Provided here is the critical appreciation of the poem, along with the poetic devices used in the poem ‘The Night Mail’ by W.H. Auden. ICSE Class 9 students would find it particularly helpful, as it is part of their English syllabus book ‘Treasure Chest’.
Poetic Devices Used in the Poem “ The Night Mail” by W. H. Auden
W. H. Auden uses rich and meaningful poetic devices in “Night Mail” to make a simple train journey feel emotional and important. The train becomes a symbol of human connection, carrying hopes, emotions, and stories through the night. These poetic tools help us feel the rhythm of the train and the importance of every letter it delivers.
Figures of Speech in The Night Mail Poem
Rhyme
The poem follows an ABAB rhyme scheme and this pattern continues until the end of the poem, leaving some stanzas.
Internal Rhyme:
Example 1:
“Letters of thanks, letters from banks,
Letters of joy from girl and boy”
- “thanks” / “banks” and “joy” / “boy” occur in quick succession, creating internal rhyme as well as end rhyme.
Example 2:
“The chatty, the catty, the boring, the adoring”
- “chatty” and “catty”, “boring” and “adoring” — rhyming within the same line or closely placed in the following line — are examples of internal rhyme and rhythmic pairing.
Personification
Giving human or animal qualities to non-living things.
The train is treated like a person —it “snorts,” “climbs,” and “descends” like a living creature. (Lines 1–10)
Example: “The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time.”
Explanation: The train is called “her”, (Shows her as a women of determination and strength)
Imagery
Meaning: Using descriptive words to create a picture in the reader’s mind.
Use in Poem: Describes nature (“Moorland boulder,” “pale-green lochs,” “gigantic chessmen), cities, sleeping people, colourful letters, etc)
Example: “Silent miles of wind-bent grasses”
Explanation: We can imagine the quiet fields through this line.
Repetition
Meaning: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.
Use in Poem: The word “letters” is repeated to show their importance.
Example: “Letters of thanks, letters from banks…”
Enjambment
Meaning: Continuing a sentence without pause beyond one line.
Use in Poem: Makes the rhythm smooth like the moving train.
Example:
“Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.”
Simile
Meaning: A comparison using “like” or “as”.
Example:
“Like gigantic chessmen”
(Explanation: The factory buildings or cranes are compared to large chess pieces.)
Contrast
Meaning: Showing opposites together for effect.
Use in Poem: Train’s noise vs. sleeping people, cities vs. countryside.
Example: “Snorting noisily… Silent miles of wind-bent grasses”
Enumeration
Meaning: Listing many things to show variety.
Example: The long list of letters (Lines 23–40) — “Letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts…”
Alliteration
Meaning: Repeating the same consonant sound.
Example:
“Cranston’s or Crawford’s” (/k/ sound),
“gossip, gossip” (/g/ sound)
“stupid, short” (/s/ sound)
Assonance
Meaning: Repeating vowel sounds in nearby words.
Example:
/e/ and /o/ sounds in “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten”
/o/ in “Letters to Scotland from the South of France”
Consonance
Meaning: Repetition of consonant sounds within a line.
Example:
/r/ in “Letters with faces scrawled on the margin”
/t/ in “To inspect new stock or to visit relations”
Anaphora
Meaning: Repeating a word/phrase at the start of lines.
Example:
“Letters with holiday snaps…
Letters with faces scrawled…
Letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts…”
Rhetorical Question
Meaning: A question asked for effect, not an answer.
Example: “For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”
Use: Emphasizes the emotional need to be remembered. (the poet wants to emphasise this point)
Symbolism
Meaning: Using one thing to represent another.
Example:
“Night Mail” = symbol of hope, connection, and duty
(The train serves as a vital link between individuals who are separated by distance. In this way, the night mail train serves as a symbol of human connection and communication.)Letters = represent emotions, news, love, and memories
Metaphor
Meaning: Indirect comparison; something stands in for something else.
Examples:
“Quickening of the heart” = excitement on receiving letters
“Feeling forgotten” = loneliness
Transferred Epithet
Meaning: An adjective used for something it does not literally belong to.
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses”
Explanation:
The word “silent” is used to describe “miles”, but miles themselves cannot be silent.
The silence actually belongs to the surrounding landscape — like the grasses, fields, and countryside — not the miles. The adjective “silent” has been transferred from the actual objects that are silent to “miles”.
