The Night Mail Workbook Answers

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The Night Mail Summary,

The Night Mail theme,

The Night Mail – WH Auden

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,
News circumstantial, news financial,
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?

Summary:

This poem describes the night mail train crossing the border, carrying a variety of letters and parcels for people from all walks of life. The train steadily climbs up Beattock, even though the gradient is against it, and passes by various landscapes, such as cotton-grass and moorland boulders. The train makes a lot of noise as it moves, and the animals in the area, such as birds and sheepdogs, notice its presence. It passes by a farm where no one wakes, except for a jug in a bedroom that shakes gently. As dawn breaks, the train descends towards Glasgow, and people all over Scotland eagerly await their mail. The letters that are being transported include thanks, bank statements, joyous letters from loved ones, bills, invitations, job applications, declarations of love, gossip, news, and condolences. Thousands of people are still asleep, but they will soon wake up hoping for letters. The postman’s knock is eagerly anticipated because nobody wants to feel forgotten.

Paraphrase:

The first stanza describes the night mail train crossing the border carrying various items such as cheques, postal orders, and letters for people from different backgrounds and locations, including the rich and the poor. The train pulls up a steady climb in Beattock, despite the gradient being against it, and moves past cotton-grass and moorland boulder while emitting white steam. The train’s noise alerts birds and sheepdogs, but they are unable to change its course or wake the people on the farm it passes by, except for a jug in a bedroom that shakes gently.

As dawn breaks, the train finishes its climb and begins descending towards Glasgow, passing by steam tugs, cranes, fields of apparatus, and furnaces that look like gigantic chess pieces. People all over Scotland eagerly await their mail, and those in dark glens or beside pale-green lochs long for news.

The second stanza lists the various types of letters the train is carrying, including those of thanks, joy, bills, invitations, job applications, love declarations, and news from different countries. These letters come in different hues and styles, from typed and printed to handwritten and with various spelling errors.

The final stanza describes how thousands of people are still asleep, dreaming of monsters or tea, but they will soon wake up hoping for their mail. The sound of the postman’s knock will quicken their hearts as nobody wants to feel forgotten.

Theme of ‘The Night mail by WH Auden

The theme of the poem “Night Mail” by W. H. Auden is the significance of communication through the postal service. The poem describes the journey of a train carrying mail from London to Scotland and highlights the importance of these letters to people from all walks of life. It emphasizes the idea that letters are not just pieces of paper but can carry emotions, news, and connections to people. The poem also touches on the idea of the universal human desire to feel remembered and not forgotten, which is why people eagerly wait for their letters. The poem celebrates the postal service and the power of the written word to bring people closer together.

Answers:

1. Text Based Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Read the following questions and select the correct option:

1. (a) the mail train

2. (c) Glasgow

3. (a) personification

4. (d) They have become habituated to the train’s passing and ignore it.

5. (d) furnaces

6. (c) rhetorical questions

7. (b) hills and plains

8. (d) steady

9. (a) letters

10. (a) chatty

2. 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, 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.

Answers:

(i) The night mail is crossing the Border, and it carries a mixture of mail items, including cheques, postal orders, and letters for different people and places.

(ii) The line “Letters for the rich, letters for the poor” highlights the universal nature of the postal service. The mail train carries letters for people from all walks of life, irrespective of their social status or economic standing. The line underscores the importance of the postal service in connecting people from different backgrounds.

(iii) The mail train starts its journey by crossing the border. It is described as powerful and majestic.

(iv) The train passes through different regions, including Beattock, cotton-grass, moorland boulder, wind-bent grasses, and Glasgow. The description of these regions highlights the diverse landscapes that the train passes through during its journey.

(v) The poet describes the Glasgow area later in the passage because it is a significant urban center through which the mail train passes. The description of Glasgow highlights its bustling urban atmosphere and busy railway station, underscoring the importance of the railway network in connecting different parts of the country.

Passage 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

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.

Answers:

(i) The figure of speech used in Line 1 is personification. Birds are given human-like qualities of being able to turn their heads, which is not something they can do in reality.

(ii) The use of the phrase ‘blank-faced’ for the train coaches creates a sense of lifelessness and emptiness. It suggests that there are no people inside the coaches, and they are just objects moving without any purpose. This emphasizes the solitary nature of the train’s journey.

(iii) Sheep-dogs are unable to turn the train’s course, and they slumber on with their paws across. The purpose of sheep-dogs is to herd sheep and protect them from predators. However, in this context, they are not needed, as the train is not a threat to the sheep.

(iv) As the train passes, people in the farm do not wake up, but a jug in a bedroom gently shakes. This suggests that the train is not loud enough to disturb people’s sleep. The shaking jug also creates a sense of quiet disruption, adding to the overall solitary and peaceful nature of the train’s journey.

(v) The train is carrying letters for everyone, including the rich and the poor, from banks and lovers, from overseas and within the country. The letters are of different types and carry different emotions.

Passage 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Answers:

(i) The train is heading towards Glasgow. Its initial journey is described as a climb, suggesting that it has been traveling uphill until now.

(ii) Glasgow is described as a place with steam tugs yelping down a glade of cranes, fields of apparatus, and furnaces set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen. This description portrays Glasgow as an industrial city with lots of activity and machinery.

(iii) The figure of speech used in Line 5 is a metaphor. The fields of apparatus and furnaces are compared to gigantic chessmen, which are large and imposing, like the machines they represent.

(iv) The train carries letters of thanks, joy, bills, invitations, job applications, declarations of love, gossip, news, and condolences. It also carries various types of paper in different colours and styles.

