L'Envoi (Poem by Rudyard Kipling)

Rudyard Kipling's "L'Envoi" is a profound meditation on the nature of creation, artistic endeavor, and the pursuit of perfection.
Famous Poem

L'Envoi
By Rudyard Kipling

When Earth's last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it — lie down for an æon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall set us to work anew!

And those who were good shall be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comet's hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from — Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!

And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame;
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are!

Poem Analysis:

Rudyard Kipling's "L'Envoi" is a profound meditation on the nature of creation, artistic endeavor, and the pursuit of perfection. Through evocative imagery and philosophical musings, Kipling invites readers to contemplate the timeless significance of human creativity and the transcendent joy of laboring in service to the divine.

Themes: "L'Envoi" explores themes of artistic creation, spiritual fulfillment, and the quest for eternal truth. Kipling envisions a future where the trials and tribulations of earthly existence give way to a divine renaissance, where artists are liberated from the constraints of mortality and rewarded for their devotion to the craft. The poem serves as a testament to the enduring power of creativity and the eternal quest for beauty and meaning.

Imagery: Kipling employs vivid imagery to evoke the cosmic scale of creation and the boundless possibilities of the artist's imagination. The opening lines, "When Earth's last picture is painted, and the tubes are twisted and dried," create a sense of finality and closure, signaling the end of earthly existence and the transition to a higher plane of existence. The imagery of artists sitting in "golden chairs" and painting with "brushes of comet's hair" conjures a scene of celestial grandeur, where the boundaries between the mundane and the divine dissolve.

Poetic Techniques: Throughout the poem, Kipling utilizes various poetic techniques to convey its themes and imagery. The use of rhyme and rhythm creates a musical cadence that mirrors the rhythm of creation itself, while the repetition of phrases such as "And only the Master shall praise us" emphasizes the central role of divine judgment in the artistic process. Additionally, Kipling employs personification in his description of the artists working for the "God of Things as They Are," imbuing the concept of creation with agency and purpose.

In "L'Envoi," Rudyard Kipling offers readers a transcendent vision of artistic fulfillment and spiritual renewal. Through evocative imagery, philosophical musings, and adept use of poetic techniques, Kipling captures the essence of human creativity and the eternal quest for perfection. As the poem unfolds, Kipling invites readers to contemplate the transformative power of art and the timeless significance of the artist's labor in shaping the world around them. "L'Envoi" stands as a timeless tribute to the enduring power of human creativity and the eternal quest for beauty, truth, and meaning in the universe.

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