The Gods of the Copybook Headings
Encyclopedia
The Gods of the Copybook Headings is a poem published by Rudyard Kipling
in 1919 that foresaw the decline of his country's empire
and attributed it to a loss of the old virtues, and to a general complacency entailing that "all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins" (38). The central message of the poem is that basic and unvarying aspects of human nature will always reemerge in every society that becomes complacent and self-indulging.
The "copybook headings" to which the title refers were proverb
s or maxims
, extolling virtues such as honesty or fair dealing that were printed at the top of the pages of 19th-century British students' special notebook pages, called copybooks. The school-children had to write them by hand repeatedly down the page.
conservative author Glenn Beck
used the last two stanzas of the poem in a video trailer. The trailer sparked a debate on several media outlets about the poem and its meaning, including some articles deriding the lines as though they were Beck’s own. Beck also read the entire poem except the final lines on air in his broadcast on October 7, 2010. He read the entire poem to encourage his listeners not to take his (Beck's) word on anything alone but to look it up for themselves (a request he often makes).
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
in 1919 that foresaw the decline of his country's empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and attributed it to a loss of the old virtues, and to a general complacency entailing that "all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins" (38). The central message of the poem is that basic and unvarying aspects of human nature will always reemerge in every society that becomes complacent and self-indulging.
The "copybook headings" to which the title refers were proverb
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
s or maxims
Maxim (philosophy)
A maxim is a ground rule or subjective principle of action; in that sense, a maxim is a thought that can motivate individuals.- Deontological ethics :...
, extolling virtues such as honesty or fair dealing that were printed at the top of the pages of 19th-century British students' special notebook pages, called copybooks. The school-children had to write them by hand repeatedly down the page.
Uses in popular culture
In 2010 libertarianLibertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
conservative author Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
used the last two stanzas of the poem in a video trailer. The trailer sparked a debate on several media outlets about the poem and its meaning, including some articles deriding the lines as though they were Beck’s own. Beck also read the entire poem except the final lines on air in his broadcast on October 7, 2010. He read the entire poem to encourage his listeners not to take his (Beck's) word on anything alone but to look it up for themselves (a request he often makes).
External links
- Full Text at kipling.org.uk
- The Gods of the Copybook Headings by Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936 (includes a reading in MP3 format)