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== By Rudyard Kipling 1865–1936
 * If **

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:**

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 impostors just the same; If you can bear to **hear the truth** you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">If you can make one heap of all your winnings <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">And **lose, and start again** at your beginnings <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">And never breathe a word about your loss; <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">To serve your turn long after they are gone, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">And so **hold on when there is nothing in you** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">If you can talk with crowds and **keep your virtue**, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Or walk with Kings—**nor lose the common touch**, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> If **all men count with you**, but none too much; <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> If you can fill the unforgiving minute <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> **Yours is the Earth** and everything that’s in it, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> And—which is more—**you’ll be a Man, my son**!

Students annotated and analyzed this poem and then watched multiple interpretations of "If", determining the lighting, mood, and tone of each rendition. Then students created their own "If" poems by integrating Kipling's poetry with their own writing, personalizing the poem. Here are several student examples: @Believe by Miguel L. @If Poem by Karina A. Lillian's If Poem Enrique's If Poem Kevin's If Poem Evelyn's If Poem Horace's If Poem Jacob's If Poem

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