The Night Mail is a poem written by W. H. Auden. It was commissioned in 1936 by the General Post Office (GPO) to be used as the script for a documentary film about the London, Midland.

Word Meanings

Border: The dividing line between two areas, here likely referring to the boundary between England and Scotland.

Cheque: A written order directing a bank to pay money.

Postal order: A financial instrument used to send money through the mail.

Beattock: A location in Scotland, known for its challenging gradient.

Gradient: The slope or steepness of a hill.

Cotton-grass: A type of grass with fluffy, cotton-like seed heads.

Moorland: Open, uncultivated land with poor soil and often covered with heather and coarse grasses.

Shovelling: Throwing or heaving coal into the firebox of the steam engine to generate steam.

Snorting: Making a noise similar to a snort, here used to describe the sound of the steam engine.

Wind-bent grasses: Grasses that are bent by the force of the wind.

Sheep-dogs: Dogs trained to herd sheep, often found on farms.

Slumber: To sleep.

Jug: A container used for holding liquids, often found in homes.

Steam tugs: Boats powered by steam engines, used to tow or push larger ships.

Yelping: Making a short, sharp cry or bark.

Glade of cranes: An area filled with cranes, large machines used for lifting and moving heavy objects, typically in an industrial setting.

Furnaces: Industrial kilns or ovens used for burning, baking, or drying.

Chessmen: Pieces used in the game of chess, here metaphorically representing the large industrial structures.

Glens: Narrow valleys, especially in Scotland.

Sea lochs: Coastal inlets in Scotland, similar to fjords.

Lochs: Scottish term for lakes or sea inlets.

Receipted bills: Invoices that have been paid.

Invitations: Requests for someone's presence at an event.

Applications for situations: Job applications.

Declarations: Statements or announcements, often of love or intent.

Gossip: Casual or unconstrained conversation about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as true.

Circumstantial: Containing details and conditions, not necessarily important.

Holiday snaps: Informal photographs taken during vacations.

Margin: The blank borders around the written or printed area of a page.

Condolence: An expression of sympathy, especially on the occasion of a death.

Hue: A color or shade.

Chatty: Informal and conversational in style.

Catty: Spiteful or mean-spirited.

Boring: Not interesting; tedious.

Adoring: Showing deep love and affection.

Insipid: Lacking flavor or interest; dull.

Dutiful: Conscientiously fulfilling one's duty.

Undutiful: Not performing one's duty.

Inquiring: Showing an interest in learning new things; questioning.

Whey-faced: Pale or sickly-looking.

Reproach: An expression of disapproval or disappointment.

Deans of colleges: Senior officials in colleges or universities, typically in charge of a specific area.

Alphabet: The set of letters used in a language, here metaphorically representing all possible types of letters and messages.

Figures of Speech These figures of speech contribute to the poem's rich and layered descriptions, creating a vivid and memorable portrayal of the night mail train's journey and the diverse range of letters it carries.

1. Personification - Giving human qualities to non-human entities:

   - "Shovelling white steam over her shoulder"

   - "Birds turn their heads as she approaches"

   - "Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course"

2. Metaphor - A comparison between two unrelated things, suggesting a resemblance:

   - "Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces / Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen"

   - "Letters of thanks, letters from banks"

   - "The cold-clear eyes of receivers of fat"

3. Simile - A comparison using "like" or "as":

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

   - "In the dark glens, beside the pale-green sea lochs / Men long for news"

4. Alliteration - Repetition of initial consonant sounds:

   - "Silent miles of wind-bent grasses"

   - "Letters for the rich, letters for the poor"

5. Assonance - Repetition of vowel sounds:

   - "The gradient's against her, but she's on time"

6. Hyperbole - Exaggeration for emphasis:

   - "Letters of offers and letters of love, / And all the letters of the alphabet"

7. Enjambment - The continuation of a sentence or phrase across line breaks:

   - "Letters of thanks, letters from banks, / Letters of joy from girl and boy,"

8. Symbolism - The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities:

   - "The pink, the violet, the white and the blue"

9. Oxymoron - A combination of contradictory or contrasting words:

   - "The chatty, the catty, the boring, the adoring"

10. Onomatopoeia - Words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to:

    - "Snorting noisily as she passes"

Central Idea The poem continues to describe the train's journey, its interaction with various towns and landscapes, and the anticipation of people waiting for their mail. It's a vivid and engaging piece that captures the essence of a mail train's night-time voyage.

