Article #263-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Trees, and Other Poems, by Joyce Kilmer

 Within the Jersey City shed<br />
 The engine coughs and shakes its head,<br />
 The smoke, a plume of red and white,<br />
 Waves madly in the face of night.<br />
 And now the grave incurious stars<br />
 Gleam on the groaning hurrying cars.<br />
 Against the kind and awful reign<br />
 Of darkness, this our angry train,<br />
 A noisy little rebel, pouts<br />
 Its brief defiance, flames and shouts --<br />
 And passes on, and leaves no trace.<br />
 For darkness holds its ancient place,<br />
 Serene and absolute, the king<br />
 Unchanged, of every living thing.<br />
 The houses lie obscure and still<br />
 In Rutherford and Carlton Hill.<br />
 Our lamps intensify the dark<br />
 Of slumbering Passaic Park.<br />
 And quiet holds the weary feet<br />
 That daily tramp through Prospect Street.<br />
 What though we clang and clank and roar<br />
 Through all Passaic's streets?  No door<br />
 Will open, not an eye will see<br />
 Who this loud vagabond may be.<br />
 Upon my crimson cushioned seat,<br />
 In manufactured light and heat,<br />
 I feel unnatural and mean.<br />
 Outside the towns are cool and clean;<br />
 Curtained awhile from sound and sight<br />
 They take God's gracious gift of night.<br />
 The stars are watchful over them.<br />
 On Clifton as on Bethlehem<br />
 The angels, leaning down the sky,<br />
 Shed peace and gentle dreams.  And I --<br />
 I ride, I blasphemously ride<br />
 Through all the silent countryside.<br />
 The engine's shriek, the headlight's glare,<br />
 Pollute the still nocturnal air.<br />
 The cottages of Lake View sigh<br />
 And sleeping, frown as we pass by.<br />
 Why, even strident Paterson<br />
 Rests quietly as any nun.<br />
 Her foolish warring children keep<br />
 The grateful armistice of sleep.<br />
 For what tremendous errand's sake<br />
 Are we so blatantly awake?<br />
 What precious secret is our freight?<br />
 What king must be abroad so late?<br />
 Perhaps Death roams the hills to-night<br />
 And we rush forth to give him fight.<br />
 Or else, perhaps, we speed his way<br />
 To some remote unthinking prey.<br />
 Perhaps a woman writhes in pain<br />
 And listens -- listens for the train!<br />
 The train, that like an angel sings,<br />
 The train, with healing on its wings.<br />
 Now "Hawthorne!" the conductor cries.<br />
 My neighbor starts and rubs his eyes.<br />
 He hurries yawning through the car<br />
 And steps out where the houses are.<br />
 This is the reason of our quest!<br />
 Not wantonly we break the rest<br />
 Of town and village, nor do we<br />
 Lightly profane night's sanctity.<br />
 What Love commands the train fulfills,<br />
 And beautiful upon the hills<br />
 Are these our feet of burnished steel.<br />
 Subtly and certainly I feel<br />
 That Glen Rock welcomes us to her<br />
 And silent Ridgewood seems to stir<br />
 And smile, because she knows the train<br />
 Has brought her children back again.<br />
 We carry people home -- and so<br />
 God speeds us, wheresoe'er we go.<br />
 Hohokus, Waldwick, Allendale<br />
 Lift sleepy heads to give us hail.<br />
 In Ramsey, Mahwah, Suffern stand<br />
 Houses that wistfully demand<br />
 A father -- son -- some human thing<br />
 That this, the midnight train, may bring.<br />
 The trains that travel in the day<br />
 They hurry folks to work or play.<br />
 The midnight train is slow and old<br />
 But of it let this thing be told,<br />
 To its high honor be it said<br />
 It carries people home to bed.<br />
 My cottage lamp shines white and clear.<br />
 God bless the train that brought me here.

Pennies

 A few long-hoarded pennies in his hand<br />
 Behold him stand;<br />
 A kilted Hedonist, perplexed and sad.<br />
 The joy that once he had,<br />
 The first delight of ownership is fled.<br />
 He bows his little head.<br />
 Ah, cruel Time, to kill<br />
 That splendid thrill!

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of Joyce Kilmer’s "The Midnight Train" (from Trees, and Other Poems)**

Context & Background

Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) was an American poet best known for his short, sentimental works, particularly "Trees" (1913). While often dismissed as overly simplistic, his poetry frequently explores themes of nature, faith, and human connection. "The Midnight Train" (sometimes titled "The Night Train") is a lesser-known but richly layered poem that contrasts the mechanical intrusion of a train with the serene, sacred stillness of night. Written in the early 20th century—a time of rapid industrialization—Kilmer’s poem reflects both awe and unease at modernity’s disruption of natural rhythms.

