / केंद्रीय संदेश
The poem clearly conveys that becoming a true human being requires mastering one's emotions, treating success and failure equally, preserving one's moral values in all company, and making the absolute best use of time.
मराठी टीप: जीवनात यश-अपयश समान मानून, सर्वांशी नम्रतेने वागून, आणि वेळेचा सदुपयोग करूनच माणूस खऱ्या अर्थाने 'परिपूर्ण माणूस' (True Man) बनू शकतो, हा या कवितेचा संदेश आहे.
SECTION 7 — Poem Appreciation / कविता कौतुक
Model Poem Appreciation (5 Marks)
The poem 'If' is a highly inspiring didactic poem written by the Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The title 'If' suggests that the rewards of life are strictly conditional and depend on our actions.
The poem consists of 3 lengthy stanzas of 8 lines each (in the textbook format).
RHYME SCHEME: The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is aaaa bcbc (you/you/you/too - waiting/lies/hating/wise). The second and third stanzas follow a highly structured abab cdcd rhyme scheme (master/aim/Disaster/same).
FIGURES OF SPEECH:
Personification: The poet uses Personification when he calls Triumph and Disaster "two imposters". Here, abstract concepts are given the human quality of being deceivers.
Antithesis: The poet uses Antithesis in the line "If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you". The opposite words 'foes' and 'friends' are brought together.
Metaphor: The phrase "unforgiving minute" is a Metaphor comparing time to a strict, merciless taskmaster who waits for no one.
THEME:
The central theme of the poem is a father's invaluable advice to his son on how to live a successful, balanced, and virtuous life. The poet lists a series of conditions (starting with 'If') such as being patient, humble, resilient, and hardworking. If the son fulfills these conditions, he will conquer the world and become a perfect human being.
FAVOURITE LINES: My favourite lines from the poem are: "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two imposters just the same;" I deeply appreciate these lines because they teach the most important lesson of mental peace—not to get overly excited by success or utterly depressed by failure, as both are temporary.
मराठी टीप — कविता कौतुक कसे लिहावे:
Rhyme Scheme: पहिल्या कडव्याची यमक योजना aaaa bcbc आहे, तर इतर कडव्यांची abab cdcd आहे, हे लक्षात ठेवा.
Figures of Speech: निदान 3 सांगा — नाव + poem मधील ओळ + एक वाक्यात परिणाम. Personification (Triumph and disaster) आणि Antithesis नक्की लिहा.
Favourite Lines: 2-3 ओळी लिहा आणि त्या का आवडल्या ते 2-3 वाक्यात सांगा (उदा. यश आणि अपयश दोन्ही खोटे आहेत, हा विचार मला आवडतो).
SECTION 8 — Extract-Based Questions / उताऱ्यावर आधारित प्रश्न
Extract 1
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:
Q.(A)(i) — State whether the following are True or False: (2 marks)
You should lose your temper when people blame you. — False
You must trust yourself when others doubt you. — True
The poet advises us to hate people who hate us. — False
We should not show off our wisdom and goodness. — True
मराठी टीप: True आणि False नीट वाचून ठरवा — कवी सांगतो की रागावू नका (keep your head) आणि तिरस्कार करू नका (don't give way to hating).
Q.(A)(ii) — Choose the correct alternative: (2 marks)
What does 'keep one's head' mean?
(a) To protect one's brain (b) Not to get angry
(c) To wear a hat (d) To look down
Answer: (b) Not to get angry
What should you do when you are 'lied about'?
(a) Fight back (b) Cry loudly
(c) Deal in lies (d) Don't deal in lies
Answer: (d) Don't deal in lies
Q.(B)(i) — Answer in 2-3 sentences: (2 marks) How should a person react to doubt, according to the poet? Answer: According to the poet, when people doubt a person, he must have complete self-belief and trust himself. However, instead of being arrogant, he must also 'make allowance' and try to understand the reasons why others are doubting him. मराठी टीप: कोणी संशय घेतल्यास काय करावे? स्वतःवर विश्वास ठेवावा (trust yourself), पण इतरांच्या संशयाचाही आदर करून त्यांची बाजू समजून घ्यावी (make allowance).
