THE NIGHT MAIL: SUMMARY, GLOSSARY, POETIC DEVICES & QUESTION ANSWERS

THE NIGHT MAIL

By W. H Auden

Text

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.

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,

Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.

 

Birds turn their heads as she approaches,
Stare from 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 a bedroom gently shakes.

 

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.

All Scotland waits for her:
In dark glens, beside pale-green lochs,
Men long for news.

 

Letters of thanks, letters from banks,
Letters of joy from girl and boy,
Receipted bills and invitations
To inspect new stock or to visit relations,

And applications for situations,
And timid lovers’ declarations,
And gossip, gossip from all the nations,

Letters with holiday snaps to enlarge in,
Letters with faces scrawled on the margin,
Letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts,
Letters to Scotland from the South of France,

Letters of condolence to Highlands and Lowlands
Written on paper of every hue,
The pink, the violet, the white and the blue,
The chatty, the catty, the boring, the 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.

 

Thousands are still asleep,
Dreaming of terrifying monsters
Or of friendly tea beside the band in Cranston’s or Crawford’s:

Asleep in working Glasgow, asleep in well-set Edinburgh,
Asleep in granite Aberdeen,
They continue their dreams,
But shall wake soon and hope for letters,
And none will hear the postman’s knock
Without a quickening of the heart,
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?

Glossary

night mail – the train that carries letters and parcels overnight.
crossing the Border – moving from England into Scotland.
cheque – a written bank order for payment.
postal order – a printed money form bought at a post office to send money safely.

shop at the corner – a small local shop.
girl next door – an ordinary, friendly neighbour.

Beattock – a steep railway summit in southern Scotland.
steady climb – a constant upward movement.
gradient – the slope or steepness of the track.
against her – opposing her movement, making it harder to go uphill.
on time – running punctually.

cotton-grass – a white, fluffy plant growing on wet moorland.
moorland – wild, open, uncultivated land covered with grass and heather.
boulder – a large rounded rock.
shovelling white steam – throwing out puffs of steam like a person shovelling coal or snow;

snorting – making loud puffing sounds like an animal or engine.
wind-bent grasses – grasses bowed or bent by the wind.
This stanza contrasts the train’s noise with the quiet countryside.

approaches – comes near.
blank-faced coaches – train carriages with expressionless, windowless sides; suggests impersonal machinery.

turn her course – change her direction.
slumber – sleep peacefully.
paws across – front legs folded while resting.
Shows the unstoppable train moving through a sleeping world.

jug – a container for water or milk.
gently shakes – vibrates slightly from the train’s rumble.

dawn freshens – morning light brightens the air.
descends – goes downhill.
steam tugs – small steam-powered boats used to pull ships.
yelping – giving short, sharp cries (here, the sound of whistles).
glade of cranes – an open stretch filled with tall loading cranes.
apparatus – industrial machines or equipment.
furnaces – large industrial ovens for melting metals.
gigantic chessmen – metaphor for factories or machines standing like pieces on a chessboard.

glens – narrow mountain valleys.
lochs – Scottish lakes.
long for – eagerly desire or wait for.
Shows people’s anticipation for letters and news.

receipted bills – bills marked as paid.
invitations – requests to attend events.
inspect new stock – look at new goods for sale.

applications for situations – job applications (old-fashioned phrase).
timid lovers’ declarations – shy confessions of love.
circumstantial news – detailed or descriptive information.
financial news – information about business or money matters.

snaps – photographs.
to enlarge in – to develop or print larger photos later.
scrawled – roughly or quickly drawn or written.
margin – the blank edge of a page.
South of France – a warm region often visited on holiday.

condolence – sympathy offered for someone’s loss.
Highlands and Lowlands – the northern and southern regions of Scotland.
hue – colour.
chatty – friendly, talkative in tone.
catty – spiteful or gossipy.
outpouring – an intense expression of emotion.
spelt all wrong – containing spelling mistakes.
This stanza lists the variety and emotion in human correspondence.

 

terrifying monsters – frightening dreams.
Cranston’s or Crawford’s – famous tea-rooms in Scottish cities (Glasgow or Edinburgh).
Shows everyday people dreaming of fear or comfort.

working Glasgow – the industrial, laboring city.
well-set Edinburgh – refined and elegant capital city.
granite Aberdeen – city known for its grey-stone buildings.
postman’s knock – the sound of the postman delivering letters.
quickening of the heart – sudden excitement or joy.
bear – endure.
feel himself forgotten – feel ignored or unloved.
The ending expresses the universal human longing for remembrance and connection.

Stanza wise summary

Stanza 1

This is the Night Mail …………. the girl next door.

Summary

The Night Mail train travels through the night, crossing from England into Scotland. It carries money—cheques and postal orders—and letters meant for everyone, whether rich or poor. It delivers to shops, homes, and ordinary people living next door. The post unites the whole nation, touching every life.

नाइट मेल ट्रेन रात के समय चलती है, इंग्लैंड से निकलकर स्कॉटलैंड की सीमा पार करती हुई। यह धनराशियाँ — चेक और डाक मनी ऑर्डर — तथा पत्र लेकर जाती है जो अमीर और गरीब, दोनों के लिए होते हैं। यह दुकानों, घरों और पास-पड़ोस के लोगों तक डाक पहुँचाती है। डाक पूरे देश को एक सूत्र में बाँध देती है, हर जीवन को स्पर्श करती हुई।

Stanza 2

Pulling up ……………… she’s on time.

Summary
The train moves steadily uphill over Beattock Summit, a difficult slope in southern Scotland. Although the gradient is steep and resists her progress, the train continues determinedly and keeps to her schedule.

ट्रेन धीरे-धीरे दक्षिणी स्कॉटलैंड की एक कठिन चढ़ाई — बीटॉक शिखर — पर चढ़ती जाती है। यद्यपि रास्ता ऊँचा और कठिन है, जो उसकी गति को रोकने की कोशिश करता है, फिर भी ट्रेन दृढ़ता से आगे बढ़ती रहती है और अपने समय-सारणी के अनुसार चलती रहती है।

Stanza 3

Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder,

Summary
The train travels through wild moorland covered with cotton-grass and scattered rocks, sending great clouds of white steam behind her, like a labourer throwing snow or coal over the shoulder.

