[MNJohnnie]

I had a literature professor explain it this way.

“Literature is like a donut. The hole is what is in the piece, the donut is what the piece may mean and there there is everything else. You job is to decided what is donut and what is everything else.”

To me this is a tribute to Motherhood and the awful fury engaged when her child is endangered.

Modern life, especially modern media, has so trashed the concept of Motherhood, it no longer commands the respect it commands by right.

Kipling got it right in my opinion.

[poconopundit]

...To me this is a tribute to Motherhood and the awful fury engaged when her child is endangered...  Modern life, especially modern media, has so trashed the concept of Motherhood, it no longer commands the respect it commands by right.

Yes, MNJohnnie, I think the Kipling poem does succeed is showing how Motherhood is a powerful force of Nature.  After all, the Mother is the one who gives birth and is often the primary care giver of the young during their formative years.

In the late 19th century India that Kipling knew so well, the life of the common people was quite fragile and often very short-lived due to cholera and other diseases.  So the importance of Motherhood was magnified.  In 21st century America, the raising of the young is still vital but occupies a relatively small portion of a person's long life.

So a larger vision of Motherhood and Fatherhood is needed.

There is a passage attributed to Confucius that points to the circular connection between raising a family and cultivating a great society.  Here it is:

The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the Kingdom, first ordered well their own states.

Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families.
Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons.
Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts.
Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts.
Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge.
Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

Things being investigated, knowledge became complete.
Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere.
Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified.
Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated.
Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated.
Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed.
Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.

One of thing I appreciate about Donald Trump is he seems to understand this flow of life.  Even though he married three times, he raised his children very well and does seem to care very much about the connection of ordinary people to the larger society.

He is a exemplary Fatherhood figure because he is out to protect America's families and nurture them.  I think, he understands the value of Motherhood, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Neighborhood, and Love of Country.