‘Recessional’
Kipling’s poem, written for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, takes the form of a prayer, asking God to teach Britain humility at the height of her Empire. He reminds us that empires fall, that Britain has enjoyed prolonged dominion through God’s help, and that God helps only the humble. He ends by warning that to think empire can be gained or kept through constant warfare is a heathen delusion.
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