What did Rudyard Kipling mean in Send forth the best ye breed?

Answer 1

Well, Kipling was definitely a pro-military guy. (It's debatable how much he approved of war and Imperialism -- but he did admire soldiers and the disciplined military life; the work they do and the lives they live.)

In that poem, White Man's Burden, that is what the line"send forth the best ye breed" refers to. The nation's soldiers -- and we still often refer to our soldiers as out Country's best. Those soldiers and governers and such who went around the globe to secure, maintain, and develop Western colonies.

The subsquent lines are, "go bind your sons to exile, to serve your captives' need." He's making note of the fact that soldiers are sent for years to foreign lands far from home, where they'd rather not be; and among native peoples who don't really like them. Moreover, they do it --ostensibly at least -- to defend and help those natives who hate and resent them.

From that poem, it doesn't seem that he was highlighting the soldiers military conquest of colonies. Rather it sounds as if he was acknowledging the fact that as Western powers gained colonies by military occupation, that modern technology, medicine, and higher standards of living (generally) followed.

The language of White Man's Burden is such that it can seem pretty repellent to contemporary minds. Certainly, terrible things were done under imperialism -- but Kipling has a point. Good things happened too. Though this poem points out only one side, it's important as you can only have a full understanding of imperialism if you look at the good and the bad.

Since, hearing about the imperialism of the "evil, white man" is pretty common now; it makes the poem even more important today. Especially since we still follow these policies today...think Bosnia, Haiti, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq. While we don't really conquer these places anymore, and certainly the true motives of world leaders is debatable; in word at least, we fight in these places for the benefit of the native people.

Answer 2

Rudyard Kipling's phrase "Send forth the best ye breed" typically refers to the idea of encouraging or promoting the best individuals within a group or society to represent or act on its behalf. It suggests a call to action to utilize the most capable or talented members in a given situation or endeavor.