The Express by Stephen Spender

The Express

by Stephen Spender

After the first powerful plain manifesto 

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Breaking with honey buds, shall ever equal

Due to copyright reasons the poem is not published.

Please read the poem in your text book. Keep a copy of the poem when you read the poem

source -  English Language and Communication Skills BA III year printed by Hindi Granth Academy Madhya Pradesh

Line by line Paraphrase of The Express by Stephen Spender

Line 1. After making its first strong and clear announcement of movement,

Line 2. The engine’s pistons make their powerful mechanical sound;

Line 3. Then, smoothly and without effort, the train quietly leaves the station.

Line 4. Without any gesture or politeness, and with calm confidence,

Line 5. The train moves past the small houses that stand modestly by the tracks,

Line 6. Past the gasworks, and then past the cemetery,

Line 7. Where gravestones look like printed symbols of death.

Line 8. Beyond the town the open countryside begins,

Line 9. And as the train gathers more speed, she becomes more mysterious—

Line 10. She appears calm and majestic, like ships moving across the ocean.

Line 11. Now she begins to make her musical sound—softly at first,

Line 12. Then louder, and eventually bursting into an excited, wild rhythm—

Line 13. The sound of her whistle screaming around curves,

Line 14. The roar of tunnels, brakes, and countless metal parts.

Line 15. And beneath all these sounds, light and effortless,

Line 16. Runs the joyful, rhythmic beat of her wheels on the tracks.

Line 17. Travelling through a world made of metal, following her rails,

Line 18. She pushes forward into new times full of energy and excitement,

Line 19. Where speed creates strange new shapes, wide curves,

Line 20. And perfectly straight lines shining like polished steel weapons.

Line 21. Finally, farther than any famous city,

Line 22. Beyond the highest point of the earth, she enters the night—

Line 23. Where only a thin stream of bright light

Line 24. Glows like phosphorus on the rolling hills.

Line 25. Like a comet blazing through fire, she moves in a kind of magical trance—

Line 26. Lost in her own music, a sound so powerful

Line 27. That no birdsong or the breaking of spring buds

Line 28. Can ever match its brilliance.

Explanation and Analysis

1. Explanation: From line 1 to 7. After the first ………… cemetery.

The train makes movement after giving a powerful and plain whistle. In general, it is warning for travelers to board the train as it is starting, however, the poet describes it as a powerful manifesto of travel for the travelers. This manifesto is the promise of a travel full of enjoyment and sightseeing expressed in the form of black statements given by pistons with ease of expression and as you know this is what the second line says. Then smoothly, quietly, effortlessly without bowing to anyone, the train leaves the station. She moves straight on her mission steadily unconcerned with anyone without making any gesture or showing politeness to anyone with calm and ease of confidence. She moves past the small houses who appear to stand bowing to the majesty of the train outside the gasworks. Then she moves past the gasworks then past the cemetery. The cemetery looks like a page of sadness on which gravestones look like printed symbols of death.

Literary Devices: The train is personified for her movement like a queen and remaining unconcerned to the surroundings. The personification starts from the very first line and continues to the very end. This is what gives life to the poem and maintains interest of the readers from the beginning to the end. The train is likened to a queen in the beginning and then to a ship on the ocean and then to a comet at the end of the poem. She moves like a queen, sings sometimes quite slowly and sometimes in jazzy madness and in the night she looks like a comet emitting blaze of light.

The houses too are personified. They stand bowing to the train. 'Like a queen' is a simile. First and second line show the music of alliteration of “P” and “t” sound. Metaphor of manifesto is very powerful. It engages the readers from the very beginning. Mechanical imagery of pistons is very impressive to read. The poet is successful in presenting the imagery of the train leaving the station, gas works, houses and finally cemetery which is a symbol of death.

2. Explanation: From line 8 to 10. Beyond …………ocean

When the train reaches beyond the town, the country side begins. The countryside looks open and beautiful. The train gets momentum in the countryside and as the speed increases gradually the train acquires mysteries and looks more mysterious. Why more mysterious? Is she mysterious? Yes, she has many mysteries hidden in her nature. She keeps unveiling these mysteries time to time at different places. In countryside, she appears shining calm and majestic because countryside is calm and people like the train more than urban people so she appears majestic or rather proud of her beauty. Her beautiful shining appearance and her fast and smooth speed in vast open landscape makes her look like a ship moving across the ocean.

Literary Devices: This part of the poem successfully presents the imagery of countryside. The personification of the train continues in these lines too, for her mysterious appearance. We have a beautiful simile in this part. The train is compared to a ship moving smoothly upon the ocean.

3. Explanation: From line 11 to 14. It is now …………bolts

Now she begins to reveal her more mysteries. She begins to sing. At first, it is very low. Then, it becomes loud and then it acquires the madness of jazz music. The song of her whistles takes the form of screams at curves and it becomes deafening when roar of brakes and innumerable bolts combine together when she crosses a tunnel.

Literary Devices: The personification of the train continues. She sings, screams and acquires jazzy madness. This part is full of imagery most importantly auditory imagery of mechanical parts.

