'E's a sort of a bloomin' cosmopolouse - soldier an' sailor too.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Kipling describes the British Empire as a vast, diverse entity encompassing all roles, particularly military ones.
- In plain terms
- The empire is huge and includes everyone, especially soldiers and sailors.
- What can you take from it?
- National identity often centers on military service across diverse roles.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do nations define themselves through military roles?
- What groups are excluded from such broad identities?
Another view
The quote reflects imperialist ideology that excludes colonized peoples.
More from Rudyard Kipling
We have fed our sea for a thousand years And she calls us, still unfed, Though there's never a wave of all her waves But marks our English dead.
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