Get summary, workbook solutions, questions, answers, notes, pdf, and extras to the poem “Night Mail” by W.H. Auden, which is a part of Class 9 English syllabus for students studying under the Manipur Board (BSEM).
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Comprehension
(a) Based on your understanding of the poem answer the following questions. Tick ( ) the correct answer.
I. The night mail brings letters
a. for the rich. b. for the poor. c. for the kings and queens. d. for everyone.
Answer: for everyone.
II. ‘………. fields of apparatus the furnaces’ Here the poet is describing that Glasgow is
a. an agricultural city. b. an ancient city. c. an industrial city. d. a historical city.
Answer: an industrial city.
III. When the people hear the postman’s knock they feel
a. excited. b. nervous. c. frightened. d. call us.
Answer: excited.
(b) Answer the following in a sentence each:
I. What does the night mail shovel over her shoulder?
Answer: The night mail shovels white steam over her shoulder.
II. Why does a jug in the bedroom gently shake?
Answer: The jug in the bedroom gently shakes due to the vibrations caused by the passing night mail.
III. What are the people doing as the night mail passes through the night?
Answer: As the night mail passes through the night, the people are asleep.
IV. Why is Aberdeen described as ‘granite Aberdeen’?
Answer: Aberdeen is described as ‘granite Aberdeen’ due to its notable granite architecture.
(c) Answer the following questions briefly:
i. Name the people for whom the night mail carries letters.
Answer: The night mail carries letters for people of all kinds, including the rich, the poor, and everyone else.
ii. How does the night mail pass through cotton grass and moorland boulder ?
Answer: The night mail passes through cotton grass and moorland boulder by shovelling white steam over her shoulder and snorting noisily.
iii. What do the birds do when the night mail comes?
Answer: When the night mail comes, birds turn their heads and stare from bushes at her blank-faced coaches.
iv. Describe Glasgow as the night mail turns towards it.
Answer: As the night mail turns towards Glasgow, it is described as a city with fields of apparatus and furnaces, indicating an industrial landscape.
v. Why does all Scotland wait for the night mail?
Answer: All Scotland waits for the night mail because it brings letters and news from distant places, connecting people.
vi. Give an idea of the colours of the letters that the mail train carries.
Answer: The letters that the mail train carries are of various colours including pink, violet, white, and blue.
vii. What kinds of dreams do the people have in the early hours of the morning ?
Answer: In the early hours of the morning, people dream of both terrifying monsters and friendly experiences like tea beside the band in Cranston’s or Crawford’s.
Think and Answer
(a) As the night mail moves on, the poet describes and brings out the changes in the landscape. Describe the changing landscape in your own words.
Answer: The poem vividly portrays the night mail’s journey through diverse landscapes. Initially, it moves through serene natural settings like cotton-grass and moorland boulders, evoking a sense of quiet and untouched wilderness. As it progresses, it encounters more urban elements, signifying a shift to the industrial, with Glasgow’s fields of apparatus and furnaces symbolising the city’s industrial heartbeat. The landscape changes from natural and rural to industrial and urban, reflecting the varied terrain the night mail traverses in its journey.
Discuss
(a) Discuss in your group the benefit that Manipur will get when a rail line connects it with the rest of India.
Answer: Connecting Manipur with the rest of India through a rail line would bring significant benefits. It would enhance transportation and communication, facilitating easier and more efficient movement of people and goods. This connection would likely boost economic activities, promote tourism, and improve access to resources and services. Moreover, it would play a crucial role in integrating Manipur more closely with the national mainstream, fostering greater cultural exchange and mutual understanding.
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger. He manages Online Free Notes and reads Victorian literature. His favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and he hopes to travel the world. Get in touch with him by sending him a friend request.
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