ट्रेन जंगली दलदली मैदानों से होकर गुजरती है, जो सफेद कपास जैसे घास (कॉटन-ग्रास) और इधर-उधर फैले पत्थरों से ढके हुए हैं। वह अपने पीछे सफेद भाप के बड़े-बड़े गुच्छे उड़ाती जाती है, मानो कोई मजदूर अपने कंधे के ऊपर से बर्फ या कोयला फेंक रहा हो।

Stanza 4

Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.

Summary
The train snorts and rumbles loudly while moving through long stretches of quiet countryside, where the grasses bend in the wind. The mechanical noise contrasts with nature’s calm silence.

ट्रेन जोर से फुफकारती और गरजती हुई शांत देहाती क्षेत्रों से गुजरती है, जहाँ हवा में घासें झुकती रहती हैं। मशीन की यह तेज़ आवाज़ प्रकृति की गहरी शांति से तीव्र विरोध उत्पन्न करती है।

Stanza 5

Birds turn their heads as she approaches,
Stare from bushes at her blank-faced coaches.

Summary
As the train nears, birds turn to watch it and stare from the bushes at its dull, expressionless carriages. The creatures of nature notice this strange, powerful visitor rushing past.

जैसे ही ट्रेन पास आती है, पक्षी मुड़कर उसकी ओर देखने लगते हैं और झाड़ियों के बीच से उसकी फीकी, भावहीन डिब्बों को निहारते हैं। प्रकृति के ये जीव इस अजीब, शक्तिशाली आगंतुक को ध्यान से देखते हैं जो तीव्र गति से उनके पास से गुज़र जाती है।

Stanza 6

Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course;
They slumber on with paws across.

Summary
The sheepdogs lying near the tracks do not wake or interfere. They keep sleeping peacefully with their paws crossed, for nothing can alter the fixed course of the mail train.

पटरी के पास लेटे हुए भेड़पालक कुत्ते न तो जागते हैं और न ही कोई हलचल करते हैं। वे अपने पंजे मोड़े हुए शांति से सोए रहते हैं, क्योंकि नाइट मेल ट्रेन के निश्चित मार्ग को कोई भी बदल नहीं सकता।

Stanza 7

In the farm she passes no one wakes,
But a jug in a bedroom gently shakes.

Paraphrase:
The train passes a farmhouse where everyone is asleep. Only a water jug trembles slightly from the vibration of the wheels. The power of the train disturbs objects but not people’s rest.

ट्रेन एक किसान के घर के पास से गुजरती है, जहाँ सब लोग गहरी नींद में सोए होते हैं। केवल कमरे में रखा एक पानी का घड़ा पहियों के कंपन से हल्का-सा हिल जाता है। ट्रेन की शक्ति वस्तुओं को तो हिला देती है, लेकिन लोगों की नींद को नहीं तोड़ पाती।

 Stanza 8

Dawn freshens, ……………….. like gigantic chessmen.

Summary
As dawn brightens, the train finishes climbing and begins descending toward Glasgow. She moves toward the busy docks where steam-tugs whistle among tall cranes, and through the industrial fields filled with machinery and furnaces, which look like giant chess pieces on the dark land.

जैसे ही सुबह होती है, ट्रेन अपनी चढ़ाई पूरी कर लेती है और ग्लासगो की ओर उतरना शुरू करती है। वह व्यस्त बंदरगाहों की ओर बढ़ती है, जहाँ भाप के जहाज़ ऊँचे क्रेनों के बीच सीटी बजा रहे हैं, और औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों से होकर गुजरती है जो मशीनों और भट्ठियों से भरे हुए हैं — जो अंधेरी ज़मीन पर विशाल शतरंज की गोटियों की तरह दिखाई देते हैं।

Stanza 9

All Scotland waits ………………. long for news.

Summary
People throughout Scotland—living in remote valleys and by green lakes—are waiting eagerly for her arrival, hoping to receive news and letters from loved ones far away.

पूरे स्कॉटलैंड में — दूरस्थ घाटियों और हरे झीलों के किनारे रहने वाले लोग — उसकी प्रतीक्षा बड़ी उत्सुकता से कर रहे हैं, इस आशा में कि उन्हें अपने प्रियजनों से समाचार और पत्र प्राप्त होंगे।

Stanza 10

Letters of thanks, ………………… to visit relations,

Summary
The train carries every kind of letter: messages of gratitude, letters from banks, joyful notes from children, receipts for paid bills, and invitations to see new goods or visit relatives. It brings the business and happiness of everyday life. ट्रेन हर प्रकार के पत्र लेकर चलती है — धन्यवाद के संदेश, बैंकों के पत्र, बच्चों के हर्षभरे नोट, चुकाए गए बिलों की रसीदें, और नए सामान देखने या रिश्तेदारों से मिलने के निमंत्रण पत्र। यह रोज़मर्रा के जीवन के व्यापार और खुशियाँ दोनों अपने साथ लाती है।

Stanza 11

And applications for situations,
……………………….. circumstantial, news financial,

Summary
It also carries job applications, shy love letters, gossip from all over the world, and detailed or financial news. Every form of communication—personal or professional—travels in its coaches.

यह नौकरी के आवेदन पत्र, झिझक भरे प्रेमपत्र, दुनिया भर की गपशप, और विस्तृत या आर्थिक समाचार भी लेकर चलती है। व्यक्तिगत हों या व्यावसायिक — हर प्रकार के संदेश उसके डिब्बों में यात्रा करते हैं।

Stanza 12

Letters with holiday …………………from the South of France,

Summary
Some letters contain holiday photographs waiting to be developed; some have sketches of faces drawn in the margins. There are affectionate letters from relatives and messages sent from people vacationing in the sunny South of France to their families in Scotland.

कुछ पत्रों में छुट्टियों की तस्वीरें होती हैं जिन्हें विकसित किया जाना बाकी है; कुछ के किनारों पर चेहरों के रेखाचित्र बनाए गए हैं। कुछ स्नेहपूर्ण पत्र रिश्तेदारों के होते हैं, और कुछ धूप से भरे फ्रांस के दक्षिणी भाग में छुट्टियाँ मना रहे लोगों द्वारा अपने परिवारों को स्कॉटलैंड भेजे गए संदेश होते हैं।

Stanza 13

Letters of condolence ……………….. the spelt all wrong.

