My Boy Jack

Rudyard Kipling wrote this poem during World War I, perhaps a lament over the death of his own son, or as a tribute to all who were lost during The Great War. The harmonic language in the poem”s first three stanzas is intended to portray the sorrow and angst that Kipling”s words so effectively convey. In the last stanza, however, the tone of the poem suddenly changes, becoming more positive and resolute: “Then hold your head up all the more, this tide, and every tide”” To reflect this shift, the setting uses a quasi-English folksong style, one that is more lyrical and direct. Duration: 3:30