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The Night Mail: ICSE Class 9 English poem questions and answers
Get notes, line-by-line explanation, summary, questions and answers, critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf of the poem The Night Mail by W.H. Auden which is part of ICSE Class 9 English (Treasure Chest). However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
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Evergreen workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What does the poem seem to highlight?
(a) that the train journey is always interesting
(b) that the train passes through varied regions England
(c) that each one of us wants to be remembered by someone else in the world
(d) that each one of us cannot do without others.
Answer: (c) that each one of us wants to be remembered by someone else in the world
2. What special human quality does The Night Mail’ celebrate?
(a) The wait for the mail
(b) The longing to get some letter
(c) The longing to be connected and remembered by someone
(d) The longing to get some news
Answer: (c) The longing to be connected and remembered by someone
3. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between statement (1) and statement (2).
1. The train is never late.
2. The train continues to move on steadily through various stations.
(a) 1 is the cause for 2.
(b) 1 is an example of 2.
(c) 1 is independent of 2.
(d) 1 is a contradiction of 2.
Answer: (b) 1 is an example of 2.
4. Which of these statements is NOT true?
(a) The train starts its journey climbing hills slowly.
(b) The train carries letters and many other things for different people.
(c) The train is heading for London.
(d) The people wait for the mail anxiously in the morning.
Answer: (c) The train is heading for London.
5. Which of the following lines contains the same literary device as the one in ‘The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time’?
(a) He will watch you without winking.
(b) Frail as a dragon-fly’ wing.
(c) I chatter, chatter, as I flow / To join the brimming river.
(d) Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Answer: (c) I chatter, chatter, as I flow / To join the brimming river.
6. ‘In the farm she passes no one wakes’.
Which of the following words best describes the farm-house people?
(a) indifferent
(b) habitual
(c) cruel
(d) insensitive
Answer: (b) habitual
7. What does the poem celebrate ?
(a) the mail train
(b) human connections
(c) the railway system
(d) none of the above
Answer: (b) human connections
8. Where was the mail train heading?
(a) Paris
(b) London
(c) Glasgow
(d) Crawford
Answer: (c) Glasgow
9. ‘Snorting noisily as she passes’. Which figure of speech is used here ?
(a) personification
(b) alliteration
(c) metaphor
(d) sarcasm
Answer: (a) personification
10. ‘For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?’ Which literary device is used here?
(a) simile
(b) metaphor
(c) rhetorical question
(d) irony
Answer: (c) rhetorical question
11. Select the correct option that displays the characteristics of the personified train correctly.
(a) kind
(b) aggressive
(c) methodical
(d) steady
Answer: (a) kind
12. Why does no one wake up from their sleep as the train passes ?
(a) They are intoxicated.
(b) They sleep in sound-proof rooms.
(c) The train creates no noise.
(d) They have become habituated to the train’s passing and ignore it.
Answer: (d) They have become habituated to the train’s passing and ignore it.
13. Which of these is NOT carried by the train ?
(a) letters
(b) news
(c) cheques
(d) furnaces
Answer: (d) furnaces
14. Which regions does the train pass through?
(a) The seabeach
(b) hills and plains
(c) mountains
(d) war zones
Answer: (b) hills and plains
15. Which of these is repeated numerous times in the poem ?
(a) letters
(b) cheques
(c) postal orders
(d) sleeping people
Answer: (a) letters
16. Which types of letters are mentioned in the poem ?
(a) chatty
(b) boring
(c) literary
(d) sad
Answer: (a) chatty
Comprehension Passages
PASSAGE-1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
This is the Night Mail crossing the border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order,
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,
The shop at the corner and the girl next door.
Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb :
The gradient’ against her, but she’s on time.
(i) Where is the Night Mail heading? What does it carry ?
Answer: The Night Mail is heading towards Scotland, specifically Glasgow. It carries cheques, postal orders, and letters for the rich and the poor, including for the shop at the corner and the girl next door, as well as other documents and personal items.