Q.(B)(ii) — Answer in 3-4 sentences: (2 marks) What does the poet mean by "don't look too good, nor talk too wise"? Answer: The poet means that even if a person possesses superior moral virtues like extreme patience, truthfulness, and forgiveness, they should never become proud or arrogant about it. They should remain humble and avoid showing off their goodness or superior knowledge to others.
मराठी टीप: या ओळीचा अर्थ काय? आपल्याकडे कितीही चांगले गुण आणि ज्ञान असले तरी त्याचा कधीही गर्व (show off) करू नये, नेहमी नम्र राहावे.
Extract 2
If you can dream and not make dreams your master; If you can think and not make thoughts, your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth, you've spoken, Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
Q.(A)(i) — State whether the following are True or False: (2 marks)
We should make dreams our master. — False
Triumph and Disaster are called imposters. — True
Honest people always twist the truth. — False
We should rebuild our broken dreams with worn-out tools. — True
मराठी टीप: उताऱ्यात दुष्ट लोक (knaves) सत्य फिरवतात असे दिले आहे, प्रामाणिक लोक (honest people) नाही.
Q.(A)(ii) — Choose the correct alternative: (2 marks)
What does the word 'knaves' mean in this extract?
(a) Brave soldiers (b) Cunning or dishonest people
(c) Knives (d) Good friends
Answer: (b) Cunning or dishonest people
How should we treat Triumph and Disaster?
(a) Differently (b) With fear
(c) Just the same (d) As our masters
Answer: (c) Just the same
Q.(B)(i) — Answer in 2-3 sentences: (2 marks)
Why are Triumph and Disaster called 'imposters'?
Answer: Triumph (success) and Disaster (failure) are called 'imposters' or deceivers because neither of them is permanent in life. They both create temporary illusions that can mislead a person; success can make one arrogant, while failure can make one overly depressed.
मराठी टीप: यश आणि अपयशाला 'imposters' (फसवणूक करणारे) का म्हटले आहे? कारण दोन्ही गोष्टी कायमस्वरूपी नसतात (temporary). यशामुळे माणसाला गर्व होऊ शकतो आणि अपयशामुळे माणूस खचू शकतो.
Q.(B)(ii) — Answer in 3-4 sentences: (2 marks) What should one do when their life's work is broken?
Answer: When the things a person has dedicated their entire life to are suddenly destroyed or broken, they must not lose hope. The poet advises that they must patiently stoop down and courageously start rebuilding their shattered work using whatever little energy and resources (worn-out tools) they have left.
मराठी टीप: आयुष्याची कमाई उद्ध्वस्त झाल्यावर काय करावे? खचून न जाता, उरल्यासुरल्या ताकदीनिशी (worn-out tools) पुन्हा नव्याने सर्व उभे करण्याची तयारी ठेवावी.
SECTION 9 — Short Answer Questions / लघु उत्तरे
Q1. What is the poet's advice regarding the "unforgiving minute"? Answer: The poet refers to time as an "unforgiving minute" because time waits for no one and never forgives those who waste it. His advice is to fill every single minute with "sixty seconds' worth of distance run", meaning we must utilize every single second fully through hard work and productive action .
मराठी टीप: "unforgiving minute" बद्दल कवी काय सांगतो? वेळ कोणासाठी थांबत नाही आणि वाया घालवलेल्या वेळेची क्षमा मिळत नाही. त्यामुळे प्रत्येक मिनिटाचे ६० सेकंद सत्कारणी लावावेत (make good use of every second).
Q2. How should a person deal with crowds and kings?
Answer: According to the poet, when a person talks to the common crowds, he must ensure he does not lose his high moral virtues. Conversely, when he walks with powerful Kings, he must remain humble and never lose his "common touch" or simple connection with ordinary people.
मराठी टीप: सर्वसामान्य लोक (crowds) आणि राजे (Kings) यांच्यासोबत कसे वागावे? गर्दीत मिसळताना आपली तत्त्वे (virtue) सोडू नयेत आणि मोठ्या लोकांसोबत वावरताना आपला साधेपणा (common touch) हरवू नये.
Q3. What does the poet mean by "make allowance for their doubting too"? Answer: While it is crucial to trust yourself when others doubt your abilities, it is equally important not to be blindly arrogant. "Making allowance" means a person should have the humility to calmly consider why others are doubting him and see if there is any truth to their criticism.
