Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English short story writer, poet, and novelist who commonly wrote tales and poems of British Soldiers in India and stories for children; who was a father that outlived his son when he went off to war practically using "If" as advice to his son. Polonius from Hamlet created by William Shakespeare was the chief counselor of the king who was a busy-body and a sincere father which was generally regarded as wrong in every judgement he makes over the course of the play, yet was also the father who gave his blessing using this monologue to his son for his departure to France. Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" and Polonius' monologue have similar themes along with their language to elope with their theme; however, their structure and character are different from perspective. The poem "If" and Polonius' monologue along the same lines have a recurring theme as in advice or adulthood. Background knowledge of the poem was that Kipling was giving paternal advice to his son where Kipling's son had actually left to military and this poem portrayed what he had said to his son before he went away. Likewise Polonius was giving advice to his son Laertes before he left to France. Another similarity between the two were the time period that they presented as they were written in the 1900s along with the old English they used instead of the language we use today as their words have meanings like ours yet we have a different way we use words. Along the same lines the content in each writing is similar as they're in first person and that the speaker is the poet/character. Hamlet's Polonius advises, "Give thy ear but few thy voice" (Hamlet act one scene three fifteenth line) and Kipling's speaker puts forth the idea, "If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same" (Rudyard Kipling Second stanza eleventh/twelfth line). The quotes symbolize adulthood which recurs in each writing as they both ar