![]() ![]() The struggle between the mongoose and snake is the central focus of the story and the poem, whichįoreshadows the conflict but only hints at its resolution and creates a sense of suspense and expectation before the story even begins. Kipling died on Januand is buried in the Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.Īmong Kipling's most well-known and enduring works are Captains Courageous (1897), Kim (1901), the first and second volumes of The Jungle Book, and the poems "If," "White Man's Burden," and "Recessional." Plot SummaryĪ song-like poem serves as prologue to "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," prefiguring the battle between the mongoose Rikki-tikki-tavi and Nag, the king cobra. His output decreased dramatically after this period. The death of his son John during World War I, combined with his own failing health, affected Kipling's writing deeply. However, his receipt of the Nobel Prize in 1907 was met with disapproval from some literary critics and writers, who considered him vulgar and lacking in craftsmanship. Sense of British patriotism that characterized his work made him immensely popular with a wide audience. Kipling was a prolific writer, and his skill at storytelling, his immensely readable and song-like verse, his refusal to mince words, and the strong They remained based in England and traveled regularly around the world. The Kiplings returned to England in 1896 after a bitter quarrel with Caroline's family their only son John was born later that year. Both volumes of The Jungle Book were published during Kipling's time in Vermont. Fatherhood inspired Kipling to write the children's stories which remained his most enduring works. Their two daughters, Josephine-who was to die at the age of six of pneumonia-and Elsie, were born there. In 1892 Kipling married Caroline Balestier and moved to Vermont, near Caroline's family. When he returned to England in 1889 at the age of twenty-four, he was already regarded as a national literary hero. He became quite popular for his work, especially for his satirical and humorous verse. His poor eyesight kept Kipling from advancing into a military career, so at the age of sixteen he returned to his parents in Lahore, India, and began his career as a journalist, first at The Civil and Military Gazette, from 1882 to 1887, and then as a worldwide correspondent for the Pioneer, from 1887 to 1889. In 1878 he was sent to a military training school, where he also encountered bullying, but where he was able to form the values preached in "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": courage, loyalty, and an ethic of hard work. He had one younger sister, Alice, who was known as Trix.Īs was the custom of the time, at the age of six Rudyard was sent to boarding school in England, where he was subjected to severe strictness, bullying, and abuse. Both of his grandfathers had been Methodist ministers and, though Kipling did not practice Christianity as an adult, the symbolism and values of the religion heavily influenced his work. He was born December 30, 1865, in Bombay, India, to John Lockwood Kipling and Alice MacDonald Kipling. Poet, novelist, and short story writer Rudyard Kipling, the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, was the most popular literary figure in the late nineteenth century. ![]() As of 2004, numerous versions of The Jungle Book volumes were in print, including a paperback versionīy Penguin that included a critical introduction by Daniel Karlin. "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," both as part of The Jungle Book and as an independent story, appeared in numerous incarnations throughout the twentieth century. In its use of suspense and pacing, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a wonderful example of Kipling's expertise in storytelling and a testament to why his stories remained popular into the early 2000s. "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" also implicitly affirms the Victorian assumption of British superiority and its faith in the inherent goodness of empire-building. Emulating the contemporary trend in children's literature to create imaginary worlds to appeal to a child's imagination, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" takes place entirely in a small garden populated by anthropomorphized birds, snakes, muskrats, and frogs.īy imparting values particularly characteristic of Kipling's Victorian society, including loyalty, productivity, hard work, and courage, the story serves an educational purpose. Telling the tale of Rikki-tikki-tavi, a brave and heroic mongoose, and his battle against the evil king cobras, Nag and Nagaina, "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a war story that depicts in the simplest of terms the triumph of good over bad. Rudyard Kipling's endearing "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" initially appeared in 1895 as part of the second volume of The Jungle Book, a collection of children's stories set in colonial India that Kipling wrote while living in Brattleboro, Vermont. ![]()
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