(ii) ‘Letters for the rich, letters for the poor’. Comment on the significance of this line.
Answer: The significance of the line ‘Letters for the rich, letters for the poor’ is that it underlines the importance of the train and the system of mail delivery during that time, as it served everyone irrespective of their wealth or social standing.
(iii) How does the mail train start its journey? How would you describe it ?
Answer: The mail train starts its journey by pulling up Beattock, which involves a steady climb. Its movement is slow because the gradient is against her, but she makes good progress and is on time. I would describe the train as a calm, conscientious, methodical, quick, steady, and kind being.
(iv) Describe various regions through which the train passes.
Answer: The train passes through various regions, including areas with cotton-grass and moorland boulders, fertile lands, and moors. It also passes by farmhouses. As it approaches Glasgow, it moves into a noisy industrial area characterized by ‘fields of apparatus’ and giant furnaces.
(v) How does the poet describe Glasgow area later in the passage?
Answer: Later in the passage, the poet describes the Glasgow area as a less peaceful, industrial region. It has ‘fields of apparatus’, giant machines, and furnaces, which are likened to “gigantic chessmen” set on the dark plain, suggesting industrial planning and activity. Despite being an industrial area, it is quiet at dawn when the train arrives.
PASSAGE-2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Birds turn their heads as she approaches,
Stare from the bushes at her blank-faced coaches.
Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course;
They slumber on with paws across.
In the farm she passes no one wakes,
But a jug in the bedroom gently shakes.
(i) Which figure of speech is used in Line 1? What is its function?
Answer: In Line 1, “Birds turn their heads as she approaches,” personification is used as the train is referred to as ‘she’. The function of personification is to project the train as a living entity, specifically as a calm, quick, steady, and kind being. Alliteration is also present, for instance, with the ‘h’ sound in “heads” and “her” (implied in “she approaches”), which adds a musical quality and emphasizes the description.
(ii) Comment on the use of phrase ‘blank-faces’ for the train coaches.
Answer: The use of the phrase ‘blank-faced coaches’ personifies the coaches, depicting them as expressionless and timid followers. It suggests they are without any will of their own, merely being pulled along by the engine.
(iii) What do sheep-dogs do? What is their purpose?
Answer: The sheep-dogs run alongside the train, attempting to turn her course. Their purpose appears to be to try and alter the train’s path, possibly out of an instinct to protect their territory. However, they are unsuccessful in their efforts and eventually slumber on.
(iv) How do sleeping people react as the train passes ? Why?
Answer: As the train passes the farm, the sleeping people do not wake up, even though a jug in a bedroom might gently shake. They continue to sleep because they are well accustomed to hearing the train pass, indicating that its passage is a regular and familiar part of their environment.
(v) What kinds of letters are carried by the train ?
Answer: The train carries a wide variety of letters. These include letters for the rich and the poor, letters of thanks, letters from banks, letters of joy from the girl and the boy, receipted bills, and invitations. It also carries applications for situations, timid lovers’ declarations, gossip from all nations, circumstantial and financial news, letters with holiday snaps, letters with faces scrawled in the margin, letters from relatives like uncles, cousins, and aunts, letters to Scotland from places like the South of France, letters of condolence, and notes from overseas to the Hebrides. These letters are written on paper of every hue and come in different styles and tones.
PASSAGE-3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Dawn freshens, the climb is done.
Down towards Glasgow she descends
Towards the steam tugs yelping down the glade of cranes,
Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces
Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen.
All Scotland waits for her :
In the dark glens, beside the pale-green sea lochs
Men long for news.
(i) Where is the train heading to ? How has its initial journey been described by the poet ?
Answer: The train is heading towards Glasgow. Its initial journey has been described by the poet as a steady climb up Beattock, where the gradient was against her, yet she remained on time. During this part of the journey, she passed cotton-grass and moorland boulders, shovelling white steam over her shoulder and snorting noisily as she traversed silent miles of wind-bent grasses.