Summary
The mail includes sympathy letters sent to all parts of Scotland—Highlands and Lowlands—written on many colours of paper: pink, violet, white, blue. Some are friendly, some spiteful, some dull, some full of love; some formal, others deeply emotional; some intelligent, some foolish; some neatly typed, others full of spelling mistakes. Every mood and variety of human expression is represented.

डाक में पूरे स्कॉटलैंड — ऊँचे पहाड़ी क्षेत्रों (हाइलैंड्स) और निचले मैदानी इलाकों (लोवलैंड्स) — को भेजे गए सहानुभूति-पत्र भी शामिल हैं, जो अलग-अलग रंगों के कागज़ों पर लिखे गए हैं: गुलाबी, बैंगनी, सफेद और नीले। कुछ पत्र मित्रतापूर्ण हैं, कुछ कटु, कुछ नीरस तो कुछ प्रेम से भरे हुए; कुछ औपचारिक हैं तो कुछ अत्यंत भावनात्मक; कुछ बुद्धिमानी से लिखे गए हैं तो कुछ मूर्खतापूर्ण; कुछ साफ-सुथरे टाइप किए गए हैं तो कुछ में वर्तनी की गलतियाँ भरी हैं। इन सबमें मानव भावनाओं और अभिव्यक्तियों के हर रूप का प्रतिनिधित्व मिलता है।

Stanza 14

Thousands are still asleep,
…………………… in Cranston’s or Crawford’s:

Summary
While the train races through the early morning, thousands of people are still asleep, dreaming—some having nightmares, others imagining peaceful scenes like enjoying tea and music in the famous tearooms of Cranston’s or Crawford’s in Scottish cities.

जब ट्रेन सुबह-सुबह तेज़ी से दौड़ रही होती है, तब हज़ारों लोग अब भी सोए रहते हैं — कोई डरावने सपने देख रहा होता है, तो कोई सुखद दृश्य, जैसे स्कॉटलैंड के प्रसिद्ध टीरूम क्रैन्स्टन या क्रॉफ़र्ड में संगीत सुनते हुए आराम से चाय का आनंद ले रहा हो।

 

Stanza 15

Asleep in working Glasgow, …………………feel himself forgotten?

Summary
People sleep on in the industrial city of Glasgow, the elegant capital Edinburgh, and the grey-stoned city of Aberdeen. They keep dreaming, but soon they will wake up expecting the morning mail. Every person’s heart beats faster when the postman knocks, for no one can stand the pain of feeling forgotten.
The poem ends with a moving truth: communication keeps human love and hope alive.

लोग औद्योगिक शहर ग्लासगो, सुंदर राजधानी एडिनबरा, और धूसर पत्थरों वाले शहर एबर्डीन में अब भी सोए रहते हैं। वे सपने देखते रहते हैं, लेकिन शीघ्र ही जाग उठेंगे — सुबह की डाक की प्रतीक्षा में। जब डाकिया दरवाज़े पर दस्तक देता है, तो हर व्यक्ति का हृदय तेज़ी से धड़क उठता है, क्योंकि कोई भी यह महसूस करने का दर्द नहीं सह सकता कि उसे भुला दिया गया है।
कविता एक गहरे और मार्मिक सत्य के साथ समाप्त होती है — संपर्क और संवाद ही मानव प्रेम और आशा को जीवित रखते हैं।

Q.1. MCQS

Answers)

1.    What is the title of the poem?
A) The Night Train
B) The Night Mail
C) The Border Mail
D) The Post Train
Ans: B) The Night Mail

2.    Who is the poet of the poem?
A) Robert Frost
B) T. S. Eliot
C) W. H. Auden
D) Ted Hughes
Ans: C) W. H. Auden

3.    What does the Night Mail carry?
A) Only parcels
B) Only passengers
C) Cheques, postal orders, and letters
D) Newspapers only
Ans: C) Cheques, postal orders, and letters

4.    From where to where does the train travel?
A) England to Scotland
B) Scotland to England
C) London to Paris
D) Wales to Scotland
Ans: A) England to Scotland

5.    Who receives letters from the Night Mail?
A) Only rich people
B) Only government officers
C) Both rich and poor
D) Only farmers
Ans: C) Both rich and poor

6.    What is meant by “crossing the Border”?
A) Passing over a bridge
B) Entering Scotland from England
C) Leaving a city
D) Crossing a river
Ans: B) Entering Scotland from England

7.    What unites the nation in the poem?
A) Trains
B) Roads
C) The Post
D) Electricity
Ans: C) The Post

8.    Where is the Beattock Summit located?
A) Northern Ireland
B) Southern Scotland
C) Northern England
D) Wales
Ans: B) Southern Scotland

9.    What difficulty does the train face at Beattock?
A) Heavy rain
B) A steep gradient
C) Broken tracks
D) Thick fog
Ans: B) A steep gradient

10. Despite the slope, how does the train move?
A) Slowly and late
B) With determination and on time
C) Stops frequently
D) Moves backward
Ans: B) With determination and on time

11. What kind of landscape does the train pass?
A) City streets
B) Moorland covered with cotton-grass
C) Forest and desert
D) River banks
Ans: B) Moorland covered with cotton-grass

12. What is the train compared to in its effort?
A) A wild beast
B) A labourer throwing snow or coal
C) A fast bird
D) A horse
Ans: B) A labourer throwing snow or coal

13. What does “shovelling white steam over her shoulder” suggest?
A) Train is smoking
B) The train is hard at work
C) The train is resting
D) The engine is off
Ans: B) The train is hard at work

14. How does the train sound while moving through the countryside?
A) Soft and musical
B) Snorting and noisy
C) Silent
D) Melodious
Ans: B) Snorting and noisy

15. What contrasts with the train’s noise?
A) City life
B) Silence of nature
C) Shouts of people
D) Factory sounds
Ans: B) Silence of nature

16. What happens to grasses as the train passes?
A) They burn
B) They bend in the wind
C) They wither
D) They grow taller
Ans: B) They bend in the wind

