Author: Rudyard Kipling

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Try as he will, no man breaks wholly loose
From his first love, no matter who she be.
Oh, was there ever sailor free to choose,
That didn't settle somewhere near the sea?

Myself, it don't excite me nor amuse
To watch a pack o' shipping on the sea;
But I can understand my neighbour's views
From certain things which have occured to me.

Men must keep touch with things they used to use
To earn their living, even when they are free;
And so come back upon the least excuse, 
Same as the sailor settled near the sea.

He knows he's never going on no cruise, 
He knows he's done and finished with the sea;
And yet he likes to feel she's there to use, 
If he should ask her, as she used to be.

Even though she cost him all he had to lose,
Even though she made him sick to hear or see,
Still, what she left of him will mostly choose
Her skirts to sit by. How comes such to be?

Parsons in pulpits, tax-payers in pews,
Kings on your thrones, you know as well as me,
We've only one virginity to lose,
And where we lost it there our hearts will be!

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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 Virginity" is best classified as a Lyric Poem with strong elements of Meditative Poetry and Philosophical Reflection. In this piece, Kipling uses the metaphor of a sailor’s enduring bond with the sea to explore a universal truth about human attachment to first experiences—particularly, the lasting emotional imprint of first love or first formative passion. The theme centers on the idea that no matter how much time passes, or how rationally one understands the costs and losses associated with a first love or life path, the emotional connection remains deeply ingrained. The poem meditates on nostalgia, human fallibility, and the inability to fully sever ties with formative experiences.

The tone is conversational, world-weary, and empathetic, marked by a tone of knowing resignation rather than bitter regret. Kipling’s use of simple, everyday language and unpretentious diction lends the poem an air of authenticity, making its philosophical musings feel grounded and accessible. His choice of imagery—the sailor "settled somewhere near the sea," even after he has given up the life of sailing—beautifully illustrates how physical proximity to old loves or old lives serves as a comfort, even when they are no longer active parts of one's existence. The repetition of nautical references serves as a unifying device throughout the poem, reinforcing the metaphor and keeping the reflection tightly focused.

Structurally, the poem flows almost like a casual monologue, with regular rhyme pairs giving it a smooth, almost chatty rhythm that mirrors the narrator’s resigned acceptance of human nature. The final stanza broadens the personal metaphor into a universal truth: everyone, from commoners to kings, knows this same emotional pull, because “we've only one virginity to lose, and where we lost it there our hearts will be.” It is a striking, bold closing that elevates the poem from personal reflection to universal axiom. "The Virginity" thus becomes a meditation not just on lost love, but on the profound emotional loyalty humans retain toward their formative experiences, regardless of logic or circumstance.