Themes and message

Duty and sacrifice

The themes of duty and sacrifice interlink in “The White Man’s Burden” by Rudyard Kipling. The theme of duty is suggested both in the title and throughout the poem via the phrase “the White Man’s burden”. The phrase implies that the white man is morally obligated to bring civilisation into 'savage' lands, but also implies that this is a difficult task indeed.

The sense of duty is stressed by the fact that the white man is continually portrayed as superior to the natives. In a way, he becomes their saviour, both morally and spiritually. This role is underlined by religious elements in the poem, such as the allusion to the Biblical story of the Israelites being freed from slavery and ignorance in Egypt. 

Another example is the use of the word “heathen” in connection with the colonised peoples. This creates the feeling that the white man has a spiritual responsibility, and he must honour the “burden” that was presented to him by God.

This is further enhanced by the idea of sacrifice. The speaker encourages the white man to sacrifice his sons and work tirelessly to better the natives, despite their ...