17. How do birds react when the train approaches?
A) They fly away
B) They sing loudly
C) They turn their heads and stare
D) They attack the train
Ans: C) They turn their heads and stare

18. Where do the birds watch from?
A) Trees
B) Skies
C) Bushes
D) Lakes
Ans: C) Bushes

19. What do the train’s carriages look like to the birds?
A) Bright and colourful
B) Blank-faced and expressionless
C) Shiny and golden
D) Red and blue
Ans: B) Blank-faced and expressionless

20. What do the sheepdogs do as the train passes?
A) Bark loudly
B) Run beside it
C) Sleep peacefully
D) Chase sheep
Ans: C) Sleep peacefully

21. What do the sheepdogs’ actions symbolize?
A) Fear of noise
B) The train’s unstoppable power
C) Laziness
D) Hunger
Ans: B) The train’s unstoppable power

22. What happens in the farmhouse as the train passes?
A) Everyone wakes up
B) The farmer shouts
C) No one wakes up
D) The animals run
Ans: C) No one wakes up

23. What slightly shakes in the farmhouse?
A) A table
B) A jug
C) A clock
D) A window
Ans: B) A jug

24. What causes the jug to shake?
A) Wind
B) The vibration of the train
C) Earthquake
D) Water waves
Ans: B) The vibration of the train

25. What time of day begins as the train descends?
A) Midnight
B) Dawn
C) Afternoon
D) Evening
Ans: B) Dawn

26. To which city does the train descend?
A) London
B) Glasgow
C) Edinburgh
D) Aberdeen
Ans: B) Glasgow

27. What is heard among the cranes near Glasgow?
A) Steam tugs yelping
B) Birds chirping
C) Whistles of people
D) Bells ringing
Ans: A) Steam tugs yelping

28. What do the furnaces look like?
A) Small toys
B) Gigantic chessmen
C) Burning trees
D) Bright candles
Ans: B) Gigantic chessmen

29. What does the poet mean by “All Scotland waits for her”?
A) The country needs the letters she brings
B) Everyone fears the train
C) The train brings passengers
D) The train carries soldiers
Ans: A) The country needs the letters she brings

30. Where are men waiting for news?
A) In dark glens and near green lochs
B) In the capital
C) On the bridge
D) In the city square
Ans: A) In dark glens and near green lochs

31. What type of letters does the train carry?
A) Only personal letters
B) All types of letters
C) Only business letters
D) Only official ones
Ans: B) All types of letters

32. Which letters show gratitude?
A) Receipted bills
B) Letters of thanks
C) Letters of condolence
D) Job applications
Ans: B) Letters of thanks

33. What kind of letters do children write?
A) Joyful letters
B) Sad letters
C) Complaint letters
D) Angry letters
Ans: A) Joyful letters

34. What do “receipted bills” mean?
A) Bills yet to pay
B) Paid bills with receipts
C) Cheques to sign
D) Overdue bills
Ans: B) Paid bills with receipts

35. What kind of invitations are sent?
A) To inspect new stock or visit relatives
B) To attend parties
C) To weddings
D) To official meetings
Ans: A) To inspect new stock or visit relatives

36. What do “applications for situations” refer to?
A) Weather reports
B) Job applications
C) School exams
D) Marriage proposals
Ans: B) Job applications

37. What do “timid lovers’ declarations” mean?
A) Angry letters
B) Love letters written shyly
C) Business offers
D) Political appeals
Ans: B) Love letters written shyly

38. What do “news circumstantial” and “news financial” represent?
A) General and business news
B) Religious news
C) Sports news
D) Gossip
Ans: A) General and business news

39. What do “holiday snaps” mean?
A) Newspapers
B) Vacation photographs
C) Snacks during travel
D) Souvenirs
Ans: B) Vacation photographs

40. What do “faces scrawled on the margin” suggest?
A) Children’s drawings
B) Rough sketches on letters
C) Ink stains
D) Signatures
Ans: B) Rough sketches on letters

41. Where do some letters come from?
A) The South of France
B) Italy
C) Spain
D) Germany
Ans: A) The South of France

42. To whom are condolence letters sent?
A) Families in Highlands and Lowlands
B) Kings and queens
C) Soldiers abroad
D) Foreigners
Ans: A) Families in Highlands and Lowlands

43. On what kinds of paper are letters written?
A) Only white
B) Pink, violet, white, and blue
C) Red and yellow
D) Brown and grey
Ans: B) Pink, violet, white, and blue

44. What do “the chatty, the catty” letters show?
A) Different tones of communication
B) Only jokes
C) Official language
D) Long letters
Ans: A) Different tones of communication

45. What does “the boring, the adoring” imply?
A) Some dull, some loving letters
B) Business documents
C) Political messages
D) Financial records
Ans: A) Some dull, some loving letters

46. What does “typed and the printed” refer to?
A) Modern forms of letters
B) Telephone messages
C) Handwritten notes
D) Telegrams
Ans: A) Modern forms of letters

47. What does “spelt all wrong” indicate?
A) Printing errors
B) Poor spelling in handwritten letters
C) Grammar correction
D) Lost letters
Ans: B) Poor spelling in handwritten letters

48. When the train travels, what are thousands of people doing?
A) Working
B) Sleeping
C) Eating
D) Reading
Ans: B) Sleeping

49. What kind of dreams do people have?
A) Of monsters or of peaceful tea time
B) Of trains
C) Of letters
D) Of war
Ans: A) Of monsters or of peaceful tea time

50. What are Cranston’s and Crawford’s?
A) Famous tearooms in Scotland
B) Post offices
C) Hotels
D) Train stations
Ans: A) Famous tearooms in Scotland

51. Where are people asleep according to the poem?
A) Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen
B) London and Paris
C) Dublin and Belfast
D) Wales and Cornwall
Ans: A) Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen

52. How is Glasgow described?
A) Industrial city
B) Mountain town
C) Seaside village
D) Farming area
Ans: A) Industrial city

53. How is Edinburgh described?
A) Well-set and elegant
B) Poor and dull
C) Cold and empty
D) Industrial
Ans: A) Well-set and elegant