(ii) How is Glasgow described in the quoted lines ?
Answer: In the quoted lines, Glasgow is described as an area the train descends towards. It is characterized by the presence of steam tugs yelping down the glade of cranes, fields of apparatus, and furnaces. These furnaces are distinctively portrayed as being set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen, indicating an industrial landscape shaped by planning and work.
(iii) Which figure of speech is used in Line 5 here, and why?
Answer: In Line 5, “Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen,” the figure of speech used is a simile. This is because a comparison is made between the furnaces and gigantic chessmen using the word ‘like’. The simile is used to refer to the thoughtful industrial planning, building, and working evident in the industrial area of Glasgow.
(iv) Briefly describe the things carried by the train.
Answer: The train carries a variety of items, including cheques, postal orders, and letters for all sorts of people, such as the rich, the poor, the shop at the corner, and the girl next door. It also transports documents, receipted bills, invitations, applications, declarations of love, gossip from around the world, news, and other personal items.
(v) What does the poet convey about the waiting people of Scotland later in the context?
Answer: Later in the context, the poet conveys that the entirety of Scotland eagerly awaits the Night Mail. Men in dark glens and beside pale-green sea lochs are described as longing for news. The people of Scotland are waiting anxiously for the train. They anticipate waking up and longing for letters, and their hearts will pound or quicken at the postman’s knock, reflecting their deep human need for connection, love, and remembrance, and their inability to bear feeling forgotten.
PASSAGE-4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Letters of thanks, letters from banks,
Letters of joy from the girl and the boy,
Receipted bills and invitations
To inspect new stock or visit relations,
And applications for situations
And timid lovers’ declarations
And gossip, gossip from all that nations,
News circumstantial, news financial.
(i) How did the train start its journey? What regions did it cross at night?
Answer: The train started its journey by pulling up Beattock, which was a steady climb where the gradient was against her, but she managed to stay on time. At night, it crossed various regions, including those with cotton-grass and moorland boulders, silent miles of wind-bent grasses, fertile lands, and moors, and it passed by farmhouses where people were asleep.
(ii) What does the poet mean by “applications for situations”?
Answer: By “applications for situations,” the poet refers to job applications, where individuals are applying for employment positions or various opportunities.
(iii) What is being carried by the train except letters ?
Answer: Besides letters, the train is carrying cheques, postal orders, receipted bills, invitations, circumstantial and financial news, documents, and other personal items.
(iv) What kinds of letters is the train carrying?
Answer: The train is carrying many kinds of letters. These include letters of thanks, letters from banks, letters of joy from the girl and the boy, letters for the rich and the poor, applications for situations, timid lovers’ declarations, and letters containing gossip from all nations, as well as circumstantial and financial news.
(v) How do people wait for the train ?
Answer: People wait for the train with a sense of longing and anxiety, eager for news and letters. They anticipate its arrival, and upon waking, they will long for letters. The sound of the postman’s knock is expected to cause a quickening or pounding of their hearts, which highlights their eagerness and the significant role the mail plays in making them feel connected and remembered.
PASSAGE-5
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Notes from overseas to Hebrides
Written on paper of every hue,
The pink, the violet, the white and the blue,
The chatty, the catty, the boring, adoring,
The cold and official and the heart’s outpouring,
Clever, stupid, short and long,
The typed and the printed and the spelt all wrong.
(i) How has the train covered its journey upto Glasgow earlier in the context?
Answer: Earlier in the context, the train covered its journey up to Glasgow by first crossing the border and undertaking a steady climb up Beattock. Despite the challenging gradient, it remained on time. It passed through landscapes featuring cotton-grass, moorland boulders, and wind-bent grasses, while shovelling white steam and snorting noisily. It also passed farms where people slept undisturbed. After completing the climb, as dawn freshened, the train began its descent towards Glasgow.
