Biography

Rudyard Kipling was born in 1865 in Bombay, India (Stewart 1). Kipling was exposed to several cultures and transmitted this exposure into his writing. Kipling had the unique privilege of living on four different continents during his lifetime and he even expanded his knowledge of the world by writing about six of the seven continents (Gilmour 3). The beginnings of Rudyard Kipling’s travels were shaped by his parents Lockwood and Alice Kipling (Wilson 11). Lockwood Kipling was an artist who specialized in architecture. (Wilson 14). Rudyard Kipling’s father was appointed principal of the Bombay Art School which began Rudyard Kipling’s great inspiration from the world around him, which were later translated into his works (Wilson 16). Rudyard Kipling lived in India for the first six years of his life. This experience prompted great imaginative stories, such as the children’s classic The Jungle Book (Wilson 3).

        In 1871, Rudyard Kipling and his little sister Trix were sent away to England by their parents to live under the care of Harry and Rosa Holloway (Wilson 17). Rudyard and his sister resided in the Holloway’s house for over five years, perhaps feeling abandoned by their own parents (Birkenhead 15). Kipling referred to this home as the “House of Desolation” and those years of his life as the dark years (Wilson 19). This is most likely because although Harry Holloway felt a great deal of affection for the young Rudyard, his wife saw him only as a spoiled child who deserved to be punished severely. Kipling’s story Baa Baa Black Sheep was written to demonstrate these dark years (Birkenhead 27).

        After his experience with the Holloway’s, it was time for Rudyard Kipling to go to school. He attended the United Services College in England (Birkenhead 34). However, his parents did not take much time in choosing a school for their son. The United Services College or Westward Ho! was designed to prepare men for the army, but Rudyard Kipling suffered from a severe visual impairment that required him to rely on his spectacles for sight (Stewart 30). However, his time at the United Services College prepared him for a career in journalism.

        From the United Services College, Kipling returned to India where his father had secured him a job working for a newspaper. Kipling’s literary career, thus, began in India (Birkenhead 92). During this time Kipling composed famous stories such as: The Phantom Rickshaw, The Strange Ride of Morrowby Jukes, and The Man Who Would be King (Birkenhead 100).

        In 1889, Kipling returned to London to absorb its literary atmosphere (Birkenhead 102). During this time, Kipling became a very established English writer. He had produced several short stories and in many manners had mastered the art of creative writing. However, it was now time for him to progress in his career and write a novel. Kipling accomplished this task and his first novel The Light That Failed was published (Stewart 88).

        After his time in London, Kipling decided to set out on a new adventure and travel to America. During his time in America, Kipling took up residence in Vermont (Gross 77). Immediately before traveling to America, Kipling had been called away from a trip to India by a female companion due to the death of her father (Stewart 99). Due to this circumstance, Kipling married this young lady, Carrie Balestier, and they traveled to America together (Stewart 99). Kipling secured many friendships in America including one with Theodore Roosevelt, but he was simply not satisfied residing there (Stewart 108).

        After a stay in America, Rudyard and Carrie returned to England (Birkenhead 170). During this stint in England, Kipling became very inclined to political affairs (Gilmour 133). He also suffered a long illness that began during his time in America (Birkenhead 204). Kipling was especially interested in the political affairs of the South Africans involved in the Boer War. In 1900, Rudyard and Carrie traveled to South Africa (Birkenhead 206). Kipling was troubled by war, but also became a sort of political activist. Due to his ties with Theodore Roosevelt, Kipling was also involved in the political affairs of World War I (Gross 136).

        Rudyard Kipling wrote everything from children’s books to intense short stories. His works were deeply inspired by his worldly travels. He was a distinguished author with multiple claims to fame. He became actively involved on the political scene and had ties to many great men. He lived an astonishing life that helped him create astonishing works of literature. Rudyard Kipling died on January 18, 1936.

Works Cited

Birkenhead, Lord. Rudyard Kipling. New York, NY: Random House, 1978.  This book gives you a chronological view of the life of Rudyard Kipling. It gives a very extensive biography of each event of his life.

Gilmour, David. The Long Recessional. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2002.  This book describes the life of Rudyard Kipling in a cultural context. It presents details of how each culture Rudyard Kipling experienced impacted both his life and his writing.

Gross, John, ed. The Ace of Kipling. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1972.  This book compiles multiple short articles describing the many aspects of Rudyard Kipling's life. Each article focuses specifically on one element of the author's life, thus it is very detailed.

Stewart, J.I.M. New York, NY: Dodd, Mead, & Company, 1966.  This book gives a chronologic narrative of the life of Rudyard Kipling. It also highlights the works of Kipling and correlates them to the period of time in his life in which Kipling was inspired to write each piece.

Wilson, Angus. The Strange Ride of Rudyard Kipling. New York, NY: The Viking P, 1977.  This book describes in detail the life of Rudyard Kipling. It highlights all of his travels around the world and focuses a great deal on the emotions that inspired his writing.