The White Man's Burden

Saving, civilizing and educating the "wild" natives

Praise from other white men - in this case e.g Britain. "cold, edged with dearbought wisdom the judgement of your peers"

"Heathen folly" (hedensk tåbelighed), "new-caught Sullen peoples."(nyfangede modvillige folkeslag) "Half-devil and half-child"

America's new adventure as a colonial power, specifically in the Philippines Islands.

Kipling is urging the whites (the U.S.) to take up the "burden" of empire, as had Britain and other European nations done before - despite of it being hard and thankless work.

Stop civil wars ("savage wars of peace") give them food ("fill full the mouth of famine") Bring medicine and cure diseases ("bid the sickness cease")

Blame, hate, ungratefulness, reluctance, rebellion (The blame of those, ye better", "the hate of those ye guard")

Dovenskab

The action of appropriating a place or domain for your own use and (in your opinion) making it better by enforcing your laws and culture upon them

A major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single authority

Comparison between the colonised people and the freed Egyptian slaves, who then complained to Moses.

"Easy, ungrudged praise", "tawdry rule of kings", "lightly proffered laurel"