God of our fathers, known of old— lord of our far-flung battle-line— beneath whose awful hand we hold dominion over palm and pine— in “recessional” by rudyard kipling, what does the phrase “palm” and “pine” say about the british empire? its boundaries were expansive, including countries in arctic and tropical climates. its political structure was both strong and flexible. its traditional religions were growing at a fast pace. its culture was eclectic, borrowing from many different traditions and practices.