मराठी टीप: या ओळीचा अर्थ काय? स्वतःवर विश्वास ठेवावा, पण इतरांच्या संशयाचाही (doubts) आदर करावा आणि त्यांनी संशय का घेतला आहे, याचा शांतपणे विचार करावा.
Q4. What is the ultimate reward for fulfilling all the conditions in the poem? Answer: If a son successfully fulfills all the strict behavioral and emotional conditions set by his father, he will be rewarded with the entire Earth and everything in it. More importantly, he will grow up to be a perfectly balanced and virtuous "Man" .
मराठी टीप: सर्व अटी पूर्ण केल्यावर कोणते बक्षीस मिळेल? हे संपूर्ण जग (Earth) त्याचे होईल आणि सर्वांत मोठी गोष्ट म्हणजे, तो खऱ्या अर्थाने एक परिपूर्ण माणूस (Man) बनेल.
SECTION 10 — Long Answer Questions / दीर्घ उत्तरे
Q1. Write a complete appreciation of the poem 'If'.
Answer: 'If' is a highly inspirational poem penned by the Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The title itself signifies that success and moral perfection in life are conditional. The poem is structured in three major stanzas (as per the textbook) of eight lines each. The rhyme scheme for the first stanza is aaaa bcbc, while the subsequent stanzas follow an abab cdcd pattern. The poet employs powerful Figures of Speech to convey his message. Personification is brilliantly used when he calls Triumph and Disaster "two imposters." Furthermore, Metaphors like "worn-out tools" beautifully represent exhausted mental and physical strength. The central theme of the poem is a father's ultimate advice to his son on the essential virtues required to become a perfect, well-balanced human being. It emphasizes humility, resilience, and emotional control. My favourite lines are: "If you can fill the unforgiving minute / With sixty seconds' worth of distance run". I like these lines because they deliver a highly practical lesson on the immense value of time management and hard work.
मराठी टीप: हे उत्तर Poem Appreciation (Section 7) चे परिच्छेद (paragraph) स्वरूप आहे. परीक्षेत जर तुम्हाला Appreciation मुद्द्यांऐवजी परिच्छेदात लिहायला सांगितले, तर या उत्तराचा वापर करा. यात Title, Poet, Rhyme Scheme, Figures of speech, Theme आणि Favourite lines हे सर्व मुद्दे सलग परिच्छेदात मांडले आहेत.
Q2. According to Rudyard Kipling, what qualities are required to become a complete "Man"? Explain based on the poem.
Answer: In the poem "If", Rudyard Kipling provides a comprehensive masterclass on character building. According to him, becoming a complete "Man" requires achieving a perfect emotional and psychological balance. Firstly, one must possess immense patience and self-belief; they must remain calm when blamed, trust themselves when doubted, and never resort to lies or hatred. Secondly, a complete man is a master of his own mind. He must dream and think, but not let dreams or thoughts control him blindly. He must view absolute success (Triumph) and complete failure (Disaster) equally, recognizing them as temporary imposters. Thirdly, resilience is highly necessary. A true man must possess the courage to rebuild his shattered life using his "worn-out tools". Finally, social balance is crucial. He must retain his morals in a crowd, remain humble among kings, stay emotionally independent from friends and foes, and strictly value every single second of the "unforgiving minute" . Only by mastering these extreme contradictions can one truly inherit the Earth and become a complete Man.
मराठी टीप:
सुरुवात: एक 'परिपूर्ण माणूस' (complete Man) बनण्यासाठी कवीने भावनिक आणि मानसिक समतोलावर (balance) भर दिला आहे.
संयम आणि आत्मविश्वास: लोकांनी दोष दिला किंवा संशय घेतला तरी शांत राहणे, खोटे न बोलणे.
यश-अपयश आणि जिद्द: यश-अपयश समान मानणे (imposters) आणि सर्वकाही उद्ध्वस्त झाले तरी शून्यातून विश्व निर्माण करण्याची जिद्द ठेवणे.
शेवट: गर्दीतही तत्त्वे जपणे, राजांसोबत असताना साधेपणा जपणे आणि वेळेचा सदुपयोग करणे. या सर्व गोष्टी माणसाला 'परिपूर्ण' बनवतात.
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