You will be a man, my son
If you can keep your head when all about you, </ br> Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, </ br> If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, </ br> But make allowance for their doubting too; </ br> If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, </ br> Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, </ br> Or being hated, don't give way to hating, </ br> And yet don't look too good or talk too wise:
If you can dream and not make dreams your master; </ br> If you can think and not make thoughts your aim; </ br> If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster </ br> And treat those two impostors just the same; </ br> If you can bear to hear the words you've spoken </ br> Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools </ br> Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, </ br> And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings </ br> And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, </ br> And lose, and start again at your beginnings </ br> And never breathe a word about your loss; </ br> If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew </ br> To serve your turn long after they are gone, </ br> And so hold on when there is nothing in you </ br> Except the Will which says to them:"Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, </ br> Or walk with Kings--nor lose the common touch, </ br> If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, </ br> If all men count with you, but none too much; </ br> If you can fill the unforgiving minute </ br> With sixty seconds worth of distance run, </ br> Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, </ br> And--which is more--you'll be a man, my son!