54. How is Aberdeen described?
A) Granite city
B) Capital city
C) Fishing town
D) Forest town
Ans: A) Granite city

55. What are people doing while asleep?
A) Dreaming
B) Working
C) Reading
D) Writing letters
Ans: A) Dreaming

56. Why will people soon wake up?
A) To go to work
B) To receive the morning mail
C) Because of noise
D) Because of light
Ans: B) To receive the morning mail

57. How do people feel when the postman knocks?
A) Indifferent
B) Excited and hopeful
C) Angry
D) Nervous
Ans: B) Excited and hopeful

58. What does the poet say no one can bear?
A) Hunger
B) Feeling forgotten
C) Losing money
D) Being scolded
Ans: B) Feeling forgotten

59. What message does the poem end with?
A) Communication keeps love and hope alive
B) Money is important
C) Sleep is peaceful
D) Nature is beautiful
Ans: A) Communication keeps love and hope alive

60. What is the main theme of “The Night Mail”?
A) Importance of communication and connection among people
B) Journey of a passenger train
C) Modern industrial growth
D) Dangers of speed
Ans: A) Importance of communication and connection among people

Q.2. One-Mark Questions

1.    Where is the Night Mail train going?
The Night Mail train is crossing from England into Scotland.

2.    What does the Night Mail carry?
It carries cheques, postal orders, and letters for everyone.

3.    Who receives the letters sent by the Night Mail?
Both the rich and the poor receive its letters.

4.    What does the Night Mail deliver to the shop at the corner and the girl next door?
It delivers letters and postal orders.

5.    What does the train symbolize in the poem?
It symbolizes connection and unity among people.

6.    What is Beattock?
Beattock is a summit in southern Scotland.

7.    What kind of climb is Beattock?
It is a steady but difficult climb.

8.    Does the train reach Beattock on time?
Yes, it reaches on time despite the gradient.

9.    What natural features does the train pass?
It passes cotton-grass and moorland boulders.

10. What does the train throw behind her?
She throws white steam over her shoulder.

11. What is the steam compared to?
It is compared to a labourer shovelling snow or coal.

12. How does the train move through the countryside?
It snorts noisily while passing through the silent fields.

13. What bends in the wind as the train passes?
The long grasses bend in the wind.

14. How do birds react when the train approaches?
They turn their heads and stare from the bushes.

15. How are the train’s coaches described?
They are described as blank-faced and expressionless.

16. What do the sheepdogs do as the train passes?
They remain asleep with their paws crossed.

17. Why can’t the sheepdogs turn the train’s course?
Because the train’s route is fixed and unstoppable.

18. What happens in the farmhouse as the train passes?
No one wakes up; only a jug shakes slightly.

19. What causes the jug to shake?
The vibration of the train’s wheels causes it.

20. What time of day begins as the train finishes its climb?
Dawn begins as the climb is done.

21. Which city does the train move toward after Beattock?
It moves toward Glasgow.

22. What sounds are heard near Glasgow’s docks?
Steam tugs are heard yelping among cranes.

23. What fills the industrial fields near Glasgow?
Machinery and furnaces fill the fields.

24. What do the furnaces look like in the dark?
They look like gigantic chessmen on the plain.

25. Who is waiting for the Night Mail?
All Scotland is waiting for her.

26. Where do men long for news?
In dark glens and beside pale-green lochs.

27. What emotions fill people waiting for letters?
They are filled with eagerness and hope.

28. What kinds of letters does the train carry?
It carries letters of thanks, banks, joy, and invitations.

29. What do “receipted bills” mean?
They are bills that have already been paid.

30. What are invitations for in the poem?
To inspect new stock or visit relatives.

31. What are “applications for situations”?
They are job applications.

32. What are “timid lovers’ declarations”?
They are shy love letters.

33. What kinds of news are mentioned in the poem?
Circumstantial and financial news.

34. What does “gossip from all the nations” refer to?
It means personal or social talk shared through letters.

35. What are “holiday snaps” in the poem?
They are photographs taken during vacations.

36. What are “faces scrawled on the margin”?
They are sketches drawn on the sides of letters.

37. From where do some letters come to Scotland?
From the South of France.

38. What type of letters are sent to Highlands and Lowlands?
Letters of condolence are sent there.

39. On what colours of paper are letters written?
On pink, violet, white, and blue paper.

40. What do the different colours of paper show?
They show the variety of human emotions.

41. What kinds of letters are mentioned?
Chatty, catty, boring, adoring, and official letters.

42. What does “typed and printed” refer to?
To letters produced by machines instead of handwriting.

43. What does “spelt all wrong” mean?
It means some letters contain spelling mistakes.

44. What are people doing while the train travels?
They are asleep in various cities of Scotland.

45. What do people dream about?
They dream of monsters or pleasant tea-time scenes.

46. What are Cranston’s and Crawford’s?
They are famous tearooms in Scottish cities.

47. What do the sleeping people in Glasgow represent?
They represent the working class still at rest.

48. How is Edinburgh described in the poem?
It is described as well-set and elegant.

49. How is Aberdeen described?
It is called the granite city.

50. What connects all these sleeping cities?
The arrival of the morning mail.

51. What will people do when they wake up?
They will hope for letters in the morning.

52. How do people feel when the postman knocks?
Their hearts quicken with excitement.

53. What does the knock of the postman symbolize?
It symbolizes human hope and connection.

54. Why can’t people bear to feel forgotten?
Because everyone longs for love and remembrance.

55. What is the central theme of the poem?
The importance of communication in human life.

56. What emotion does the poem end with?
It ends with warmth, hope, and emotional connection.

57. How does Auden personify the train?
He gives it human traits like effort and determination.

58. What poetic device is used in “shovelling white steam”?
It is a metaphor.

59. What tone runs through the poem?
A tone of admiration and affection for the train.

60. What is the final message of “The Night Mail”?
Communication keeps human love and hope alive forever.

Q. 3. Reference To Context

Extract 1:
“This is the Night Mail crossing the Border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order.”

1.    What is the Night Mail?
It is a train that carries mail from England to Scotland.

2.    What does the word “Border” refer to?
It refers to the boundary between England and Scotland.

3.    What does the Night Mail bring?
It brings cheques and postal orders.

4.    Who wrote this poem?
The poem was written by W. H. Auden.

5.    What is the tone of these lines?
The tone is energetic and purposeful.

6.    What does this train symbolize?
It symbolizes connection and communication among people.

Extract 2:
“Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb:
The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time.”

