Rudyard Kipling

English short-story writer, novelist and poet, remembered for his celebration of British imperialism and heroism in India and Burma.

Meet the Author

Born in 1865 (Bombay India)

Educated in England 1882 returned to India,

where he worked for Anglo-Indian newspapers

Mr. Sanderson He became known as a

writer of short stories and was coined …

… “The Poet of the British Empire.”

Poetry “A Pilgrim’s Way” “If” “Cells”Short Stories “How the Whale Got His Throat” “How the Camel Got His Hump” “Rikki-tikki-tavi” Novels Captains Courageous Kim The Jungle Book

Career as a writer

Started out as a journalist but quickly became known for his poetry.

1907 Nobel Laureate in Literature in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author.

A Few Facts About His Life

In 1891 he planned a round-the-world voyage. In 1892 Kipling married Caroline Balestier, an

American. In 1915 his son John was killed in action during

World War I. His pallbearers included a prime minister, an

admiral, a general, and the head of a Cambridge college.

When ‘‘Rikki-Tikki-Tavi’’ was first published as part of the second volume of Kipling’s Jungle Book in 1895, Great Britain commanded the most powerful empire the world had ever seen. The Indian subcontinent was one important part of the empire, which thousands of ‘‘Anglo-

Indians,’’ like Kipling himself, called home. The form of imperialism during Kipling’s time was characterized by forceful imposition of British government and British culture upon the natives of a region.

“The White Man’s Burden”

Rudyard Kipling 1899