(v) The poet conveys that people all over Scotland are waiting for news. They are waiting anxiously, as they are described as long for news. The use of dark glens and pale-green lochs creates a sense of stillness and quiet anticipation, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. The passage suggests that the train is carrying important news or information, which the people of Scotland are eagerly waiting to receive.

Passage 4

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

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,
News circumstantial, news financial,
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

Answers:

(i) The train started its journey from the border and crossed regions of Scotland such as cotton-grass, moorland boulder, and Beattock at night.

(ii) The phrase ‘application for situations’ refers to job applications. People are sending letters to companies or organizations, expressing their interest in working there and asking for job opportunities.

(iii) Apart from letters, the train is carrying cheques and postal orders.

(iv) The train is carrying a variety of letters, including letters of thanks, letters from banks, letters of joy from girl and boy, receipted bills and invitations, and timid lovers’ declarations. It is also carrying gossip and news, both circumstantial and financial, as well as letters with holiday snaps and faces scrawled on the margin. There are also letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts, and letters of condolence to Highlands and Lowlands.

(v) People eagerly wait for the train, especially those in dark glens and beside pale-green lochs, hoping for news from their loved ones.

Passage 5

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Notes from overseas to the Hebrides

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.

Answers:

(i) The train started its journey from the border and crossed regions of Scotland such as cotton-grass, moorland boulder, and Beattock at night.

(ii) The train is carrying notes from overseas to the Hebrides, written on paper of every hue.

(iii) The line ‘The chatty, the catty, the boring, adoring’ suggests that the content of the letters is varied. Some are chatty and informal, some are catty and critical, some are boring and uninteresting, while others are adoring and affectionate.

(iv) The letters are written on paper of every hue, including pink, violet, white, and blue. The different colors and styles of the letters suggest that they are written by people of different personalities and backgrounds. For example, someone who writes on pink paper might be more romantic or sentimental, while someone who writes on white paper might be more formal and professional. The styles and colors of the letters can reveal something about the personalities and attitudes of the people who wrote them.

(v) As the train reaches Glasgow, people are still asleep, dreaming of monsters or friendly tea. They expect to wake up to letters and feel a quickening of their hearts upon hearing the postman’s knock, as no one wants to feel forgotten.

Passage 6

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

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?

Answers:

(i) The initial stage of the train’s night journey is a steady climb, with the gradient against it, past cotton-grass and moorland boulder. It shovels white steam over its shoulder and snorts noisily while passing silent miles of wind-bent grasses.

(ii) The train has carried letters from overseas to the Hebrides for the people.

(iii) The people have been dreaming of terrifying monsters or friendly tea beside the band in Cranston’s or Crawford’s. They expect to wake up and hope for letters. They will be excited when they hear the postman’s knock because they do not want to feel forgotten.

(iv) The two figures of speech used in the last lines are personification and rhetorical question. The personification is the postman’s knock having a quickening of the heart. The rhetorical question is “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”

(v) The poet emphasizes human connections by showing how important letters are to people. The people in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen are all connected by their hopes and expectations for letters. They all feel a quickening of the heart when they hear the postman’s knock because they want to feel remembered and connected to the rest of the world.

Treasure Chest Workbook Solution: Evergreen Publication

Std 9 Vol – I : Poems

1. A Work of Artifice – Marge Piercy

2. Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat – T S Eliot

3. I Remember, I Remember – Thomas Hood

4. A Doctor’s Joumal Entry for August 6, 1945 – Vikram Seth

5. The Night Mail – W H Auden

6. Haunted Houses – H W Longfellow

7. The Glove and the Lions – James Leigh Hunt

8. When Great Trees Fall – Maya Angelou

9. A Considerable Speck – Robert Frost

10. The Power of Music – Sukumar Roy

Std 9 Vol – II: Short Stories

l. Bonku Babu’s Friend – Satyaji Ray

2. Oliver Asks for More – Charles Dickens

3. The Model Millionaire – Oscar Wilde

4. The Homecoming – Rabindranath Tagore

5. The Boy Who Broke the Bank – Ruskin Bond

6. With the Photographer – Stephen Leacock

7. The Elevator – William Sleator

8. The Girl Who Can – Ama Ata Aidoo

9. The Pedestrian – Ray Bradbury

10. The Last Lesson – Alphonse Daudet

Treasure Chest Workbook Solution: Beta Publication

PROSE (Short Stories):

Std IX

1. Bonku Babu’s Friend – Satyajit Ray

2. Oliver Asks for More – Charles Dickens

3. The Model Millionaire – Oscar Wilde

4. Home-coming – Rabindranath Tagore

5. The Boy who Broke the Bank – Ruskin Bond

Std X

1. With the Photographer – Stephen Leacock

2. The Elevator – William Sleator

3. The Girl Who Can – Ama Ata Aidoo

4. The Pedestrian – Ray Bradbury

5. The Last Lesson – Alphonse Daudet

POETRY:

Std IX

1. The Night Mail – W.H. Auden

2. Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat – T.S. Eliot

3. I Remember, I Remember – Thomas Hood

4. A Doctor’s Journal Entry for August 6, 1945 – Vikram Seth

5. A Work of Artifice – Marge Piercy

Std X

1. Haunted Houses – H.W. Longfellow

2. The Glove and the Lions – Leigh Hunt

3. When Great Trees fall – Maya Angelou

4. A Considerable Speck – Robert Frost

5. The Power of Music – Sukumar Ray