Rudyard Joseph Kipling. 1865-1936. Born in Bombay, India. He was a subject of Great Britain. Kipling was an author, poet and soldier. You may best know his work from The Jungle Book, Mandalay, or Danny Deever. While all of his works are representations of modern times as seen through the eyes and prism of someone who was born and passed more than 100 years ago, these works are as, or more relevant today then when first put to ink and quill.
While any Kipling is better than no Kipling, I want to focus on the poem Gunga Din (1890). It is the story of a lowly water-boy at the bottom rung of India's cast system, providing water to the Queens Rifles fighting for the "right" for India to remain under the authority of Great Britain. Through Gunga Dins boyish antics and his zest for life he manages to teach the upper crust of England's elite the true meaning of the words friend, loyalty, and honor. This poem is evidence that social status, education, and skin color have no bearing on what beats in the heart of mankind and proves we are all cut from the same cloth. Kipling was a proficient writer. You can find numerous works of his right here in the OPL. I also suggest, The Gods of the Copybook Headings.
If you'd like to check it out, you can find it in the catalog by clicking here.
-Mike
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