1.    What is Beattock?
It is a summit in southern Scotland.

2.    What does “gradient’s against her” mean?
It means the train is moving uphill.

3.    Who is referred to as “her”?
The train is personified as “her.”

4.    What quality of the train is shown here?
Her punctuality and determination.

5.    What poetic device is used in “she’s on time”?
Personification.

6.    What feeling does the poet express here?
Admiration for the train’s power and reliability.

Extract 3:
“Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder,
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder.”

1.    What is cotton-grass?
A plant found in moorlands.

2.    What is the train doing here?
It is moving fast through the moorland.

3.    What does “shovelling white steam” compare to?
It compares the steam to snow being shoveled.

4.    What poetic device is used here?
Metaphor.

5.    What image does this create?
A vivid image of motion and energy.

6.    What does “over her shoulder” signify?
It signifies the steam trailing behind the train.

Extract 4:
“Birds turn their heads as she passes,
Stare from the bushes at her blank-faced coaches.”

1.    Who is “she”?
The Night Mail train.

2.    What do the birds do?
They turn and stare at the passing train.

3.    What does “blank-faced coaches” mean?
It means the carriages look expressionless and silent.

4.    What poetic device is used in “blank-faced”?
Personification.

5.    What atmosphere is created here?
Stillness disturbed by the passing train.

6.    What contrast do these lines show?
The contrast between motion and stillness.

Extract 5:
“Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course;
They sleep on with paws across.”

1.    What are the sheepdogs doing?
They are sleeping peacefully.

2.    What does “cannot turn her course” mean?
The dogs can’t stop or change the train’s direction.

3.    What poetic device is used here?
Personification of the train as “her.”

4.    What mood is shown in these lines?
Calmness and inevitability.

5.    What does it tell about the train?
It moves with unstoppable power.

6.    What contrast is visible here?
The still dogs vs. the moving train.

Extract 6:
“In the farm she passes no one wakes,
But a jug in the bedroom gently shakes.”

1.    What happens when the train passes the farm?
No one wakes up.

2.    What shakes in the bedroom?
A jug.

3.    Why does the jug shake?
Because of the vibration caused by the train.

4.    What poetic device is used here?
Imagery.

5.    What does this scene show?
The quiet countryside affected by the train’s movement.

6.    What emotion is conveyed?
Peace and subtle motion.

Extract 7:
“Dawn freshens, the climb is done,
Down towards Glasgow she descends.”

1.    What time of day is it?
It is early morning.

2.    What does “climb is done” mean?
The train has finished climbing the hill.

3.    Where is the train heading now?
Towards Glasgow.

4.    What does “freshens” suggest?
It suggests newness and renewal.

5.    What is the tone here?
Hopeful and calm.

6.    What mood is created?
A sense of relief and progress.

Extract 8:
“All Scotland waits for her:
In the dark glens, beside the pale-green lochs.”

1.    Who is “her”?
The Night Mail train.

2.    What does all Scotland wait for?
The mail she brings.

3.    What are glens and lochs?
Glens are valleys; lochs are lakes.

4.    What does this image show?
People across all regions await letters.

5.    What feeling is expressed?
Expectation and hope.

6.    What poetic device is used?
Imagery.

Extract 9:
“Letters of thanks, letters from banks,
Letters of joy from girl and boy.”

1.    What kinds of letters are mentioned?
Thank-you, bank, and joyful letters.

2.    Who sends them?
Girls and boys, among others.

3.    What poetic device is used here?
Rhyme.

4.    What do these letters symbolize?
Human emotion and connection.

5.    What mood do they create?
Happiness and warmth.

6.    What is the effect of repetition?
It emphasizes variety in human communication.

Extract 10:
“Applications for situations,
And timid lovers’ declarations.”

1.    What is meant by “applications for situations”?
Job applications.

2.    What are “timid lovers’ declarations”?
Shy love letters.

3.    What do these lines show?
Different human emotions and needs.

4.    What poetic device is used?
Alliteration and rhyme.

5.    What tone is conveyed?
Gentle and human.

6.    What is the theme reflected here?
Diversity of human experiences.

Extract 11:
“From the South of France the latest story,
The gossip from all the nations.”

1.    Where do some letters come from?
From the South of France.

2.    What do they contain?
Stories and gossip.

3.    What is the poet showing here?
The global reach of communication.

4.    What poetic device is used?
Alliteration in “from France.”

5.    What feeling is conveyed?
Curiosity and interest.

6.    What is the central idea?
Exchange of information across borders.

Extract 12:
“Letters of condolence to Highlands and Lowlands,
Written on paper of every hue.”

1.    What are “letters of condolence”?
Letters expressing sympathy.

2.    What regions are mentioned?
Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland.

3.    What does “every hue” mean?
Different colours.

4.    What is symbolized by the variety of colours?
Different human emotions.

5.    What tone is created?
Solemn yet universal.

6.    What theme does it highlight?
Shared human sorrow and empathy.

Extract 13:
“Sleepers are sleeping in Glasgow,
Edinburgh, Aberdeen.”

1.    What are people doing in these cities?
They are sleeping.

2.    Which cities are mentioned?
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen.

3.    What does this line show?
The peacefulness of night in cities.

4.    What is the train doing meanwhile?
It continues its journey.

5.    What contrast is presented?
Human rest vs. mechanical motion.

6.    What poetic device is used?
Repetition and imagery.

Extract 14:
“They will wake soon and hope for letters,
And none will hear the postman’s knock
Without a quickening of the heart.”

