WORDSWORTH POETRY LIBRARY The Works of Rudyard Kipling Introductory essay by George Orwell In his lifetime, Kipling was widely regarded as the unofficial Poet Laureate; and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. His poetry is striking for its many rhythms and popular forms of speech, and Kipling was equally at home with dramatic monologues and extended ballads. Popularly but mistakenly thought to be so much of an imperialist as to be almost fascist, Kipling's attitudes changed over the years from youthful exuberance to reveal a darker side to his nature after the death of his son in the First World War. This edition has a full-length Introduction by George Orwell which is, perhaps, the finest brief survey of Kipling's verse. Cover illustration: A portrait of Kipling by Sir Philip Burne-Jones, 1899, courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London. Book is in good condition with some wear to cover.