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White Man's Burden Poem Analysis

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Recommended: AMERICAN IMPERIALISM SINCE 1800s

As American imperialism began to increase in the late 1800s and early 1900s, media and literature became an important facet in the landscape of the politics of the time. From newspapers and tabloids, to poetry and cartoons, American citizens relied on sources such as those in order to learn and understand the many issues surrounding imperialism at the time. Over time, the discussion of issues pertaining to the question of American involvement and leadership in terms of imperialism grew to become polarizing. Jingoism and anti-imperialism had all but any moderacy and many Americans began to adhere to either belief. However, to those who hoped to learn more and make an opinion about imperialism, many authors of various mediums, specifically addressed …show more content…

His poem at the superficial level shows an unwavering support for imperialism, In almost all interpretations, furthermore, the support for imperialism is obvious, although the fanaticism is seen more so as a warning to those who wished to commit imperialist acts. In terms of the poetry itself, White Man’s Burden consists of seven stanzas of eight lines with a traditional ABCBDEFE rhyme scheme which, although a simple format, was able to expound upon the topic without becoming overly confusing to the common reader. The goal of each stanza is to convince the reader as to why it is his goal to take up the white man’s burden and send the best of his country to civilize the dark recesses of the …show more content…

However, line 42 says that those who take up the white man’s burden will “reap its old reward[...]”. The use of the adjective “old” signifies that this process and reaction is nothing that has not already happened before. Specifically, when this line is seen in the context of American imperialism, it serves as a warning to the American government of the early 1900s who were hoping to increase their power in other nations under the guise of philanthropy. As much as the American government and the governments of any other Western nation claimed that this was for the greater good, it never came off as such to the people living in the areas under

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