(ii) What is the train carrying?
Answer: The train is carrying notes from overseas to Hebrides, which are essentially letters. These letters are written on paper of various colours, such as pink, violet, white, and blue. As mentioned earlier in the poem, it also carries cheques and postal orders.
(iii) What does the line ‘The chatty, the catty, the boring, adoring’, tells us about the content of the letters ?
Answer: The line ‘The chatty, the catty, the boring, adoring’ tells us that the content of the letters is extremely varied, reflecting a wide spectrum of human emotions, interactions, and intentions. The letters can be conversational and friendly (chatty), critical or spiteful (catty), dull and uninteresting (boring), or filled with admiration and love (adoring). This diversity indicates the multifaceted nature of human communication conveyed through the mail.
(iv) Which different styles and colours are used to write letters by different people ? What do they reveal about them?
Answer: Different people use various styles and colours to write letters. The letters are written on paper of every hue, including pink, violet, white, and blue. The styles of the letters also differ greatly; they can be chatty, catty, boring, adoring, cold and official, or a heartfelt outpouring. They might be clever, stupid, short, or long, and can be typed, printed, or even contain spelling errors. This variety in colours and styles reveals the diverse personalities, moods, educational backgrounds, purposes, and relationships of the individuals sending the letters.
(v) What have Glasgow’s people been doing as the train reaches its destination? What do they expect when they wake up?
Answer: As the train reaches its destination, the people of Glasgow, along with those in other cities like Edinburgh and Aberdeen, are still asleep and continuing their dreams. These dreams vary widely, from terrifying monsters to pleasant experiences such as enjoying friendly tea beside the band at Cranston’s or Crawford’s. When they wake up, they expect and will eagerly long for letters.
PASSAGE-6
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Asleep in granite Aberdeen,
They continue their dreams,
And shall wake soon and long for letters,
And none will hear the postman’s knock
Without a quickening of the heart,
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
(i) Describe the initial stage of the train’s night journey.
Answer: The initial stage of the train’s night journey involved it crossing the border while carrying items like cheques, postal orders, and letters. It then proceeded to pull up Beattock, making a steady climb. Despite the gradient being against it, the train remained on time. During this phase, it travelled past landscapes with cotton-grass and moorland boulders, shovelling white steam and snorting noisily as it moved through silent miles of wind-bent grasses.
(ii) What has it carried for the people?
Answer: The train has carried cheques, postal orders, and letters for a diverse range of people, including the rich and the poor, as well as for establishments like the shop at the corner and individuals like the girl next door. It also brought receipted bills, invitations, news, documents, and other personal items for the populace.
(iii) What have the people been dreaming of? What do they expect when they wake up ?
Answer: The people have been dreaming of a variety of things, with dreams ranging from terrifying monsters to pleasant and comforting experiences like having friendly tea beside the band at Cranston’s or Crawford’s. When they wake up, they expect and will eagerly long for letters, and they anticipate the sound of the postman’s knock with a quickening of their hearts.
(iv) Point out the two figures of speech used in the last lines.
Answer: In the last lines, one figure of speech used is a rhetorical question, which is evident in the line “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”. Another figure of speech present in the same line is alliteration, with the repetition of the ‘f’ sound in “For… feel… forgotten”.
(v) In what way does the poet emphasise ‘human connections’?
Answer: The poet emphasizes ‘human connections’ by underscoring the universal desire to be remembered by others and by portraying letters as a vital means of connecting with loved ones. He stresses that no one can endure being ignored or forgotten and that isolation is unbearable. This emphasis is demonstrated through the people’s intense longing for the letters and news brought by the Mail Train, and the way their hearts quicken at the sound of the postman’s knock. The poem powerfully concludes with the rhetorical question, “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”, which resonates with the fundamental human need for connection and remembrance.
