Mandalay (poem)

Mandalay (poem)

"Mandalay" is a poem by Rudyard Kipling. He wrote it in 1890, and it was first published in Barrack-Room Ballads, and Other Verses in 1892. The poem is set in Burma, which was part of British India at that time.

The story is told by a Cockney soldier who is back in London. He remembers feeling free and having a special friend in Burma, but now he feels restricted and far from that happy time.

The poem became very well known, especially after Oley Speaks set it to music in 1907. It was admired by many of Kipling's friends, although some noticed small mistakes in the poem's descriptions of places.

The poem was later turned into a song by Frank Sinatra, with some changes that Kipling's family did not like. Another famous version, called the "Mandalay Song", was created by Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill. It refers to Kipling's original poem.

Development

Background

The city of Mandalay in this poem was once the capital of Burma, a place that was part of British India from 1886 to 1937. The poem talks about an old pagoda in Moulmein, a town in southeastern Burma near the Gulf of Martaban. British soldiers in Burma often traveled up and down the Irrawaddy River on special steam boats run by a company called the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company.

During a war in 1885, many soldiers were taken to Mandalay from Rangoon on these boats.

The poem also talks about the last king of Burma, Thibaw Min, and his wife Supayalat. Thibaw tried to take back control of part of Burma from the British, but they invaded and sent him and his wife away to live in India.

Writing

Rudyard Kipling wrote the poem "Mandalay" in 1890 when he was 24 years old. He had just returned to England after living in India for seven years. On his journey home, he stopped in Rangoon and then Moulmein.

Publication

"Mandalay" was first published in a magazine called the Scots Observer on June 21, 1890. It was later included in a book of Kipling's poems called Barrack-Room Ballads, and Other Verses in 1892. The poem has since been included in many collections of Kipling's work.

Structure

The poem "Mandalay" has a special pattern of rhyming words, like AABB. This pattern is common in old songs. The poem starts in a unique way, making it very easy to remember. The poem also uses repeating lines and stanzas, which helps people enjoy it.

The words in the poem are arranged in a pattern called trochaic octameters. This means each line has eight parts, with the stressed word coming first, then an unstressed one. The last part of each line is a little shorter. This rhythm made the poem very popular and fun to say or sing.

Themes

Colonialism

The poem "Mandalay" by Rudyard Kipling talks about the British Empire. Some people think the poem shows a British soldier as strong and a Burmese girl as quiet. Others believe Kipling was not really supporting colonialism, pointing out that the poem has errors, like getting directions wrong.

Romanticism

The poem has a romantic style, comparing beautiful Burma to normal life in London. It uses music hall styles, with fun rhythms and differences between lively Burma and boring life back home.

A common touch

People like how Kipling wrote the poem in a simple way. It tells the story from the view of a soldier missing his life and love far away, sharing many big ideas in just 51 lines.

Impact

The poem Mandalay changed how people in the West thought about Burma and other distant lands. It became very popular in Britain, America, and the British Empire. Many people created their own versions of the poem as songs and music. The poem's name was used for books, a special sauce by H. J. Heinz, and a drink named "A Night in Old Mandalay".

The poem was turned into a famous song called "On the Road to Mandalay" by Oley Speaks. Many types of music, like jazz, folk, and country, used this song. Famous singer Frank Sinatra sang this version, even though the poet's family did not like some of the changes. Other artists, like Bertolt Brecht, also used the poem in their work.