What is a paraphrase of the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling?

When you paraphrase someone else's words (like those in a poem), it means you express their full meaning in your own words.

It's different from summarizing. Paraphrasing means you keep all of the ideas and simply explain them in your own way. So, a paraphrase is usually just as long as the original piece of writing, whereas a summary is shorter.

Here's a paraphrasing of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If:"

Stanza 1:

You might be able to stay sane when everybody else is going crazy and thinking you're the problem. You might be able to put faith in yourself even when nobody else does. (Still, don't discount other people's lack of faith.) You might be able to be patient for a long time. Even if people are saying untrue things about you, you can still be truthful yourself. Likewise, even if people are hateful toward you, don't hate them back. Don't get all self-righteous, though.

Stanza 2:

Think about the future and your goals, but don't get overly caught up in them. Be thoughtful, but don't stop there—actually put your thoughts into action. Understand that victories and failures are both not as big of a deal as you might think. Accept that people will take your own words and warp them to trick other people. When things go really poorly, you have to deal with it and start over as best you can with what you've got.

Stanza 3:

You should understand that winning and losing aren't that big of a deal, and you should just keep striving toward your goals instead of moaning about your failures. Keep working, even if you feel like you physically can't. Use your own drive to persist no matter what.

Stanza 4:

Hang out with big groups, but stay true to yourself. Hang out with famous, influential people, but don't lose touch with reality. Don't give anyone the power to hurt you. Appreciate everybody, but don't worship anyone. Take the time you have and use it well. Do all this stuff, kid, and you'll have everything you want in life, plus you'll be a true adult.