The Thousandth Man
One man in a thousand, Solomon says,Will stick more close than a brother.And it's worth while seeking him half your daysIf you find him before the other.Nine hundred and ninety-nine dependOn what the world sees in you,But the Thousandth Man will stand your friendWith the whole round world agin you.
'Tis neither promise nor prayer nor showWill settle the finding for 'ee.Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em goBy your looks or your acts or your glory.But if he finds you and you find him,The rest of the world don't matter;For the Thousandth Man will sink or swimWith you in any water.
You can use his purse with no more talkThan he uses yours for his spendings,And laugh and meet in your daily walkAs though there had been no lendings.Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em callFor silver and gold in their dealings;But the Thousandth Man he's worth 'em all.Because you can show him your feelings.
His wrong's your wrong, and his right's your right,In season or out of season.Stand up and back it in all men's sight--With that for your only reason!Nine hundred and ninety-nine can't bideThe shame or mocking or laughter,But the Thousandth Man will stand by your sideTo the gallows-foot--and after!
Words in this poem
- solomon n.
- One of the kings of Israel, noted for his superior wisdom and magnificent reign; hence, a very wise man.
- bide v. i.
- To dwell; to inhabit; to abide; to stay. [OE. biden, AS. bidan; akin to OHG. bitan, Goth. beidan, Icel. bi; perh. orig., to wait with trust, and akin to bid. See Bid, v. t., and cf. Abide.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Thousandth Man is in the public domain. This text is taken from Songs from Books, Project Gutenberg ebook #15529; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Rudyard Kipling, The Thousandth Man, in Songs from Books (1912), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15529, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/kipling-songs-from-books/the-thousandth-man.html, id L20318.
Form and metre
The Thousandth Man is 32 lines in 4 stanzas of 8 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABABCDCD, complete in 2 of its 4 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 76%).
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 -A-ABCBC says · brotherA · days · otherA · dependB · youC · friendB · youC
- 2 A-A-B-B- showA · ee · goA · glory · himB · matter · swimB · water
- 3 ABABCDCD talkA · spendingsB · walkA · lendingsB · callC · dealingsD · allC · feelingsD
- 4 ABABCDCD rightA · seasonB · sightA · reasonB · bideC · laughterD · sideC · afterD
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| One man in a thousand, Solomon says, | 9 | ····/˘/˘· |
| Will stick more close than a brother. | 8 | ······/˘ |
| And it's worth while seeking him half your days | 10 | ····/˘···· |
| If you find him before the other. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Nine hundred and ninety-nine depend | 9 | ·/˘·/˘·˘/ |
| On what the world sees in you, | 7 | ······· |
| But the Thousandth Man will stand your friend | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| With the whole round world agin you. | 8 | ·····˘/· |
| 'Tis neither promise nor prayer nor show | 9 | ·/˘/˘···· |
| Will settle the finding for 'ee. | 8 | ·/˘·/˘·· |
| Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em go | 10 | ·/˘·/˘···· |
| By your looks or your acts or your glory. | 10 | ········/˘ |
| But if he finds you and you find him, | 9 | ········· |
| The rest of the world don't matter; | 8 | ······/˘ |
| For the Thousandth Man will sink or swim | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| With you in any water. | 7 | ···/˘/˘ |
| You can use his purse with no more talk | 9 | ········· |
| Than he uses yours for his spendings, | 9 | ··/˘···/˘ |
| And laugh and meet in your daily walk | 9 | ······/˘· |
| As though there had been no lendings. | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Nine hundred and ninety-nine of 'em call | 10 | ·/˘·/˘···· |
| For silver and gold in their dealings; | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| But the Thousandth Man he's worth 'em all. | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| Because you can show him your feelings. | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| His wrong's your wrong, and his right's your right, | 9 | ········· |
| In season or out of season. | 8 | ·/˘···/˘ |
| Stand up and back it in all men's sight-- | 9 | ········· |
| With that for your only reason! | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Nine hundred and ninety-nine can't bide | 9 | ·/˘·/˘··· |
| The shame or mocking or laughter, | 8 | ···/˘·/˘ |
| But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side | 10 | ··/˘······ |
| To the gallows-foot--and after! | 8 | ··/˘···· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.