Project Assignments
1. What is the relevance of the poem in our times of fast means of communication such as emails, social media, etc.?
Answer: Even though the practice of delivering mail by postman, as depicted in “The Night Mail,” is now mostly an extinct practice in many countries due to the prevalence of electronic mail, emails, and social media, the poem retains its relevance and appeal. The poem’s enduring appeal lies in its emphasis on the fundamental human need for connections. The final line of the poem, “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”, possesses a universal appeal that transcends time and technological advancements. This rhetorical question powerfully brings home the fact that each one of us wants to be remembered by someone else. While the methods of communication have changed, the underlying human desire for connection, for being remembered, and for not feeling isolated—themes central to the poem—remain deeply relevant in our contemporary world. The poem celebrates this intrinsic human quality, making its message timeless even in an age of instant digital communication.
2. Describe the various stages of the journey of the Night Mail.
Answer: The journey of the Night Mail, as depicted in the poem, can be described in several distinct stages:
- Crossing the Border and the Uphill Climb: The journey begins with the Night Mail crossing the border into Scotland. It carries cheques, postal orders, and letters for a diverse populace, including the rich and the poor, the shop at the corner, and the girl next door. The train then starts “Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb.” Despite the “gradient’s against her,” she remains “on time.” During this phase, she passes through landscapes of “cotton-grass and moorland boulder,” “Shovelling white steam over her shoulder,” and “Snorting noisily as she passes / Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.”
- Passing Through the Sleeping Countryside: As the train continues its journey, it moves through the quiet countryside where nature and its inhabitants react to its passage. “Birds turn their heads as she approaches, / Stare from the bushes at her blank-faced coaches.” Even “Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course; / They slumber on with paws across.” The train passes farms where “no one wakes,” though “a jug in the bedroom gently shakes,” indicating that its passage is a familiar and accepted part of the environment.
- Dawn and the Descent into the Industrial Landscape: As “Dawn freshens, the climb is done.” The train then begins its descent “Down towards Glasgow.” This marks a transition to a more industrial and less peaceful area. She heads “Towards the steam tugs yelping down the glade of cranes, / Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces / Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen.” At this point, “All Scotland waits for her,” and “Men long for news.”
- Arrival and the Anticipation of Mail: While not a stage of physical travel, the poem then focuses on the impact of the train’s arrival and the contents it carries. It details the variety of letters and messages. Simultaneously, “Thousands are still asleep” in cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen, “Dreaming of terrifying monsters, / Or of friendly tea.” They “shall wake soon and long for letters,” and the anticipation is such that “none will hear the postman’s knock / Without a quickening of the heart,” highlighting the profound human desire for connection.
3. Discuss the use of various literary devices in the poem.
Answer: W. H. Auden skilfully employs various literary devices in “The Night Mail” to enhance its imagery, rhythm, and thematic depth:
- Personification: Throughout the poem, the train is personified. It is referred to as a woman, called “she,” and is projected as a “calm, quick, steady and kind being.” The coaches are also personified when described as “blank-faced,” suggesting they are expressionless and without any will of their own, like timid followers.
- Anaphora: This device, the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of poetic lines, is used effectively, particularly in the stanza detailing the contents of the mail. For example, the repetition of “Letters” (“Letters of thanks, letters from banks / Letters of joy from the girl and the boy”) and “And” (“And applications for situations / And timid lovers’ declarations”) creates emphasis and a pattern that can imitate the movement and return of the train.
- Alliteration: Auden uses alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds in succession or in words close together. Examples include “Birds turn their heads as she approaches” (where the ‘h’ sound in “heads” and “her” or the ‘sh’ in “she approaches” creates this effect, though the provided analysis points to the ‘d’ sound, possibly in “Birds” and “heads”) and “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten ?” (with the ‘f’ sound). This adds a musical quality to the lines.
- Simile: A beautiful simile is used to describe the industrial landscape: “Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces / Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen.” This comparison, made using “like,” is used to refer to industrial planning, building, and working thoughtfully.