So, “Silent” is meant for grasses or fields, not the miles.
Conclusion :
Auden uses rich poetic devices to turn a simple train journey into a powerful message about connection, human emotion, and communication. The train becomes a symbol of trust and hope, moving silently through the night, carrying letters that touch people’s lives.
Critical Appreciation of W.H. Auden’s “Night Mail”
W.H. Auden’s “Night Mail”, written in 1936 for the GPO (General Post Office) documentary film of the same name, is a striking fusion of poetry and social realism. Commissioned as part of a public information film, the poem transcends its utilitarian origins to become a lyrical celebration of industrial modernity, human connection, and the quiet heroism of ordinary labor. Its enduring appeal lies in Auden’s ability to blend rhythmic precision, vivid imagery, and thematic depth, transforming a mundane postal train journey into a powerful meditation on communication, community, and continuity.
Form and Structure
The poem is written in a loose, rhythmic free verse that mimics the motion of the train. Auden employs a variable meter and internal rhyme to replicate the chugging rhythm of the locomotive—“Letters of thanks, letters from banks, / Letters of joy from girl and boy…”—creating a musical cadence that evokes the sound and movement of the night mail train. This sonic mimicry is not merely decorative; it reinforces the poem’s central theme: the mechanical becomes poetic through human purpose.
The structure unfolds chronologically, following the train’s journey from London to Scotland. The poem begins with the train’s departure, moves through the night as it traverses the English and Scottish countryside, and culminates in the arrival and distribution of letters. This narrative arc mirrors the journey of communication itself—from sender to receiver—and underscores the idea of connection across distance and time.
Imagery and Language
Auden’s imagery is both concrete and symbolic. He juxtaposes industrial imagery (“the gradient’s against her, / But she’s one of the young, she’s one of the bold”) with pastoral scenes (“The ploughman is up in the mists before dawn”) to emphasize the harmony between nature and technology. The train is personified as a determined, almost heroic figure—“she”—suggesting a blend of mechanical efficiency and human resilience.
The poem also uses contrasting images of light and darkness to symbolize knowledge, hope, and human emotion. As the train speeds through the night, it carries “the chattering messages / Speaking of private things.” These “private things”—love, grief, business, longing—highlight the emotional weight carried by the seemingly impersonal mail. The contrast between the cold, mechanical journey and the warmth of human sentiment deepens the poem’s emotional resonance.
Themes
- Unity and Communication: At its heart, “Night Mail” is about connection. The letters represent the invisible threads that bind people across cities, classes, and regions. In a time of growing urbanization and social fragmentation, Auden affirms the enduring importance of personal correspondence. The line “All Scotland waits for her” elevates the train to a symbol of national unity and shared anticipation.
- The Dignity of Labor: The poem celebrates the unseen workers—the postal clerks, the engine drivers, the rural postmen—whose quiet diligence ensures the smooth functioning of society. Auden avoids romanticizing labor but instead presents it with respect and clarity, aligning with his left-wing political sensibilities of the 1930s.
- Modernity and Tradition: The poem negotiates the tension between industrial progress and rural life. The train is a symbol of modernity, yet it serves timeless human needs—love, information, reassurance. Auden does not lament technological change but integrates it into a broader human narrative, suggesting that progress can serve communal values.
Tone and Style
The tone of “Night Mail” is measured, observant, and quietly celebratory. It avoids sentimentality while still evoking deep emotion. Auden’s diction is accessible, reflecting the democratic spirit of the poem—there are no obscure allusions or elitist language. Yet the poem is rich in subtle poetic devices: personification, alliteration, assonance, and repetition, simile, symbolism etc.which enhance its musicality and memorability.
Conclusion
“Night Mail” is a remarkable example of poetry in service of public life. Though written for a documentary, it achieves artistic autonomy through its lyrical strength and thematic richness. Auden transforms a functional narrative into a moving testament to the power of communication and the quiet dignity of everyday work. The poem resonates not only as a period piece of 1930s British documentary tradition but as a timeless reflection on how small acts—like sending a letter—can carry profound human significance. In its rhythmic drive and emotional depth, “Night Mail” remains a masterful blend of art and purpose, proving that poetry can find beauty and meaning in the most ordinary of journeys.
