Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from Trees, and Other Poems, by Joyce Kilmer
The Twelve-Forty-Five
(For Edward J. Wheeler)
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.
Explanation
Detailed Explanation of Joyce Kilmer’s "The Twelve-Forty-Five"
Context & Background
Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) was an American poet best known for his short, sentimental verse, particularly "Trees" (1913), which idealizes nature in a simple, almost hymn-like fashion. "The Twelve-Forty-Five" (1914), from his collection Trees, and Other Poems, presents a starkly different tone—one of industrial disruption, existential questioning, and eventual redemption. The poem is dedicated to Edward J. Wheeler, likely a friend or colleague, and depicts a late-night train ride through New Jersey towns (Rutherford, Passaic, Paterson, etc.), blending industrial imagery with spiritual reflection.
Kilmer wrote during the early 20th century, a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization, when trains symbolized both progress and alienation. The poem grapples with the tension between human-made machinery and the natural (or divine) order, ultimately finding meaning in the train’s role as a bearer of homecoming.
Themes
Industry vs. Nature/Divinity
- The train is a "noisy little rebel" defying the "ancient place" of darkness, which is personified as a serene, unchanging king. The contrast between the mechanical (artificial light, noise, steel) and the natural (night, stars, sleep) frames the poem’s central conflict.
- The train’s intrusion is initially framed as blasphemous—a violation of "night’s sanctity." Yet by the end, its purpose (carrying people home) aligns it with divine will ("God speeds us").
Alienation & Belonging
- The speaker feels "unnatural and mean" in the train’s "manufactured light and heat," disconnected from the "cool and clean" towns outside. This mirrors modernist anxieties about industrialization’s dehumanizing effects.
- The shift occurs when the train’s purpose is revealed: it doesn’t just disrupt but restores—bringing families together, fulfilling "Love’s commands."
The Sacredness of Homecoming
- The poem transforms the train from a disruptive force into a quasi-sacred vessel. The midnight train, unlike daytime trains (which serve work or play), has a redemptive function: it "carries people home to bed."
- The final lines evoke a benediction ("God bless the train"), elevating the mundane to the spiritual.
Existential Questioning
- The speaker wonders: Why are we awake when the world sleeps? The train’s errand is initially mysterious—is it fighting Death? Aiding a woman in labor? The ambiguity underscores the poem’s search for meaning in modernity.
Literary Devices & Structure
Personification & Anthropomorphism
- The train is a "rebel" that "pouts," "flames," and "shouts"; darkness is a "king"; towns "sigh," "frown," and "smile."
- The stars are "watchful," and angels lean down like guardians over Clifton and Bethlehem (a biblical allusion to the Nativity, linking the mundane to the divine).
Contrast & Juxtaposition
- Light vs. Dark: The train’s "headlight’s glare" vs. the "ancient" darkness; "manufactured light" vs. "God’s gracious gift of night."
- Noise vs. Silence: The train’s "clang and clank" vs. the "silent countryside."
- Motion vs. Stillness: The "hurrying cars" vs. the "weary feet" at rest.
Symbolism
- The Train: Represents human defiance, progress, and ultimately, service. Its "feet of burnished steel" suggest both industry and a kind of holy duty.
- Night/Darkness: Symbolizes the eternal, the natural order, and divine peace. The train’s disruption is temporary; darkness "holds its ancient place."
- The Midnight Hour: A liminal time, neither day nor night, where the ordinary becomes sacred (e.g., the Nativity occurred at night).
Allusion
- Bethlehem: Invokes the birth of Christ, suggesting the train’s mission is similarly benevolent.
- "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 rhyme scheme, giving it a rhythmic, almost incantatory quality—appropriate for a train’s motion and the poem’s hymn-like resolution.
Irony
- The train, initially a disruptor, becomes a force of harmony. The "blasphemous" ride is sanctified by its purpose.
Line-by-Line Analysis (Key Sections)
Stanza 1–2: The Train’s Defiance
- "The engine coughs and shakes its head / The smoke, a plume of red and white, / Waves madly in the face of night." The train is anthropomorphized as a living, almost aggressive entity. The "plume of red and white" suggests both fire (industry) and blood (violence or life).
- "Against the kind and awful reign / Of darkness, this our angry train, / A noisy little rebel, pouts / Its brief defiance..." Darkness is "kind" yet "awful"—both gentle and awe-inspiring. The train’s defiance is "brief," emphasizing its temporality against eternity.
Stanza 3–4: The Speaker’s Alienation
- "On my crimson cushioned seat, / In manufactured light and heat, / I feel unnatural and mean." The speaker’s discomfort highlights the artificiality of industrial life. "Crimson" may evoke both luxury and guilt (like blood on hands).
- "Outside the towns are cool and clean; / Curtained awhile from sound and sight / They take God’s gracious gift of night." The towns are personified as pure, "curtained" from the train’s intrusion. Night is a "gift," contrasting with the train’s violation.