- Enjambment: This refers to the cutting of a line before its natural stopping point. An example is seen in the lines describing the furnaces: “Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces / Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen.” Such a technique forces the reader to move quickly from one line to the next to comprehend a phrase or sentence.
- Rhymed Couplets and Meter: The poem is structured in stanzas of rhymed couplets. Auden ensures that his meter creates a rhythm that resembles the movement of a moving train. The rhythm is steady initially, then builds up, and finally slows down. It is said that Auden used a stopwatch to match each line up correctly, contributing to this effect.
- Rhetorical Question: The poem concludes with a powerful rhetorical question: “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten ?” This device is used to bring home the fact that each one of us wants to be remembered and underlines the human need to be connected, loved, and remembered by someone in the world.
Morning Star workbook answers/solutions
Multiple Choice Questions II
1. On the arrival of the Night Mail, the birds
A. continue with their sleep
B. fly away
C. turn their heads and stare at her
D. do not look at it
Answer: C. turn their heads and stare at her
2. The Night Mail makes noise because
A. she wants to tell everyone that she is late
B. she wants to tell everyone of her arrival
C. she wants to scare everyone away
D. she wants to warn the animals sleeping on the railway tracks
Answer: B. she wants to tell everyone of her arrival
3. The poet has used the term ‘blank-faced’ to show that
A. the coaches had passengers
B. the train did not come
C. people could not see the train
D. the coaches were without passengers
Answer: D. the coaches were without passengers
4. The Night Mail shovels white steam because
A. it uses coal to get power and emits smoke
B. it passes along the banks of a stream
C. it announces its arrival
D. All of the above
Answer: A. it uses coal to get power and emits smoke
5. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below? “Snorting noisily as she passes”
A. Imagery
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
D. Irony
Answer: C. Personification
6. The journey of the Night Mail symbolises which of the following?
A. Journey of life
B. Journey of a woman
C. Journey of postal services
D. None of the above
Answer: C. Journey of postal services
7. The Night Mail passes through
A. the fields and plains
B. the grassy lands
C. the slopes
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
8. What does the Night Mail bring?
A. Letters
B. Cheques
C. Postal orders
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
9. How is the Night Mail different from other trains?
A. She is always late
B. She carries both letters and passengers
C. She makes a lot of noise
D. She does not have human passengers
Answer: D. She does not have human passengers
Context Questions and Answers
Extract 1
This is the Night Mail crossing the border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order,
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,
The shop at the corner, the girl next door
(i) Why has the poet used This in the first line of the extract? What does the poet mean by a “Night Mail”?
Answer: The poet uses This in the first line to create immediacy and direct attention to the Night Mail as if it is happening right in front of the reader. The term Night Mail refers to a train that delivers letters and parcels, traveling overnight.
(ii) According to the extract, what does the Night Mail bring and for whom?
Answer: The Night Mail brings cheques, postal orders, and letters for people of all social classes: the rich, the poor, and individuals from every part of society, including local shops and neighbors.
(iii) How is the Night Mail different from regular trains?
Answer: The Night Mail serves a specific function of delivering mail, unlike regular passenger or goods trains. Its journey is crucial for communication, crossing borders and operating at night to deliver letters and packages promptly.
(iv) The extract shows that the Night Mail does not discriminate among people. How?
Answer: The Night Mail delivers letters to all, irrespective of their social or economic status. It brings letters for both the rich and the poor, showing that it serves everyone equally.
(v) Give two examples of the use of rhymes in the extract. What role do they play in the poem?
Answer: Examples of rhyme in the extract include border/order and poor/door. The rhymes contribute to the rhythmic flow of the poem, mimicking the movement of the train and adding musicality to the description of its journey.
Extract 2
Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb
The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time.
Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder
(i) Who is the poet talking about? What is a “gradient,” and is it against whom?