The central idea of the poem "The Night Mail" by W.H. Auden is the reliable and efficient delivery of mail by a night train across the British countryside. The poem highlights the journey of the train, emphasizing its steadfastness and the importance of communication in connecting people. Auden celebrates the mundane yet vital role of the postal service, illustrating how it bridges distances and maintains the flow of information and human connection.

First

In this opening stanza, the poet introduces the night mail train as it crosses the border between England and Scotland. The train is carrying various items, including cheques, postal orders, and letters intended for people from different walks of life, from the rich to the poor. The mention of "the shop at the corner, the girl next door" suggests the universality of the mail's recipients.

Second

The train begins to ascend the Beattock Summit,( The highest point of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) railway and of the A74(M) motorway as they cross between Dumfries and Galloway and South Lanarkshire in south west Scotland.) facing a challenging uphill climb. Despite the uphill gradient, the train maintains its schedule and is on time. The train passes through landscapes with cotton-grass and rocky moorlands, and the imagery of "shovelling white steam over her shoulder" evokes the powerful and determined progress of the locomotive.

Third

As the train continues its journey, it snorts loudly, contrasting with the silence of the wind-bent grasses along the track. Birds react to the train's approach, turning their heads and observing the train from the safety of the bushes. The "blank-faced coaches" imply the impersonal nature of the train's cargo.

Fourth

Even sheep-dogs, usually alert to disturbances, do not disrupt the train's path. The train passes a farm where no one is awakened, except for a jug that shakes gently in a bedroom, highlighting the subtle impact of the train's passage.

Fifth

As dawn arrives, the train completes its climb and begins to descend toward Glasgow. It approaches the industrial landscape of the city, with steam tugs (ships) and cranes by the water. The imagery of "fields of apparatus" and "furnaces" conjures an industrial landscape, with the furnaces resembling chess pieces on a vast, dark plain.

Sixth

In this stanza, the focus shifts to the anticipation of the train's arrival in Scotland. People throughout the country eagerly await the delivery of news and mail. The "dark glens" (a narrow valley, especially in Scotland or Ireland)  and "pale-green sea lochs" (an arm of the sea, especially when narrow or partially landlocked.) evoke the rugged and scenic landscapes of Scotland.

Seventh

The train brings a variety of letters, including expressions of gratitude, correspondence from banks, joyful letters from children, receipts for bills, and invitations for different purposes such as inspecting new stock or visiting family members.

Eighth

The train carries letters containing job applications, declarations of love from shy admirers, and gossip from various parts of the world. There's a mix of personal and global news, both circumstantial and financial in nature.

Ninth

This stanza highlights the personal nature of the letters, including those with vacation photographs to be enlarged, faces drawn in the margins, and correspondence from extended family members. There are also letters sent to Scotland from locations like the South of France, reflecting the reach of the mail network.

Tenth

The train brings letters of condolence to various regions of Scotland, written on paper of different colors. The poet mentions different tones and types of letters, ranging from casual and gossipy to affectionate and monotonous.

Eleventh

This stanza continues to describe the wide array of letters being carried by the train. There are letters with a range of emotions and tones, including cold and indifferent ones, along with contrasting images such as the "cold-clear eyes of receivers of fat" and the "whey-faced reproach of the drowned."

Twelfth

The train carries letters addressed to newspaper editors, governors of islands, deans of colleges, and individuals in the poet's confidence. This highlights the diverse recipients and the significance of the correspondence being transported.

Thirteenth

The poem concludes by emphasizing the vast range of letters being transported, including offers, expressions of love, and letters encompassing the entire alphabet. It reiterates the train's role in crossing the border and delivering cheques and postal orders.

Last

The final stanza echoes the opening stanza, returning to the concept of letters reaching people from various social backgrounds. The train continues its journey, ascending the Beattock Summit despite the challenging gradient, and maintains its punctuality.

Through its detailed and suggestive descriptions, "The Night Mail" captures the journey of the mail train, the diversity of its cargo, and the anticipation of people awaiting their letters and news. The poem's rhythmic structure and imagery contribute to its enduring appeal.