Author: Rudyard Kipling

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Know this, my brethren, Heaven is clear
 And all the clouds are gone,
The Proper Sort shall flourish now,
 Good times are coming on",
The evil that was threatened late
 To all of our degree
Hath passed in discord and debate,
 And,Hey then up go we!

A common people strove in vain
 To shame us unto toil,
But they are spent and we remain,
 And we shall share the spoil
According to our several needs
 As Beauty shall decree,
As Age ordains or Birth concedes,
 And, Hey then up go we!

And they that with accursed zeal
 Our Service would amend,
Shall own the odds and come to heel
 Ere worse befall their end:
For though no naked word be wrote
 Yet plainly shall they see
What pinneth Orders on their coat,
 And, Hey then up go we!

Our doorways that, in time of fear,
 We opened overwide
Shall softly close from year to year
 Till all be purified;
For though no fluttering fan be heard.
 Nor chaff be seen to flee,
The Lord shall winnow the Lord's Preferred,
 And, Hey then up go we!

Our altars which the heathen brake
 Shall rankly smoke anew,
And anise, mint and cummin take
 Their dread and sovereign due,
Whereby the buttons of our trade
 Shall soon restored be
With curious work in gilt and braid,
 And, Hey then up go we!

Then come, my brethren, and prepare
 The candlesticks and bells,
The scarlet, brass, and badger's hair
 Wherein our Honour dwells,
And straitly fence and strictly keep
 The Ark's integrity
Till Armageddon break our sleep . . .
 And, Hey then go we!

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Type of Poem: Lyric Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: Rudyard Kipling’s "The Song of the Old Guard" is a Satirical Lyric Poem with strong elements of Social Critique and Reactionary Triumph. Written in the collective voice of an entrenched, privileged class—the "Proper Sort"—the poem celebrates, with heavy irony, the restoration of traditional hierarchies and privileges after a period of threatened upheaval. The central theme is the complacent and self-congratulatory survival of an old ruling order, which views any call for reform or broader social equity as a "discord and debate" now mercifully passed.

The tone is both jubilant and sharply satirical. On the surface, the "Old Guard" sings a triumphal hymn, praising the fact that efforts to force them into work, reform, or humility have failed. However, Kipling’s use of exaggerated, almost pompous language—praising the return of "anise, mint and cummin," or the meticulous preparation of "scarlet, brass, and badger's hair"—undercuts the sincerity of the celebration, exposing its pettiness and self-satisfaction. Structurally, the poem is organized into marching, rhymed stanzas, each closing with the refrain-like chant, "And, Hey then up go we!"—a phrase that sounds increasingly hollow and absurd as the poem progresses.

The imagery is rich with religious and heraldic overtones: "altars which the heathen brake," "candlesticks and bells," "Ark's integrity." This religious coloration suggests the Old Guard’s belief in the sacredness of their privilege, positioning themselves almost as custodians of divine order rather than beneficiaries of an unjust social structure. Historically, this poem reflects the tensions of Kipling’s late imperial period, when calls for democratization, labor rights, and social reforms were growing stronger, and where Kipling—both sympathetically and critically—observed the reactionary forces trying to hold back change.

Ultimately, "The Song of the Old Guard" is a deeply ironic portrayal of reactionary triumph, revealing both the smugness and the vulnerability of those who cling to old privileges in the face of inevitable social evolution. Kipling critiques their self-delusion without ever descending into caricature, showing that while the "Proper Sort" may win temporary victories, their blindness and rigidity ultimately render them fragile in a world destined for upheaval.