If, by Rudyard Kipling 

When I was going off to college, my Dad gave me a briefcase, because he didn't know that backpacks were the only thing you used in college for your books. Once I was ready to start interviewing, I decided a more grown-up image would be good, so I went into my closet and pulled out that now dusty briefcase, opening it for the first time. Inside, to my surprise, I saw very nice stationary with my embossed letterhead at the top, as nice pen and pencil set, and a small leather bound book, that only had one thing in it, the poem "If." I've long since lost that little book, sadly, but I keep that poem in my heart always, and recite it from memory whenever asked. Thank you, Dad. I wish I had opened that briefcase much sooner.

"If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same …" - this verse alone: perfection.

"Do you enjoy Kipling?" "I don't know, I've never kippled"

Whenever I need Lloyd, he appears.

I didn’t thank him at the time, but Lloyd helped me greatly through the death of my wife and my withdrawal from very bad things five years ago. Thank you, Lloyd

My grandmother gave this poem to my father when he moved away from home. It hung on the wall all through my childhood, the paper yellowing in the frame and getting old. It was my Dad's favorite poem and he would quote parts of it to us when we were upset about some injustice, or point of unfairness - after all it is just as pertinent to daughters as to sons. Eventually he gave it to me to hang in my own house - the same battered and worn copy in it's very 60's frame. My father died in March and we went looking for things to display at the wake that reminded us of him, and I took down that battered frame and added it to the box. And now it is back on the wall in my library, to be treasured.

This poem is peak masculinity, and wonderfully recited, Mr Beige.

Thank you! At a celebration for my son graduating from college, I told him, “Ok, I only one more piece of advice, and then I’ll have taught you everything I could have possibly taught you.” What’s that? Dropped this from memory. Tears all around the table.

The little head rub and "son" choked me up a little bit. God bless this man

Now this is a poem that every boy should have memorized before he enters high school and be able to fully explain before he graduates.

This is my father’s favorite poem. Glad to see it getting some love any time I am down or need to remember him I always read it.

Believe it or not I’ve never heard this, and it came at a good time. Thank you

THAT HEAD RUB AT THE ENDDDD DAMNNNN LLOYD IS THE FATHER WE ALL NEED

Fecking beautiful rule to live by. And as a mental health nurse, there are days when I really need to remember it.

This is one of my favorite poems of all time. My dad would read this to us frequently before bed. You did a very food job of it, thank you.

When my father was laying in bed, dying of cancer, I read this work, and many others by Kipling. His smile was worth the tears. RIP- Edward Garrow , S.Sgt, US Army Air Corps, veteran of WW2. Fly with the eagles, dad.

Sometimes, words on a page alone cannot convey the true meaning of the text. It requires verbalization, by a skilled orator, with all the subtle shifts in tone and emphasis, to give life and substance and understanding of the message to the intended recipients. Well done, sir.

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, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ 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!

Lindybeige never misses I swear.

This has to be the best reading of this poem I’ve heard. It’s the first time it actually made sense hearing it.

Best poem ever. This needs to be taught in schools and recited often.

You deliver that speak with the pose and cadence and emotion and thought and contemplation of one who has been there and learned the virtues therein.

As the great philosopher Alan Partridge said: "If you do X, Y, and Z, Bob's your uncle".

Always loved this poem, beautiful to hear Lindy do it. Damn that 4th wall emphatic eye contact.

If you can be perfection, then perfection is your reward. But know that perfection is the dream just out of grasp, and to chase it is the daily toil of a fool. The world makes many fools. I'm yet to see perfect.

A beautifully delivered monologue, and the pat on the head and dismissive shoo off was icing on the cake.

Very well recited, Lloyd. And a nice little 'off you go, lad' at the end.

Rudyard Kipling was always my favorite author when I was a kid. I had a few books with a collection of his poems and short stories.

I remember years ago hearing a song, "I Don't Believe in IF Anymore." But that was a typo. It should have been, "I Don't Believe in GOTO Anymore." The era of great FORTRAN-based songs has sadly come to an end.

My dad loves this poem, he reads it to me all the time!

I felt that head rub. That was strange, lol.

I was gifted this when I turned 13, and had it memorized within a week. And though I can't say that I've modeled my life on this poem, there hasn't been a year when it didn't come to mind, and many times I've checked myself against it. And by the way, nice job in delivery.

Best rendition of this poem I have seen.

One of the most beautiful hypotheticals ever put to paper.

Thank you Lindy! You truly are like Indiana Jones' father, but more lovable and loving.

One of the best poems in the English language. You deliver it well.

Easily the best reading I've seen. Thank you.

I have read this poem many times. But having it read to me by Lindybeige was an unexpected joy to behold. Thank you, Nikolas.

This was an excellent reading. Kipling would approve!

What serendipity! I just saw Michael Caine read this for the first time a few days ago. This poem has been on my mind ever since. Here Lindybeige puts up his reading two hours ago! I needed this! Thank you Lloyd!!!

I saw the title and instantly remembered this poem from decades ago. Thanks for sharing :)

Gave me chills. While listening I realised - the poem describes the man I strive to be. Beautifully put.

That Lindybeige smile followed by squint at 0:04 ...so precious

It's been a long day, with its ups and downs. I'm not quite sure how I'm feeling about myself, or anything. Ended up out in the garden smoking a cigar, in the downtime I opened RU-vid which served me this. Cheers Lloyd, keep on keeping on.

An excellent reading of a superb poem. I’ve read it many times, and will teach these words to my daughter because the virtues in them are universal.