Themes

Man vs. Nature (Industry vs. Serenity)
- The train is a "noisy little rebel" defying the "ancient place" of darkness, symbolizing humanity’s disruptive presence in a world governed by natural cycles.
- The night is personified as a "king," serene and unchanging, while the train’s "flames and shouts" are fleeting and insignificant in comparison.
Sacredness of Night & Sleep
- Night is framed as a divine gift ("God’s gracious gift of night"), a time of rest and renewal. The train’s intrusion is almost sacrilegious ("blasphemously ride," "profane night’s sanctity").
- Towns like Clifton and Bethlehem (a biblical reference to peace) are under the watchful care of stars and angels, emphasizing night’s spiritual dimension.
Purpose & Redemption
- Initially, the train’s journey seems pointless ("What tremendous errand’s sake / Are we so blatantly awake?"), but the poem shifts to reveal its noble purpose: carrying people home.
- The train becomes a metaphor for love and duty, transforming from a disruptive force into a benevolent one ("What Love commands the train fulfills").
Transience vs. Permanence
- The train’s noise and light are temporary ("passes on, and leaves no trace"), while the night and the towns endure.
- Yet, the train’s mission—returning people to their homes—gives it a lasting significance, bridging the ephemeral and the eternal.

Literary Devices & Structure

Personification & Anthropomorphism
- The train is a rebellious child ("pouts / Its brief defiance"), the night is a king, stars are "watchful," and towns "smile" or "frown."
- The conductor’s cry ("Hawthorne!") humanizes the mechanical, while the train itself is given almost angelic qualities ("healing on its wings").
Contrast & Juxtaposition
- Light vs. Dark: The train’s "manufactured light" vs. the "cool and clean" darkness; "headlight’s glare" vs. the "cottage lamp" that shines "white and clear."
- Noise vs. Silence: The train’s "clang and clank and roar" vs. the "silent countryside" and "sleepy heads."
- Sacred vs. Profane: The train’s intrusion is initially blasphemous, but its purpose becomes sacred ("God speeds us").
Imagery
- Visual: The "plume of red and white" smoke, the "crimson cushioned seat," the "sleeping" towns.
- Auditory: The engine’s "cough," the "shriek" of the train, the "clang and clank."
- Tactile: The "weary feet" of Prospect Street, the "cool and clean" towns.
Biblical & Mythological Allusions
- Bethlehem: Invokes the birthplace of Christ, associating night with divine peace.
- Angels: The stars and angels "shed peace," reinforcing the night’s holiness.
- "Healing on its wings": Echoes biblical imagery (e.g., Malachi 4:2, "the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings").
Rhyme & Meter
- The poem uses a loose iambic tetrameter (four stressed syllables per line) with an AABB or ABCB rhyme scheme, giving it a rhythmic, almost musical quality—fitting for a train’s motion.
- The regularity mimics the train’s steady progress, while occasional enjambment (e.g., "flames and shouts -- / And passes on") creates a sense of urgency.
Irony & Shift in Tone
- The poem begins with the train as an intruder but ends with it as a savior. The speaker’s initial guilt ("I feel unnatural and mean") gives way to gratitude ("God bless the train that brought me here").
- The "precious secret" of the train’s freight is revealed to be not gold or kings, but ordinary people returning home—a quietly profound revelation.

Line-by-Line Analysis (Key Sections)

Stanza 1–3: The Train’s Defiance
- The engine "coughs and shakes its head" like a living beast, its smoke a "plume" (suggesting both beauty and aggression).
- The stars are "grave incurious"—indifferent to human activity, emphasizing nature’s dominance.
- The train is a "rebel," but its defiance is "brief," highlighting humanity’s temporary disruption of eternal night.
Stanza 4–6: The Speaker’s Guilt
- The speaker feels "unnatural and mean" in the artificial comfort of the train, contrasting with the "cool and clean" towns outside.
- The towns are "curtained" from the train’s noise, suggesting a veil between the sacred (night) and the profane (industry).
Stanza 7–9: The Train’s Purpose Revealed
- The shift occurs with the conductor’s cry ("Hawthorne!"). A passenger disembarks, revealing the train’s true mission: taking people home.
- The towns (Glen Rock, Ridgewood) "welcome" the train, personifying them as grateful parents receiving their children.
Stanza 10–12: Redemption & Blessing
- The train’s noise is no longer an intrusion but a call to reunion ("Hohokus, Waldwick, Allendale / Lift sleepy heads to give us hail").
- The final lines are a prayer: the train, once a blasphemer, is now blessed because it serves love and family.

Significance & Interpretation

Critique of Industrialization: Kilmer subtly questions whether progress is worth the cost of disrupting natural harmony. Yet, he finds redemption in the train’s human purpose.
Sacralization of the Mundane: The poem elevates an ordinary train ride to a near-religious act—carrying people home becomes a sacred duty.
Nostalgia & Comfort: The poem reflects a longing for connection in an increasingly mechanized world. The train, despite its noise, is a lifeline for families.
Universal Appeal: The image of a late-night train bringing loved ones home resonates with anyone who has waited for a family member’s return.