Stanza 5–6: The Train’s Purpose Revealed
- "Hawthorne!" the conductor cries. / My neighbor starts and rubs his eyes... / This is the reason of our quest!" The mundane moment (a passenger disembarking) becomes the poem’s turning point. The train’s "quest" is not grand but human—bringing people home.
- "Not wantonly we break the rest / Of town and village... / What Love commands the train fulfills." The train’s noise is justified by love, aligning it with divine will. The capitalized "Love" suggests a sacred force.
Final Stanzas: Redemption & Benediction
- "Subtly and certainly I feel / That Glen Rock welcomes us to her / And silent Ridgewood seems to stir / And smile..." The towns, once "obscure and still," now welcome the train. The shift from hostility to warmth mirrors the speaker’s change in perspective.
- "The trains that travel in the day / They hurry folks to work or play. / The midnight train is slow and old / But of it let this thing be told— / It carries people home to bed." The midnight train’s slowness and age make it humble, even noble. Its purpose is intimate and essential.
- "My cottage lamp shines white and clear. / God bless the train that brought me here." The poem ends with a prayer-like blessing, elevating the train to an instrument of grace.
Significance & Interpretation
- Industrialization & Spirituality: Kilmer reconciles the mechanical and the sacred. The train, a symbol of modernity, is not inherently evil but can serve higher purposes (homecoming, love, rest).
- The Mundane as Sacred: The poem finds holiness in the ordinary—a late-night train ride becomes a metaphor for divine mission. This reflects Kilmer’s Catholic faith, which saw grace in daily life.
- Critique of Progress: While the train is redeemed, the poem acknowledges its disruptive power. The "angry train" is a cautionary note about technology’s potential to alienate.
- Nostalgia & Home: The poem idealizes home as a place of peace and belonging, contrasting with the train’s initial chaos. This resonates with Kilmer’s own life—he was a family man who valued domesticity.
Conclusion: Why This Poem Matters
"The Twelve-Forty-Five" is more than a description of a train ride; it’s a meditation on meaning in modernity. Kilmer takes an industrial symbol—the train—and infuses it with spiritual significance. The poem begins with defiance ("noisy little rebel") and ends with blessing ("God bless the train"), suggesting that even in a mechanized world, humanity’s deepest needs (love, home, rest) remain sacred.
In an era where technology often feels alienating, Kilmer’s poem offers a redemptive vision: what we build can serve what we hold holy. The midnight train, slow and old, becomes a vessel of grace—not despite its noise, but because of its purpose.
Questions
Question 1
The poem’s depiction of the train shifts from "blasphemously ride" (line 23) to "God speeds us, wheresoe’er we go" (line 46). This transformation primarily serves to:
A. illustrate how human purpose can sanctify even disruptive industrial forces, aligning them with a divine order.
B. critique the hypocrisy of modern society, which claims progress is virtuous while secretly relying on divine intervention.
C. suggest that the train’s noise and intrusion are inherently sacred, requiring no justification beyond their existence.
D. emphasize the futility of human endeavor, as the train’s temporary disruption is ultimately absorbed by the eternal night.
E. propose that technology and nature are fundamentally incompatible, and any reconciliation is illusory.
Question 2
The line "The stars are watchful over them" (line 19) functions in the poem as:
A. a literal observation of the night sky, grounding the poem in realistic detail.
B. an ironic contrast to the train’s intrusion, highlighting the stars’ indifference to human activity.
C. a biblical allusion that elevates the towns to a sacred status, akin to Bethlehem under divine protection.
D. a metaphor for the towns’ resilience, as they remain unchanged despite the train’s passage.
E. a critique of human arrogance, as the stars symbolize the vast, unknowable universe dwarfing human concerns.
Question 3
The speaker’s statement, "I feel unnatural and mean" (line 17), is best understood as expressing:
A. a sense of complicity in the train’s violation of the natural order, reflecting modern alienation.
B. physical discomfort due to the train’s "manufactured light and heat," with no deeper symbolic meaning.
C. guilt over the train’s potential role in aiding Death, as suggested in the following stanzas.
D. resentment toward the sleeping towns, which remain oblivious to the train’s labor.
E. existential dread at the train’s inevitable obsolescence in the face of eternal darkness.
Question 4
The poem’s final stanza ("The trains that travel in the day... / It carries people home to bed") employs contrast to argue that:
A. the midnight train’s value lies in its humility and service to human intimacy, unlike the utilitarian daytime trains.
B. daytime trains are morally superior because they serve productive purposes, while the midnight train is merely sentimental.
