"The Gods of the Copybook Headings" by Rudyard Kipling (read by Tom O'Bedlam)

Copybooks were used for teaching. They contained incontrovertible truths, often from the Bible, that pupils copied out in their own handwriting. Their purpose was to instill wisdom and improve penmanship. The sort of old-fashioned trite cliches quoted in the poem are copybook headings e.g. "Stick to the devil you know" and "All is not gold that glitters".
I wonder if Aldous Huxley's inspiration for the title "Brave New World" came indirectly from this poem and not directly from The Tempest. It seems more relevant to that book than when Miranda says "How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world, That has such people in't!" - even though Huxley does quote the original.
I've discovered that Glenn Beck read the poem on his radio show. He reads it well in his own inimitable way.
• Gods of the Copybook H...
I got the first picture from this website
www.yoism.org/?...
Apocalypse was painted by Gabor Urban, born in 1946
fineartamerica....

[@bananers6013]

Looks like they're back

[@ostlandr]

"Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat its mistakes; those who do study history are doomed to stand by helplessly while everybody else repeats its mistakes."

[@Nemesis861965]

I think some of the problem that younger generations have with this poem is that first, they have no idea what a copybook is, perhaps better said, was. A copybook was a ruled page writing exercise tablet. Each page had a header with a proverb or admonition or quotation, etc. written in perfect script that the student was to duplicate on the ruled lines. In the poem the wisdom of the gods of the copybook headers speak truth about the reality of life and Man's refusal to accept the truth and the subsequent hard lessons that follow Man's folly. Cultural Marxism is the delusion today that Man embraces and Kipling is right... "The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!" The problem is that Man's technology just might finish it off this time around.

[@WiggaMachiavelli]

+Nemesis861965 I suspect that the real problem is that Kipling isn't compulsory reading in every school in the English-speaking world. Young people don't read his poems, let alone have a "problem" with them.

[@southparkgdp]

+WiggaMachiavelli Exactly. I was about to ask about which strawman they were referring to.

[@zedxyle]

When he speaks of "the market place" he doesn't mean it in a modern sense. He means it in the older meaning, an actual market place where everyone gathers each day to not only buy things but to listen and talk about stuff. It is the "new ideas" of the market place that he is talking about.

[@katyhibbert292]

I adore this poem. It's one of my personal mission statements. The other is "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity,"

[@TheSanityInspector]

The entertainment industry is learning this poem the hard way, this autumn.

[@janeappleseed2154]

Another great poem by the Master Of Poetry reading, Spokenverse. Thank you Sir, may God continue to bless you.

[@CaptainBill22]

In a sense you can accurately tell the future by studying the past.

[@elLocoChongo]

"History may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme" Mark Twain

[@SpokenVerse]

@Gjkl345 "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose"...Merchant of Venice.

[@swfarnsworth]

I'm not sure if this was posted as a direct result of the request I sent you, but it's the best recording of the whole poem I've heard. Thanks!

[@holladaycummings7884]

Thank you for the poetry of my thoughts. I know longer feel alone but shamed by the truth

[@bobby-ry1ze]

36 comments, this tells me much. the truth goes untold.

[@djmooreorless]

worth listening to... open you mind and enjoy -Kipling's best verse

[@dolphinshooter2871]

A perfect description of today. A perfect description of the past. Mans wisdom is not superior to Gods... Simple solution, lose God! Nobody who thinks this way ever sees the potential consequences of their flawed thinking. Everyone pays the price. Again, and again, and again, and again.....

[@MrJimmyReload]

And history repeats itself again.

[@valcan321]

@Ed Vw Never doubt at peoples ability to blind themselves to reality when it suits their wishes and belief systems.

[@paulpellicci]

As it was then, is now and everlasting....

[@lowslowflyer77]

WOW... amazing sight he had..

[@loszhor]

I always imagined the Gods of the Copybook Headings to look like the four horsemen especially with the last line. Too bad schools, or even colleges, don't read stuff like this anymore.

[@bobby-ry1ze]

and so here we are................

[@Dabhach1]

Should be required rote leaning for every kid in their first year at school. Oh, wait - it's by an old white guy.

[@valcan321]

I am a Socialist by leaning but a conservative by thought. This poem and Kipling's poems in general can show why, To believe in a perfect system with no laws like the far-left and right-liberterians is foolish. Any system with humans will become corrupt. So it is with the free market and so it is with government. Head the gods of the copy book headings or face ruin. "We found them lacking in Uplift........."

[@hswatnik]

up to the minute- great work-

[@DigitalFightMEDIA]

Wow

[@greatnorthernprepper]

the marketplace of ideas

[@DejaBlu269]

I'm constantly amazed by the complete lack of reading comprehension skills by commenters on videos like this. It's baffling to me how anyone could possibly misinterpret Kipling's meaning. A cursory glance at his history would reveal his hatred for the growing Socialist movement after the death of his son in WWI. To those who think a "system with no laws" or a "free market" is on par with government, read The Ethics of Liberty by Murray Rothbard. It's free and just a Google search away.

[@greatnorthernprepper]

So you discount a poem based on someone who read it? So if Osama Bin Laden watched the English Patient or Forrest Gump that makes those movies somehow....less? (in the case of the English patient, doesnt matter who sees it, its stupid)

[@ianjohnston1545]

I think that final "with" alludes to GotCH are the ones who bring the terror and slaughter. After a couple listens, one knows that is not the case. But a more post-causal word would probably worked better. I love RK.