The Night Mail – Reference to Context Q&A
Question 1
"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 and the girl next door."
(i) What is the Night Mail and what does it carry? (3)
(ii) Why does the poet mention both "rich" and "poor"? (3)
(iii) How does the phrase "the girl next door" add to the universality of the poem? (3)
(iv) What border is being crossed at the beginning of the poem? (3)
(v) How do these opening lines establish the poem's theme of connection and communication? (4)
Answer:
(i) The Night Mail is a mail train that travels from London to Glasgow carrying vital postal items. It brings cheques, postal orders, and letters—items that represent money, business transactions and personal communication.
(ii) The poet mentions both rich and poor to emphasize that the mail service serves everyone regardless of social class. No one is excluded from this vital communication network. The postal service is democratic and universal.
(iii) "The girl next door" personalizes the recipients. It suggests ordinary people in everyday situations—neighbours, acquaintances and common folk who also receive mail. This adds warmth and relatability to the poem.
(iv) The border being crossed is between England and Scotland. The Night Mail travels from London (in England) through the night to reach Glasgow and other Scottish cities.
(v) These lines establish that the Night Mail connects all sections of society—rich and poor, businesses and individuals. The mail carries messages that bind people together regardless of their station in life, establishing the poem's central theme that communication unites a nation.
Question 2
"Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder,
Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses."
(i) Describe the landscape through which the train is traveling. (3)
(ii) How is the Night Mail personified in these lines? (3)
(iii) What contrast is created between the train and the landscape? (3)
(iv) Explain the image of "Shovelling white steam over her shoulder". (3)
(v) How does the poet's use of onomatopoeia enhance the description of the train's journey? (4)
Answer:
(i) The landscape is rural and natural, consisting of cotton-grass (fluffy plants), moorland boulders (rocky terrain), and wind-bent grasses. It is a remote, wild countryside untouched by urbanization.
(ii) The Night Mail is personified as a female figure who "shovels" steam (like a person doing physical work), "snorts" (like an animal or person) and passes through the landscape with determination and power.
(iii) A contrast is created between the noisy, powerful, active train and the silent, peaceful, wind-swept countryside. The train's energy disrupts the stillness of nature, but nature cannot stop its determined journey.
(iv) The image of "Shovelling white steam over her shoulder" personifies the train as a worker or warrior, pushing steam backward as it moves forward. The steam is the visible result of the train's powerful effort.
(v) Onomatopoeia like "Snorting noisily" creates vivid auditory imagery. The harsh, noisy words emphasize the train's power and presence, making it feel alive and compelling. The sound mirrors the train's mechanical energy and determination.
Question 3
"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."
(i) What is the reaction of birds and animals to the passing train? (3)
(ii) Why are the coaches described as "blank-faced"? (3)
(iii) What does the image of sheep-dogs with "paws across" convey? (3)
(iv) How do these lines emphasize the train's power and unstoppable nature? (3)
(v) What is the significance of depicting wildlife in relation to the train's journey? (4)
Answer:
Question 4
"In the farm she passes no one wakes,
But a jug in a bedroom gently shakes."
(i) What happens in the farmhouse as the train passes? (3)
(ii) Why does only the jug shake and not the people? (3)
(iii) How does this image of the shaking jug add to the poem's atmosphere? (3)
(iv) What does the contrast between "no one wakes" and "a jug gently shakes" suggest about the train's subtle yet powerful presence? (3)
(v) How does this extract show the train's subtle but omnipresent effect on the sleeping community? (4)
Answer:
Question 5
"Down towards Glasgow she descends
Towards the steam tugs yelping down the glade of cranes,
Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces
Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen."
(i) What is the significance of the train descending towards Glasgow? (3)
(ii) How does the language shift when describing the industrial landscape? (3)
(iii) What do "steam tugs", "cranes" and "furnaces" represent? (3)
(iv) Why are the furnaces compared to "gigantic chessmen"? (3)
(v) How does this extract mark a transition in the poem from nature to industry? (4)
Answer:
(i) The train reaching Glasgow marks the completion of the uphill journey and arrival at its destination. Glasgow is the industrial heart where the mail will be sorted and distributed throughout Scotland.
(ii) The language becomes more intense and industrial. Words like "steam tugs yelping", "furnaces" and "apparatus" replace the gentle pastoral images. The tone shifts from serene countryside to bustling industrial activity.
(iii) "Steam tugs", "cranes" and "furnaces" represent industrial machinery and factories. They symbolize human progress, manufacturing and economic activity. These elements define Glasgow's identity as an industrial city.
(iv) The furnaces are compared to "gigantic chessmen" because they are large, powerful and strategically positioned like pieces in a game. The metaphor suggests both the grandeur of machinery and the notion of control and strategy in industry.
(v) The transition occurs as the train descends from the moorland and remote landscape into Glasgow's industrial complex. The natural world of "wind-bent grasses" and "moorland boulders" is replaced by "fields of apparatus" and "furnaces", showing how the train connects nature with modern industrial civilization.
Question 6
"All Scotland waits for her:
In the dark glens, beside the pale-green sea lochs
Men long for news."
(i) What does the personification "All Scotland waits for her" convey? (3)
(ii) What geographical features are mentioned and what do they represent? (3)
(iii) Why do men "long for news"? (3)
(iv) How does this passage expand the train's significance beyond Glasgow? (3)
(v) What does this extract reveal about human needs and the role of communication in society? (4)
Answer:
Question 7
"Asleep in working Glasgow, asleep in well-set Edinburgh,
Asleep in granite Aberdeen,
They continue their dreams,
And shall wake soon and long for letters."
(i) Name the three Scottish cities mentioned and what they are known for. (3)
(ii) What is the contrast between sleeping and waking in these lines? (3)
(iii) Why are people continuing their dreams despite the train's arrival? (3)
(iv) How does the expectation "shall wake soon and long for letters" prepare for the poem's conclusion? (3)
(v) What does this passage reveal about the anticipation and hope surrounding the mail delivery? (4)
Answer:
(i) Glasgow is known for its working industries and manufacturing. Edinburgh is well-organized and elegant, capital of Scotland. Aberdeen, the "Granite City", is known for its prominent granite buildings.
(ii) The contrast shows that while people sleep unaware, the train continues its work delivering mail. When they wake, they will eagerly await the postman with letters. Sleep represents unconsciousness of the train's arrival; waking represents readiness and longing for news.
(iii) People continue their dreams because the train passes at night while they sleep. The train does its work silently and invisibly, continuing the postal service without disturbing the sleeping citizens.
(iv) This phrase transitions from describing the train's journey to focusing on what happens after delivery—people waking and hoping to receive letters. It builds anticipation for the emotional climax of the poem.
(v) The passage reveals that receiving mail is a deeply anticipated event. People look forward to letters with hope and excitement. Even while sleeping, the subconscious desire for connection and news from the outside world drives their expectations.
Question 8
"And none will hear the postman's knock
Without a quickening of the heart,
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?"
(i) What physical response does the postman's knock trigger in people? (3)
(ii) Why is "quickening of the heart" significant in conveying emotions? (3)
(iii) What fear is expressed in the rhetorical question? (3)
(iv) How does this ending shift focus from the train to the recipients of mail? (3)
(v) What does this conclusion reveal about the poem's deeper themes beyond mere postal delivery? (4)