1.    What will people hope for?
Letters from loved ones.

2.    Who is the postman?
The person delivering the mail.

3.    What happens when he knocks?
People’s hearts beat faster.

4.    Why do they feel that way?
Because they long to be remembered.

5.    What theme is expressed?
Human need for connection.

6.    What emotion dominates these lines?
Hope and affection.

Extract 15:
“For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”

1.    What does this question express?
The pain of loneliness and neglect.

2.    What emotion is highlighted?
Human longing for remembrance.

3.    What poetic device is used?
Rhetorical question.

4.    What is the tone of this line?
Emotional and reflective.

5.    What truth does the poet reveal?
That communication keeps love alive.

6.    What is the poem’s final message?
No one can live happily without being remembered.

Q. 4 Tow-Mark Questions

1.    How does W. H. Auden describe the journey of the Night Mail in the opening stanza?

The poet describes the Night Mail as a hardworking, punctual train crossing the border from England into Scotland, carrying letters, postal orders, and cheques for both the rich and the poor, symbolizing unity and national connection through communication.

2.    What difficulties does the Night Mail face while climbing Beattock Summit?

The Night Mail faces a steep uphill gradient at Beattock Summit in southern Scotland, which makes her climb difficult, but she overcomes the resistance with determination and continues to run on time, reflecting the strength, discipline, and reliability of the postal service.

3.    How does the poet use personification for the train in the poem?

Auden personifies the train as “she,” attributing to it human qualities like determination, reliability, and energy. The train is depicted as a living being that works tirelessly through night and terrain to deliver letters and unite people emotionally across the nation.

4.    What natural scenery does the train pass through on its way?

The train travels through wild moorlands covered with cotton-grass and boulders, with wind-bent grasses and silent countryside. Auden paints a vivid picture of nature’s stillness disturbed only by the train’s powerful motion and clouds of white steam rising behind her.

5.    How do the birds and animals react to the passing train?

When the train approaches, birds turn their heads curiously and stare from bushes at its blank-faced coaches, while sheepdogs remain asleep with paws crossed, showing nature’s calm acceptance and the train’s unstoppable progress through the silent countryside.

6.    What happens at the farmhouse as the train passes by?

As the train passes the farmhouse, everyone remains asleep, and only a jug in the bedroom gently shakes from the vibration of the wheels. This image shows the immense yet gentle power of the train as it moves without disturbing human peace.

7.    How does the imagery of dawn change the mood of the poem?

When dawn freshens and the climb is done, the train descends toward Glasgow, bringing a new tone of relief and renewal. The brightening light contrasts with the night’s struggle, symbolizing hope, progress, and the approach of human activity.

8.    How is industrial Scotland depicted in the poem?

Auden describes Scotland as filled with steam-tugs, cranes, furnaces, and machinery standing like gigantic chessmen on the dark plains. This imagery shows Scotland’s industrial strength and readiness to receive the mail that connects its people and industries.

9.    What emotions do people in Scotland feel while waiting for the train?

People in glens and near lochs wait eagerly for letters bringing news, joy, or comfort. Their anticipation reflects human hope, dependence on communication, and emotional connection maintained through the arrival of the Night Mail.

10. What variety of letters does the Night Mail carry?

The Night Mail carries every type of letter—thank-you notes, bank letters, invitations, job applications, love declarations, gossip, and financial news—showing the vast range of human relationships, needs, and emotions linked through the postal network.

11. How does the poet portray human diversity through the mail?

Auden shows human diversity in the letters—some are cheerful, others sorrowful, some formal, others emotional, written on pink, blue, or white paper. They represent the complexity of human feelings and communication across social and emotional boundaries.

12. What does the line “Letters with faces scrawled on the margin” suggest?

It suggests personal, emotional touches added by the senders, such as doodles or drawings, showing affection and individuality. These small details make the letters more intimate and human, contrasting with impersonal printed communication.

13. What contrast does Auden draw between the sleeping cities and the moving train?

While the people of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen sleep peacefully, the train moves tirelessly through the night. This contrast highlights the dedication of the postal system and symbolizes continuous effort while the world rests.

14. Why does the postman’s knock cause excitement in people?

When the postman knocks, every heart quickens with hope, as people long for news or affection from loved ones. It reflects the deep emotional importance of communication and the universal human desire to be remembered.

15. Explain the significance of the line “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”

This line expresses the poem’s emotional core—the universal fear of being ignored or unloved. Auden concludes that communication through letters keeps human affection, hope, and social connection alive, making people feel remembered and valued.

Q. 5 Three Mark Questions

1.    How does W. H. Auden present the Night Mail as a symbol of unity and communication?

Auden presents the Night Mail as a great uniting force that connects people of all classes across England and Scotland. It carries letters for the rich and the poor, for shopkeepers and ordinary citizens alike. The train symbolizes efficiency, dedication, and emotional connection, as it brings news, love, hope, and comfort to countless people. Through it, the poet celebrates human communication that binds a nation together emotionally and socially.

2.    Describe the imagery used by Auden to portray the train’s journey through nature.

Auden uses vivid imagery to depict the Night Mail moving through moorlands, cotton-grass, and wind-bent fields. The white steam trailing “over her shoulder” creates a picture of dynamic movement. Birds turn their heads and bushes stir as she passes, contrasting her mechanical energy with nature’s silence. This imagery brings the landscape alive, showing both beauty and power. The poet’s skill lies in blending industrial energy with natural tranquility in a harmonious scene.

3.    Explain how personification enhances the description of the train.

The poet personifies the train as “she,” giving it human qualities of determination, strength, and punctuality. This humanized portrayal helps readers emotionally connect with the machine. By treating the train as a tireless worker facing challenges yet staying on time, Auden makes her a living symbol of commitment and service. The train thus becomes a heroic figure that unites distant places and hearts, emphasizing reliability and the triumph of human progress over obstacles.

4.    What is the significance of the Beattock climb in the poem?

The Beattock climb represents struggle and endurance. As the train moves uphill against the gradient but still remains on time, it mirrors human perseverance in the face of challenges. This section celebrates discipline, willpower, and reliability—qualities essential to both machines and humans. The Beattock climb also introduces rhythm and tension to the poem, reflecting the physical and metaphorical journey from hardship to achievement, ending with the triumphant descent toward Glasgow.

5.    How does Auden contrast the stillness of nature with the energy of the train?

Auden beautifully contrasts the quiet countryside with the noisy, energetic train. The wind-bent grasses, sleeping dogs, and resting farmers reflect calmness, while the train snorts, hisses, and rumbles with power. This contrast highlights human technology’s intrusion into peaceful nature, yet it’s not destructive—it’s purposeful and rhythmic. Through this juxtaposition, the poet shows harmony between human effort and the natural world, emphasizing progress balanced with peace.

