Author: Rudyard Kipling
The gull shall whistle in his wake, the blind wave break in fire, He shall fulfill God's utmost will unknowing His desire; And he shall see old planets pass and alien stars arise, And give the gale his seaworn sail in shadow of new skies. Strong lust of gear shall drive him forth and hunger arm his hand To win his food from the desert rude, his foothold from the sand. His neighbors' smoke shall vex his eyes, their voices break his rest, He shall go forth till South is North, sullen and dispossessed. He shall desire loneliness, and his desire shall bring Hard on his heels a thousand wheels, a People, and a King; He shall come back in his own track, and by his scarce cooled camp; There shall he meet the roaring street, the derrick, and the stamp; There he shall blaze a nation's ways with hatchet and with brand, Till on his last-won wilderness an Empire's outposts stand!
Type of Poem: Narrative 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 Voortrekker" is a Narrative Poem with strong elements of a Ballad and a Meditative Poem. It recounts the journey of a restless pioneer, driven by deep inner compulsions—lust for land, gear, and solitude—yet ultimately laying the foundations for civilization and empire. The poem’s theme centers on the paradox of pioneering: the pioneer's personal desire for isolation and freedom ironically leads to expansion, settlement, and the creation of bustling societies. It reflects on the forces of destiny, ambition, and unintended consequence, with the voyager portrayed both as agent and instrument of historical change.
The tone is reverent, prophetic, and slightly tragic, emphasizing the inexorable march of human endeavor, even against personal desires. Kipling employs powerful imagery such as "the blind wave break in fire," "alien stars arise," and "a thousand wheels" to evoke the wildness of new frontiers and the relentless advance of settlement. The opening lines mythologize the pioneer's journey as almost cosmic, with planets and stars passing by, framing human effort within the grand sweep of creation. Meanwhile, devices like alliteration ("hard on his heels a thousand wheels") and rhythmic drive give the poem a sweeping, forward motion mirroring the subject’s restlessness.
Historically, the term "Voortrekker" refers to Dutch-Afrikaner pioneers who migrated inland from the Cape Colony in the 1830s to escape British rule—figures who embodied rugged frontier spirit. Kipling draws on their story to depict a broader, almost archetypal figure of imperial expansion: a man who carves out a lonely place in the wilderness only to be followed inevitably by commerce, industry, and empire. Thus, the poem is at once a celebration of rugged individualism and an acknowledgment of the irony that such individuals sow the seeds of the very societies they seek to escape. Through "The Voortrekker," Kipling captures the tension between solitude and civilization, and the way personal quests can unintentionally alter the course of history.
Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often making use of the voices of a narrator and characters as well. Unlike lyric poetry, which focuses on emotions and thoughts, narrative poetry is dedicated to storytelling, weaving tales that captivate readers through plot and character development.
Narrative poems are unique in their ability to combine the depth of storytelling with the expressive qualities of poetry. Here are some defining characteristics:
From ancient epics like "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" to more modern narrative poems, this form continues to engage readers by blending the art of storytelling with the beauty and rhythm of poetry.