Rudyard Kipling; A Genius in Many Genres

Rudyard Kipling was a British writer and poet born on December 30, 1865, in Bombay, India, which was then under British rule. He is best known for his works of fiction, including “The Jungle Book,” “Kim,” and “Captains Courageous,” as well as his poetry, which includes the famous poem “If.”

Kipling was born to John Lockwood Kipling, an artist and teacher, and Alice Macdonald Kipling, a writer and poet. His parents were both of British descent but had spent many years living in India. Kipling spent his early childhood in Bombay, where he learned to speak Hindi and Marathi, the local languages.

In 1871, Kipling and his younger sister were sent back to England to live with their aunt and uncle. Kipling was sent to boarding school in Southsea, where he did not thrive academically but developed a love of storytelling and writing. He began writing poems and stories, which he would send to his parents in India for feedback.

At the age of 16, Kipling returned to India, where he worked as a journalist for the Civil and Military Gazette in Lahore. He gained a reputation for his vivid descriptions of life in India and his ability to capture the unique culture and customs of the region. It was during this time that Kipling began to write some of his most famous works, including “The Jungle Book.”