6.    Discuss the role of dawn in the poem and how it changes the mood.

Ans. Dawn in the poem marks the transition from effort to fulfillment. After the train completes its climb, “dawn freshens” and it descends toward Glasgow, symbolizing renewal and success after struggle. The light brings warmth, hope, and relief, contrasting the dark, tense night journey. It also signals awakening—not only of the land and cities—but of communication, life, and connection, as people prepare to receive their awaited letters. The mood becomes optimistic and bright.

7.    How does the poet depict Scotland and its people in the poem?

Ans. Auden portrays Scotland as a land full of natural beauty—glens, lochs, and hills—alongside industrial power with furnaces and cranes. He shows the Scots as hopeful and emotionally rich, waiting for news from distant loved ones. All Scotland, from its cities to remote valleys, eagerly awaits the train’s arrival. Through this, Auden emphasizes unity and the emotional bonds linking rural and urban life, showing how communication keeps human warmth alive in every corner.

8.    What kinds of letters does the Night Mail carry, and what do they represent?

Ans. The Night Mail carries all types of letters—joyful, sorrowful, business, personal, official, and intimate. There are bank notices, love letters, invitations, condolences, and gossip. These letters represent the full range of human emotions and relationships. They are symbols of hope, connection, and communication that unite individuals and families. Through this diversity, Auden shows how written correspondence sustains society’s emotional fabric and reflects the rhythm of human life.

9.    How does Auden connect the mechanical and emotional worlds in the poem?

Ans. Auden skillfully blends mechanical rhythm with human feeling. The train’s steady movement mirrors a heartbeat, symbolizing the lifeblood of human connection. Its journey through silent landscapes reflects both progress and compassion. Though a machine, the Night Mail carries people’s deepest emotions—love, hope, sorrow, and memory. By uniting mechanical motion with emotional significance, Auden celebrates technology as a servant of humanity, transforming cold machinery into a symbol of warmth and connection.

10. Explain the meaning and significance of the final line, “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”

Ans. This line captures the emotional essence of the poem. It expresses the universal human need to be remembered, loved, and connected. The poet suggests that communication through letters preserves relationships and emotional bonds. No one can endure isolation or neglect; receiving mail reassures people that they matter. This concluding thought transforms the Night Mail from a mere train into a symbol of enduring human affection and shared hope.

6. Poetic Devices

STANZA 1

Lines:
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.

Poetic DevicesS

1.    Alliteration – Bringing the cheque, postal order, letters for the rich, letters for the poor – repetition of consonant sounds creates rhythm.

2.    Anaphora – repetition of “letters for…” emphasizes equality of recipients.

3.    Personification – the night mail acts like a living being with purpose and energy.

4.    Rhyme – Border/order, poor/door (rhyming couplets create musical movement).

5.    Imagery – visual and social imagery showing inclusiveness of all classes.

STANZA 2

Lines:
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,
Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.

Poetic Devices:

1.    Personification – the train is given human and animal qualities (her shoulder, snorting noisily).

2.    Onomatopoeia – snorting imitates the sound of the engine.

3.    Contrast – snorting noisily / silent miles highlights sound vs. stillness.

4.    Imagery – strong visual (moorland, cotton-grass) and auditory images.

5.    Rhyme – climb/time, boulder/shoulder, passes/grasses adds flow and speed.

STANZA 3

Lines:
Birds turn their heads as she approaches,
Stare from 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 a bedroom gently shakes.

Poetic Devices:

1.    Personification – birds stare, jug shakes; gives life to surroundings.

2.    Imagery – sight (birds turning), motion (jug shaking).

3.    Rhyme – approaches/coaches, course/across, wakes/shakes (smooth rhythm).

4.    Alliteration – blank-faced coaches, paws across.

5.    Symbolism – jug shaking symbolizes the subtle but real impact of progress.

STANZA 4

Lines:
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.

Poetic Devices:

1.    Personification – Dawn freshens, she descends (train as a woman).

2.    Simile – like gigantic chessmen (industrial imagery).

3.    Alliteration – freshens... her, fields... furnaces.

4.    Imagery – visual (steam tugs, cranes, furnaces).

5.    Symbolism – Scotland’s industry and order (chessmen = controlled power).

STANZA 5

Lines:
All Scotland waits for her:
In dark glens, beside pale-green lochs,
Men long for news.

Poetic Devices:

1.    Personification – Scotland waits; men’s longing shows emotional connection.

2.    Imagery – dark glens, pale-green lochs evoke landscape and mood.

3.    Contrast – darkness vs. pale light suggests dawn and hope.

4.    Enjambment – lines flow without pause, mirroring the train’s movement.

STANZA 6 (LONG LIST OF LETTERS)

Lines:
Letters of thanks, letters from banks,
Letters of joy from girl and boy,
Receipted bills and invitations...
...The typed and the printed and the spelt all wrong.

Poetic Devices:

1.    Repetition & Parallelism – repeated “letters of…” builds rhythm and inclusivity.

2.    Alliteration – girl and boy, pink, the violet, the white and the blue.

3.    Internal rhyme – catty / chatty, boring / adoring.

4.    Contrast – cold and official / heart’s outpouring juxtaposes emotions.

5.    Catalogue / Enumeration – list form mirrors abundance and variety of human life.

6.    Rhythm & Musicality – meter imitates the rolling motion of a train.

STANZA 7 (CLOSING)

Lines:
Thousands are still asleep,
Dreaming of terrifying monsters...
...For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?

Poetic Devices:

1.    Imagery – vivid dream scenes and awakening cities.

2.    Repetition – asleep... asleep... asleep reinforces drowsy stillness.

3.    Alliteration – friendly tea beside the band in Cranston’s or Crawford’s.

4.    Personification – none will hear the postman’s knock / Without a quickening of the heart (letters bring emotional life).

5.    Rhetorical question – Who can bear to feel himself forgotten? evokes empathy and universal human need for connection.

6.    Contrast – sleep vs. awakening symbolizes ignorance vs. awareness, isolation vs. communication.

 

 COURTESY: Meta AI & ChatGPT

Compiled by Dr. Shankar D Mishra

 

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