Answer: The poet is talking about the Night Mail train. A gradient refers to a slope, and in this context, it is against the train, meaning the train is climbing uphill, making the journey more challenging.
(ii) What are the qualities of the Night Mail as indicated in this extract?
Answer: The Night Mail is punctual and persistent, continuing on its journey despite the challenges of climbing uphill. It is reliable, as indicated by the phrase she’s on time.
(iii) Why does the poet call the train’s “climb” as “steady”?
Answer: The poet calls the train’s climb steady to highlight the train’s perseverance and smooth, unwavering movement, despite the incline of the gradient.
(iv) What does “Shovelling white steam over her shoulder” mean?
Answer: This phrase refers to the steam being released from the engine of the train as it works hard to climb uphill, creating the image of the train “throwing” steam into the air, like a person shoveling.
(v) How has the poet used personification in this extract?
Answer: The poet personifies the train by referring to it as her and describing actions like shovelling white steam over her shoulder, attributing human qualities to the inanimate train to make its journey seem alive and energetic.
Extract 3
Dawn freshens, Her climb is done
Down towards Glasgow, she descends,
Towards the steam tugs yelping down a glade of cranes
Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces
Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen
(i) What is meant by “Her climb is done”? Where is she now headed towards?
Answer: Her climb is done means that the Night Mail has completed its uphill journey and is now descending towards Glasgow, heading towards the industrial areas filled with factories and steam tugs.
(ii) What does the repetition of the consonant ‘d’ in the first two lines of the extract indicate?
Answer: The repetition of the consonant d in Dawn and done creates a rhythmic and emphatic sound, mirroring the finality of the train’s ascent and its controlled descent towards its destination.
(iii) Which figure of speech is used in the following line? Explain its usage: Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen.
Answer: The figure of speech used here is a simile. The poet compares the industrial apparatus, such as cranes and machinery, to gigantic chess pieces on a dark plain, emphasizing their size and positioning, giving a grand and strategic image of the industrial landscape.
(iv) Explain in your own words the meaning of All Scotland waits for her?
Answer: All Scotland waits for her means that people across Scotland eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Night Mail because it brings important news and letters, connecting them to the wider world.
(v) Which theme of the poem is reflected in this extract? Explain briefly.
Answer: The theme of connection and communication is reflected in this extract. The Night Mail serves as a vital link for the people of Scotland, delivering letters and news that they rely on, uniting communities across the country.
Extract 4
Asleep in granite Aberdeen,
They continue their dreams,
But shall wake soon and hope for letters,
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”
(i) What were people doing while the Night Mail was traveling through different cities?
Answer: While the Night Mail was traveling through different cities, people were asleep, dreaming, unaware of the train’s journey but soon to wake up and look forward to receiving letters.
(ii) What sort of dreams do these people have? What are these dreams symbolic of?
Answer: The people dream of both frightening and pleasant things, symbolic of the range of emotions they experience in life, from fear to joy. These dreams represent their inner hopes and fears, mirroring the anxieties and expectations that the letters might bring.
(iii) What would happen to their heartbeat on hearing the postman’s knock? Why?
Answer: Their heartbeats would quicken upon hearing the postman’s knock because receiving a letter brings excitement and anticipation. Letters contain personal connections, news, and updates, which are eagerly awaited.
(iv) If the postman does not bring them letters, what would be the feelings of the people?
Answer: If the postman does not bring them letters, the people would feel disappointed and forgotten. The absence of mail would make them feel disconnected and lonely.
(v) Explain how the Night Mail helps to promote human relations.
Answer: The Night Mail helps to promote human relations by delivering letters that keep people connected, whether through personal messages, important news, or business communications. It fosters communication across distances, maintaining relationships and a sense of belonging.
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Good
Nice job bro 🙂
Thank you
It’s truly helpful
Thank you so much sir ji for your lovely answer of the night Mail poem I am glad you to being a student
Good
“Nice answers and in detail it helped a lot “👍🏻🤠