NIGHT MALE
BY W.H. Auden
Text & Explanation With Reference To The Context |Quotations
Stanza No. 1
This
is the Night Mail crossing the Border,
Bringing
the cheque and postal order,
Letters
for the rich, letters for the poor,
The
shop at the corner, the girl next door.
Reference:
These
lines have been taken from the poem “Night Mail” a simple poem composed by W.H.
Auden.
Context:
This
is a simple poem highlighting the various characteristics of night mail. Night
mail is a train that brings different sorts of postal material for every kind
of individual. It additionally goes through different fields, knolls, and high
points and low points to arrive at its fate. Night mail actually resembles life
that passes through different courses to reach its destiny. It emits smoke and
makes a noise. Sometimes it travels silently.
Explanation:
In
these lines, the poet describes the purpose and journey of night mail. The
night mail is running towards its objective. It is bringing mail containing cheques,
postal orders, common letters, business letters, love letters, and so on.
It serves the rich and the poor at the same time. It helps to promote business and
relations. It lays out the correspondence between individuals living in various
pieces of the country.
Quotation:
“Communication
and Trust are two main ingredients for a successful relationship.”
Whatever
the weather is, it does its job. People are waiting for their mail. The
shopkeeper is anxious about his cheques or postal orders.
The
next-door girl is waiting for her love letter. It has to grasp its target on
time.
Quotation:
“Punctuality
is the soul of business.”
It
connects. the departed souls and hearts.
There
are letters of all shapes and sizes and for all. People's receipts, invitations,
applications, declarations of love, gossip from around the world, news both “circumstantial”
and “financial”, letters from all over Europe, and letters of condolences, are written on papers of every color imaginable. The letters have all tones and styles:
friendly, cold, boring, long, short, etc.
Stanza No. 2
Pulling
up the Beattock, a steady climb,
The
gradient’s against her, but she's on time.
Past cotton-grass and moorland boulders,
Shoveling
white steam over her shoulder.
Explanation:
In
these lines, the poet describes the journey of the night mail. The night mail is
the train that brings the post. The night mail is running towards its destination.
The
night mail stops at certain stations. Then, it moves again and travels on a
steady climb. It travels on upward and downward slopes, but it does not get
late. It reaches its destinations on time. Nobody can alter its
course. It teaches us punctuality and regularity which is very vital for a successful life.
Quotation:
“Punctuality
is the key to success.”
It
passes by the grass fields and uncultivated treeless stretch of land. It passes
by a large round rock. The poet imparts to us that a man, like a train, sees
different areas of life. He had to face hard days. He. Also enjoys the pleasures of
life.
Quotation:
“Everyone
wants happiness,
No
one wants pain,
But
you can't get a rainbow,
Without
a little rain.”
Whatever,
the situations are, like a train he should be consistent, punctual, and strong.
He should do his duty earnestly. It will bring him success and arid fame.
Quotation:
“Success
and punctuality will carry you where won't the money go.”
Stanza No. 3
Snorting noisily, she passes,
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.
Birds turn their heads as she
approaches,
Stare from bushes at her blank-faced coaches.
Explanation:
In
these lines, the poet describes the purpose and journey of the night mail. The
night mail is a train that brings the mail. The night mail is moving towards its terminus.
Nobody can alter its course.
The
bird’s expressions at her plain coaches from the scrubs. It continues its
journey. It has to run on a given path. It has no spell to stand and stare. It
teaches us punctuality and regularity.
A
train is a non-living thing. This is called personification and the non-living
thing described as a living thing is called personified. In these lines, the
night mail is personified by using words like snorting noisily.
The
fowls look at her plain coaches from the bushes. When the birds listen to the
sound of the train, they become attentive.
It
snorts like a sleeping man while running. It runs so fast that the long grass growing
along its track bends down for a while.
The
night mail conveys mail to individuals from various towns, and urban
areas. So, it is welcome everywhere.
Stanza No.4
Sheepdogs
cannot turn their course,
They
slumber on with paws across.
In
the farm she passes; no one wakes.
But
a jug in a bedroom gently shakes.
Explanation:
In
these lines, the poet describes the purpose and journey of night mail. It is
bringing mail containing cheques and postal orders. It teaches us punctuality
and regularity.
In
the final section, Auden depicts local people asleep in their warm beds,
dreaming of local things or of monsters. Soon, they will be awake and the eagle for
the mail.
The
sheepdogs know that they cannot force the train to change its direction by
barking at it or by running after it. So, they sleep calmly with their paws
crossed.
The last of the poem asks, after all, “Who can bear to feel forgotten?”
The
poem thus is extremely kind and sympathetic to different human beings stating
the “quickening of heart” of the person who might study he has been recalled by
someone else as the mail arrives at the door. The poem celebrates human
connections. It is hopeful and sweet, charming and memorable.
Quotation:
“Communication
to a relationship is like oxygen to life. Without it… It dies.”
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