What is the Carboniferous epoch in 'The Gods Of The Copybook Headings'?

Answer 1

Kipling is being whimsical in referring to the Carboniferous epoch. As with several pre-historic periods in the poem, he just means 'a long time ago'. Kipling was well aware that there were no people around in the Carboniferous era, around 360 to 300 million years ago, when the giant ferns that became our coal deposits were growing. There were no people in the Feminian and Cambrian eras either. We came along much later. Kipling is just trying to show that people make the same old mistakes over and over if they expect to find what they want instead of accepting life as it is.

Answer 2

In "The Gods of the Copybook Headings," the Carboniferous epoch is referenced to highlight the idea that civilizations are cyclical and subject to the same pattern of rise and fall seen in nature. It serves as a metaphor for the temporary prosperity that can lead to eventual decline if fundamental truths are ignored. This epoch, known for its lush vegetation and eventual formation of coal deposits, symbolizes the fleeting nature of human achievements if built on unsustainable practices.