"If—" is a poem by English Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling, written circa 1895 as a tribute to Leander Starr Jameson. It is a literary example of Victorian-era stoicism. The poem, first published in Rewards and Fairies, ch. 'Brother Square-Toes,' is written in the form of paternal advice to the poet's son, John.

In this interlude episode I break down the poem and discuss my understanding of it's most poignant take home messages.