Comparison to "Pennies"

The second poem, "Pennies," offers a stark contrast in tone and theme:

Loss of Innocence: A child, once joyful with his "long-hoarded pennies," now feels the weight of time ("Ah, cruel Time, to kill / That splendid thrill").
Transience of Joy: Like the train’s fleeting defiance, the child’s happiness is temporary, reinforcing Kilmer’s preoccupation with impermanence.
Hedonism vs. Duty: The "kilted Hedonist" (a child in a Scottish kilt, symbolizing playfulness) is "perplexed and sad," while the train poem ends with fulfillment through duty ("What Love commands").

Together, the poems explore the tension between fleeting pleasures and enduring purpose—whether in the noise of a train or the sadness of a child outgrowing joy.

Conclusion

"The Midnight Train" is a masterful blend of sound, symbolism, and shifting perspective. Kilmer transforms a simple train ride into a meditation on humanity’s place in the natural order, the sanctity of home, and the redemptive power of love and duty. While the train initially seems like an intruder, its true role—as a bringer of reunions—makes it a vessel of grace, blessed by the same night it once defied. In an era of rapid change, Kilmer’s poem reminds us that even the most mechanical aspects of modern life can serve profound, human needs.

Questions

Question 1

The poem’s depiction of the train undergoes a tonal shift from defiance to reverence. Which of the following best captures the mechanism by which this shift is achieved?

A. The train’s physical deceleration as it approaches rural stations, mirrored in the poem’s slowing meter.
B. The speaker’s growing awareness of the train’s historical significance as a symbol of American industrial progress.
C. The cumulative effect of onomatopoeia, which softens from harsh consonants ("clang and clank") to liquid sounds ("wistfully demand").
D. The revelation of the train’s purpose as a conduit for human connection, reframing its intrusion as an act of service.
E. The progressive personification of the towns, which transition from passive observers to active participants in the train’s journey.

Question 2

The line "The stars are watchful over them" (referring to the towns) serves primarily to:

A. evoke a biblical framework in which night is a divine sanctuary, contrasting with the train’s initial profanity.
B. emphasize the stars’ indifference to human activity, reinforcing the futility of the train’s rebellion.
C. suggest that the towns, like the train, are transient entities under the stars’ fleeting gaze.
D. introduce a cosmic scale to underscore the insignificance of both the train and the towns.
E. foreshadow the train’s eventual failure to disrupt the night’s dominance, as the stars remain "incurious."

Question 3

The speaker’s description of the train as a "noisy little rebel" employs which of the following literary strategies to most subtly undermine the train’s apparent power?

A. Diminutive language ("little") that trivializes the train’s defiance in contrast to the night’s "ancient place."
B. Onomatopoeia ("noisy") that mimics the train’s sound, thereby granting it aural dominance over the passage.
C. Personification that endows the train with human agency, making its rebellion seem deliberate and heroic.
D. Irony in the juxtaposition of "rebel" with the train’s ultimate submission to the night’s "serene and absolute" rule.
E. Alliteration ("noisy little") that draws attention to the train’s sonic intrusion, amplifying its disruptive force.

Question 4

The poem’s final stanza ("The trains that travel in the day... / It carries people home to bed") functions as a:

A. reductive dismissal of daytime trains as merely utilitarian, lacking the midnight train’s spiritual dimension.
B. circular return to the poem’s opening imagery, reinforcing the cyclical nature of human labor and rest.
C. didactic moral about the superiority of nocturnal travel, which aligns with natural rhythms.
D. lament for the inevitability of modernity, where even the midnight train’s nobility is tinged with melancholy.
E. thematic resolution that elevates the midnight train’s purpose from disruption to benediction, completing its arc.

Question 5

In the context of the poem’s exploration of transience, the "long-hoarded pennies" in "Pennies" serve as a foil to the midnight train primarily because they represent:

A. a fleeting, individualistic joy that lacks the train’s redemptive communal function.
B. the futility of material accumulation, whereas the train symbolizes the value of intangible connections.
C. childhood innocence, which the train’s industrial noise has irrevocably destroyed.
D. a static, hoarded past, contrasting with the train’s dynamic, forward-moving purpose.
E. the speaker’s personal nostalgia, while the train embodies a collective, societal progression.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The poem’s tonal shift hinges on the revelation of the train’s purpose—not as a mere disruptor but as a vessel for human reunion. Initially framed as a "rebel" profaning the night, the train’s role is redefined when the conductor calls "Hawthorne!" and a passenger disembarks, exposing its function: "We carry people home." This reframing transforms the train’s intrusion into an act of service, aligning it with divine will ("God speeds us"). The shift is structural and thematic, not merely stylistic (e.g., meter or sound) or perceptual (e.g., the speaker’s guilt).