I have listened to this poem read by so many people and actors, this was the absolute best. Well done, Sir.

Thanks for telling me to "Hold on" Lindy. I know it wasn't personal, but I needed to hear it. I rattled a cage and made some enemies who beside someone as small as I appear to be giants, but I now have allies to. I just needed to hold on and should I fall into the mud then maybe the one behind me can use my fall to make it through the muck.

Move to tears - beautiful.

Lindy, you have excelled yourself. I have loved this poem for 50 years or more and you have really brought it home. Best reading ever! :-)

Maybe my favorite poem, ever! Every boy should read this and have it explained to him, thank you, Lloyd, well done!

I must admit that I wasn't acquainted yet with this poem. BUT when I saw Lindy and Kipling on the thumbnail, I knew this would be great. Kipling and Lindy never disappoint and in this case both surpassed expectations. Love for Lindybeige. Love for Kipling.

If you can listen to these measured and wise words, without losing yourself in ecstasy, proclaiming "Great words! Great meaning!“, while forgetting in your exultation the meaning of these precious advice... then your mind will remain young until the end. Thank you for this very insightful reading/play/thing. During these times of confusion that the world is currently going through, this kind of words could be useful.

First time I’ve heard this really great just what I needed to hear ❤

Beautifullly done! I feel sure Kipling would be really pleased to hear that poem recited just that way!

my grandpa loved kipling, and now i love kipling.

I rarely rewatch a video - who has the time for that? - but this one was an exception. And you know what really made it for me? That little ‘be off with you’ wave of the hand at the end, as if the whole outpouring of wisdom was an accidental letting down of a stoic father’s guard. Lovely touch!

Thanks Dad! .... I mean... thank you Lloyd. That was a lovely and stirring rendition. Peaceful Skies.

thank you for introducing some of us to this poem, i for one am quite glad to now be aware of the existence of such... but not too glad

I'm absolutley going to teach this poem to my 7th grade English classes this year - and use your video to do it. Just so you know. Well done, sir.

One of my favorite poems, it hit me on a whole new level once I memorized it.

Absolutely love Kipling. My two treasures are the Jungle Book and Stalky and Co. Assembly Reading prizes from the fifties. So sad the author lost his son in the Great War.

So impressive a performance Lindy, thank you

Excellent work Lloyd. Extolling timeless virtues that every young man should hear. I shall be sharing with my two young sons this weekend

Please Lloyd, do a series and read all the Kipling poems, it would be awesome!

I'm more of a 'Mandalay' man myself, but this is just a wonderful poem. Always has been.

Great poem and exceptional reading. This poem encapsulates so many important life lessons.

The classic British father ending...off you pop, I've said my piece, love it, what an inspiration that poem is, I've been single handily running a failing YT channel for 8yrs. Those words...they hit me different now as an older man... Thanks for reminding me, why we do all this, 🙏 I was due an update 🤣

This is my favorite poem. I choke up every time I hear it.

Love this poem and The Stranger

Excellent recitation. Beautiful delivery.

I've thought about this many times since I read it (repeatedly) on the wall of a high school classroom long ago. Still profound. Still true. Still a standard worthy of upholding. Even if you're not a son.

A simply sublime rendition, as we all knew it would be.

Easily my Favourite poem, I always listen to someone reciting it to see how they do it

i had to memorise this poem in the 6th grade (12 yrs old) and have not applied the ideals ever really. Thankyou Lindybeige!

I think this simply speaks so strongly, to the very soul of the shared germanic blood across northern europe

That was an excellent reading! Well done!

The only poem i committed to memory.

Nicely read. It makes me think of the officers of the lost British Empire.

Good god, you needed to appear in my English class about 25 years ago. Kipling would have made sense. Or, perhaps, I needed today's brain back there. Either way, I hadn't looked back on it or since enjoyed it until now.

If… you ever finish Hannibal.

You are very good at this. Charismatic Lloyd.

Bravo. Well done.

Beautiful (and wise) words, performed beautifully.

My grandfather would recite this poem whenever I acted up as a kid 😂 I needed to hear this today.

Ah, in one of your recent videos you mentioned filling the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run, and i knew i had to go an have a re-read of this poem, as well as Invictus, and The road not taken.

This video showed up in a very messy time of my life. Thank you Lord of Beige.

If only this were Rudyard Kipling’s most influential work. Truly an inspirational text, and quite demonstrative of Kipling’s talent. Sadly, that honor falls to The White Man’s Burden.

Lovely, Lindybeige. Absolutely lovely.

Wonderfully done, sir!

This always makes me happy cry. GD imperialist spoke to Scots Irish cur dogs (like me), everywhere and for all time... My favorite is 'The Sons of Martha', but I love the dog poem too

Lovely inflection and a charming delivery, of course helped along by the author.

Wow! New talents are showing! I'm impressed! And inspired!

That may have been Britain’s favorite poem in 1997, but from this American’s perspective it seems that it has been largely forgotten in the time since. (Things aren’t any better here.) No matter, as long as some of us do remember and try to live by it, men and true manhood shall survive. Excelsior!

Way to go Lindy!

That was quite the lovely reading of the poem, thank you Lindy. It's good to see you back on the platform, I remember watching you all the way back in high school, and times has certainly changed, both both better and worse on the personal and the global scale. Thank you for being entertaining, curious, and empathetic to people's stories. One day, I hope to be a good man like this someday, and I know it's a thorny road to walk but it must be done.

lindy your videos console me greatly

Absolutely terrific.

Best reading of that poem ever

Well done Lloyd, Bravo

My son loved your reading!