Intermediate F.Sc F.A ICS I.Com English XI Night Mail Reference Context Explanation

Intermediate F.Sc F.A ICS I.Com English XI Night Mail Reference Context Explanation 1st Year English Notes Online Taleem Ilmi Hub Class 11th

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Poem no: 2 Night Mail (W.H. Auden)

Explanation with reference to the context.

             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.

Reference: 

   These lines have been taken from “Night Mail” by W.H. Auden.

Context:

             The poet admires the Night Mail in this poem. He says that it brings luxury, ease and comfort in our lives. It has humane characteristics as it treats both the rich and the poor alike. It carries cheques, postal orders and letters for everyone. We have become immune to it as it is no more curious thing even for birds and animals.

Explanation: 

             In these lines, the poet tells us that the Night Mail travels from one country to another country, from one area to another area and brings the postal order, letters and cheques for people living in different areas and countries. The borders that lie between various countries are triumphed over by it and by crossing these boundaries it hands over the mail to all sorts of people. It overcomes all kinds of barriers. It does not know the racial distinctions and other prejudices. It, moreover, transports letters for all sections of society, for the rich and for the poor. It gets business letters to shopkeepers and love letters to girls from their lovers. Thus, it is a source of solace and consolation for the poor and the rich, for the businessmen and the lovers. It keeps concern with all kinds of people.

               Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb;

               The gradient’sagainst her, but she’s on time.

               Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder,

               Shovelling white steam over her shoulder,

Reference: 

             These lines have been taken from “Night Mail” by W.H. Auden.

Context:

             The poet admires the Night Mail in this poem. He says that it brings luxury, ease and comfort in our lives. It has humane characteristics as it treats both the rich and the poor alike. It carries cheques, postal orders and letters for everyone. We have become immune to it as it is no more curious thing even for birds and animals.

Explanation:

In these lines, poet says that sometimes, a slope is the track of the train. The train runs up Beattock along the sleep slant, overcomes the sheer ascent and reaches the destination on time. Although it is difficult to move along a sharp rise, yet it does not get late and is always on time. The train goes past the cotton fields and the uncultivated rocky lands without taking any notice of them. The poet personifies the Night Mail here and compares it to a person who runs to reach his destination. Caring for nothing and overlooking everything. It seems that it is concerned with only one thing and that is the conveyance and transportation of the correspondence.

                 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.

Reference: 

             These lines have been taken from “Night Mail” by W.H. Auden.

Context:

             The poet admires the Night Mail in this poem. He says that it brings luxury, ease and comfort in our lives. It has humane characteristics as it treats both the rich and the poor alike. It carries cheques, postal orders and letters for everyone. We have become immune to it as it is no more curious thing even for birds and animals.

Explanation:

In these lines Auden tells us that, the train proceeds and passes on from one point to another roaring and making an explosive sound. It covers long  distances and passes by the fields of bowed grass. Auden says that the train travels rapidly over the “Silent miles of grassy fields. There is silence in the grassy fields and ‘miles’ are not silent. The noise made by the train makes the birds look at it with surprise, curiosity and bewilderment, but they realize at once that the coach has an impassive face. It has no concern with their feelings. It is only related to and interested in its objective of distributing the postal matter on time.

                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.

Reference: 

             These lines have been taken from “Night Mail” by W.H. Auden.

Context:

             The poet admires the Night Mail in this poem. He says that it brings luxury, ease and comfort in our lives. It has humane characteristics as it treats both the rich and the poor alike. It carries cheques, postal orders and letters for everyone. We have become immune to it as it is no more curious thing even for birds and animals.

Explanation:

                   In these lines ,the poet says that some animals like sheep-dogs are conscious of the glaring fact that they are unable to affect the journey of the railway carriages in any way. Realizing the reality they have nothing to do with this monstrous phenomenon, they do not move, remain in the same posture and keep on enjoying their sleep. But it does not mean that nothing is affected by the railway vehicles crossing the fields and farms. Many petty things like a jug in a bedroom shake when they pass through the farms and countryside.