I think the point Richard was trying to make is that Kipling was limited in the range of themes and emotions he expressed, so that a relatively small sampler conveys him adequately. But my experience of Kipling is like Richard's...early and remote. I have not read him in recent years. Maybe the easily-parodied work is all that ever got wide attention, and there's more to Kipling's poetry than we realize.
I did see something of his quoted several years ago that struck me as distinctly idiotic, but unfortunately I can't recall what it was. Probably idiotic of me to have used the word "idiotic," under the circumstances. My apologies...for the moment. I may get sufficiently motivated to do a search.
Alan Sullivan
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