The Poetry Foundation

Recessional

2010-02-25 · 00:00 UTC ·1 min read

Brief

This famous poem by Rudyard Kipling was written in 1897 for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, serving as a sobering counterpoint to the celebratory mood of the British Empire at its zenith. Rather than glorifying imperial power, Kipling warns against the dangers of hubris and the temporary nature of earthly dominion. The poem's central refrain 'Lest we forget' serves as both a prayer for divine guidance and a reminder that all empires eventually fall. Kipling specifically references the ancient empires of Nineveh and Tyre as examples of once-mighty civilizations that have crumbled to dust, suggesting that Britain's 'far-flung battle-line' and naval supremacy are equally transient. The poem's religious framework emphasizes humility before God and warns against trusting in military technology ('reeking tube and iron shard') rather than divine providence.

Why it matters

Rudyard Kipling's 1897 poem 'Recessional' warns against imperial hubris at the height of British power:

Key details

[theme] Written for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, cautioning against pride in empire
[warning] Compares British dominion to fallen empires Nineveh and Tyre
[message] Emphasizes that military technology ('reeking tube and iron shard') cannot replace divine guidance

Cleaned source text

title: Recessional

content_type: article

publication: The Poetry Foundation

published: 2010-02-25T00:00:00

source_url: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46780/recessional

word_count: 200

Recessional

1897

God of our fathers, known of old,

Lord of our far-flung battle-line,

Beneath whose awful Hand we hold

Dominion over palm and pine—

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget—lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;

The Captains and the Kings depart:

Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,

An humble and a contrite heart.

Far-called, our navies melt away;

On dune and headland sinks the fire:

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday

Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose

Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,

Such boastings as the Gentiles use,

Or lesser breeds without the Law—

For heathen heart that puts her trust

In reeking tube and iron shard,

All valiant dust that builds on dust,

And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,

For frantic boast and foolish word—

Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!

Source: A Choice of Kipling's Verse (1943)