C. all trains, regardless of their schedule, are equally disruptive to the natural order and thus equally culpable.
D. the midnight train’s slowness and age render it obsolete, while daytime trains represent progress.
E. the speaker’s personal bias toward nighttime travel undermines the poem’s objective assessment of trains.
Question 5
The phrase "healing on its wings" (line 36) is most effectively interpreted as:
A. a literal description of the train’s ability to transport medical supplies to those in need.
B. a metaphorical elevation of the train’s role, framing it as an agent of comfort and restoration akin to an angel.
C. an ironic remark on the train’s destructive potential, as "wings" evoke Icarus’s fall.
D. a reference to the train’s speed, which allows it to reach distant destinations before dawn.
E. a critique of the towns’ dependency on the train, suggesting they are spiritually weakened by its presence.
Solutions and Explanations
1) Correct answer: A
Why A is most correct: The poem’s arc moves from depicting the train as a disruptive, almost sacrilegious force ("blasphemously ride") to framing it as divinely sanctioned ("God speeds us"). This shift hinges on the train’s purpose—carrying people home—which redeems its intrusion. The poem thus argues that human intent can imbue industrial actions with spiritual significance, aligning them with a higher order. This interpretation is supported by the final stanzas, where the train’s mission is explicitly tied to "Love’s commands" and receives a benediction.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- B: The poem does not critique modern society’s hypocrisy; it celebrates the train’s redemptive role. There is no suggestion that progress relies on "divine intervention" in a cynical way.
- C: The train’s noise and intrusion are not inherently sacred; they require justification (its purpose) to be sanctified. The poem distinguishes between the train’s disruptive qualities and its ultimate meaning.
- D: While the night is eternal, the poem does not emphasize futility. The train’s disruption is meaningful because it serves love and homecoming.
- E: The poem explicitly reconciles technology and nature/divinity in the end. The train’s purpose bridges the two, making this option contradict the text’s resolution.
2) Correct answer: B
Why B is most correct: The line "The stars are watchful over them" juxtaposes the stars’ serene, eternal gaze with the train’s noisy intrusion. The stars’ "watchfulness" is passive and indifferent—they do not intervene or react to the train, highlighting the contrast between the natural/divine order and human activity. This irony underscores the train’s temporary, almost insignificant disruption in the grand scheme. The stars’ role is observational, not protective (ruling out C) or critical (ruling out E).
Why the distractors are less supported:
- A: The stars are not a "literal observation"; their depiction is heavily symbolic and contrastive.
- C: While "Bethlehem" is mentioned later, this line does not function as a biblical allusion to sacred protection. The stars are not actively guarding the towns but observing them impartially.
- D: The stars do not symbolize the towns’ resilience; they emphasize the towns’ passivity and the train’s insignificance in the face of eternity.
- E: The stars are not a critique of human arrogance. Their indifference is neutral, not judgmental.
3) Correct answer: A
Why A is most correct: The speaker’s discomfort stems from a sense of complicity in the train’s violation of the natural order. The "manufactured light and heat" contrast with the "cool and clean" towns outside, and the speaker feels "unnatural" because they are part of an industrial intrusion into a sacred, restful night. This aligns with the poem’s broader theme of modern alienation, where technology disrupts harmony. The line reflects guilt over participating in this disruption.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- B: The discomfort is clearly symbolic, tied to the poem’s themes of artificiality vs. nature. Reducing it to physical discomfort ignores the layered meaning.
- C: The speaker’s guilt is not specifically about aiding Death (mentioned later as a hypothetical). Here, the focus is on the train’s general intrusion.
- D: There is no resentment toward the towns. The speaker envies their peace, not resents their obliviousness.
- E: Existential dread about obsolescence is not present. The speaker’s unease is about the train’s current disruption, not its future irrelevance.
4) Correct answer: A
Why A is most correct: The final stanza contrasts the daytime trains (which serve "work or play") with the midnight train, which is "slow and old" but carries people "home to bed." This juxtaposition elevates the midnight train’s humility and intimacy, framing its purpose as more meaningful because it serves love and rest. The poem argues that the midnight train’s value lies in its quiet, essential role in human connection, not in productivity or speed.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- B: The poem does not suggest daytime trains are "morally superior." If anything, the midnight train is portrayed as more noble.
- C: The poem distinguishes between the trains’ purposes; it does not equate their disruptive effects or culpability.
- D: The midnight train’s slowness and age are virtues, not signs of obsolescence. The poem celebrates these qualities.
- E: The speaker’s perspective is central to the poem’s argument; there is no "bias" undermining objectivity. The contrast is deliberate and thematic.
5) Correct answer: B
Why B is most correct: "Healing on its wings" is a metaphorical phrase that elevates the train to an almost angelic status. The train is not literally healing (ruling out A) but is framed as a bringer of comfort and restoration—like an angel—because it carries people home to their loved ones. This aligns with the poem’s redemptive arc, where the train’s purpose becomes sacred. The biblical allusion to angels (e.g., Malachi 4:2) reinforces this interpretation.
Why the distractors are less supported:
- A: The healing is not literal (e.g., medical supplies). The poem’s focus is on emotional and spiritual restoration.
- C: There is no irony or reference to Icarus. "Wings" here are positive, not a warning about hubris.
- D: The phrase is not about speed. The midnight train is explicitly "slow and old."
- E: The towns are not critiqued as "spiritually weakened." The poem celebrates their connection to the train’s purpose.