4. Explanation: From line 15 to 20. And always …………of guns

And beneath all these sounds, what goes joyful, light, rhythmic and smooth like moving on the air is the movement of her wheels on the railway track. She moves throwing steam of her engine through the world of metal of her rails and enters new age of wild happiness where speed on metal creates strange shapes, curves, parallels and patterns on the metal of rails shining like clean and polished gun metal.

Literary Devices: This part of the poem has imagery of railway track, its polished gun metal, different patterns and smooth movement 

5. Explanation: From line 21 to 28. At last …………ever equal.

At last, she reaches at night beyond Edinburg or Rome, even beyond the crest of the earth where a thin stream of light appears glowing white like Phosphorus on the rolling hills. She appears like comet that moves through blazing light of fire. There she appears to be in a magical trance surrounded by her own music, the music is so entrancing that no bird song of the breaking of spring buds can ever match its brilliance.  

Literary Devices: This part has a hyperbole of the place where the train reaches at night farther than very famous cities like Rome and beyond the crest. We come across Imagery of burning phosphorous at night and a simile when the train is compared to a comet with fiery movement and a personification when the train moves entranced and wrapt in music. The poem ends in another hyperbole when the poet finds music of the train sweeter than that of any birds.

Summary of the poem The Express

The poem "The Express" by Stephen Spender depicts the beauty and majesty of an express train. The poem is quite interesting because the poets generally choose the objects of nature to write poetry on them but Stephen Spender finds beauty in mechanical objects like a train. The poet celebrates the power and majesty of a train journey. The poem begins with the train's departure from the station. It departs by giving a whistle. It is described as a "plain manifesto," and it glides like a queen without much fuss. Plain manifesto is a metaphor here as whistling is compared to a plain manifesto.  It passes through the town, including humble houses and the gasworks, until it reaches the cemetery, symbolizing the page of death painted by gravestones of the cemetery .

As the train moves beyond the town into the open country, it gains speed and acquires a sense of mystery and self-assuredness, likened to ships on the ocean. It begins to "sing" with the whistle screaming at curves, tunnels, brakes, and bolts. The train's wheels maintain an elated rhythm as it steams through the metal landscape, introducing new eras of wild happiness. The speed of the train creates strange shapes of the steam and smoke in the sky and broad curves and  parallels like steel guns on the track of the train.

The journey takes the train to the edge of the world, reaching the high and mountainous place at night where faint phosphorus can be seen tossing on the hills. The illuminating train passes the hills with burning phosphorus. The poem uses the metaphor of a comet moving through flame to describe the train's entranced motion, wrapped in its own music, surpassing the beauty of bird songs or blooming buds.

In summary, the poem "Express" portrays the exhilarating and powerful journey of a train, highlighting its grace, speed, and the emotions it evokes as it travels through different landscapes and creates a symphony of motion.

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is “Plain Manifesto” according to the poet?

Ans: According to the poet, “Plain Manifesto” is ………..

1. Sound of the steam engine.
2. Sound of pistons of the train.
3. Sound of the whistle.
4. Sound of steam from the train.

Correct Answer is 3 sound of the whistle.

2.  What is the black statement of pistons according to the poet?

Ans. According to the poet, the black statement of pistons is …………

1. the colour of the pistons.
2. the speed of the pistons.
3. sound of the pistons.
4. smooth movement of the pistons without noise.

Correct answer is 4 smooth movement of the pistons without noise.

3. The glide of the train is compared to ……

1. walk of a queen.
2. movement of ship.
3. movement of a plane.
4. movement of a bus.

Correct answer is 1- walk of a queen.

4. How does the train moves ahead?

Ans: 

1. It moves smoothly.
2. It moves ahead without bowing to any one and showing any concern.
3. It moves ahead whistling very loudly.
4. It moves ahead making a lot of noise.

Correct answer is 2.- It moves ahead without bowing to anyone and showing any concern.

5. How do the houses appear when the train passes through them?

Ans: When the train passes through houses, they appear………

1. modest.
2. indifferent.
3. bowing to the train.
4. sleeping.

Correct answer is 1.- modest.

6. What is the heavy page of death?

Ans: The heavy page of death is ……….

1. gasworks.
2. cremation ground.
3. back of the church.
4. cemetery.

Correct answer is 4.- cemetery.

7. Where does the train gain speed?

Ans: The train gains speed when it reaches……….

1. the cemetery.
2. the open countryside.
3. the gas work.
4. phosphorous hills.

Correct answer is 2.- the open countryside.

8. How does the train look like when she gains speed?

Ans: When the train gains speed, it looks like………..

1. a comet.
2. a ship on the ocean.
3. a glider.
4. a motorboat.

Correct answer is 2.- a ship on the ocean.

9. When does the train whistle?

Ans: The train whistles …………

1. when it reaches the countryside.
2. when she crosses fields.
3. at each curve.
4. when she crosses the graveyard.

Correct answer is 3.- at each curve. 

10. Where does the train reach at night?

Ans: At night, the train reaches ………..

1. a city on the sea shore.
2. a very high place on the mountains.
3. Edinburg.
4. Rome.

Correct answer is 2.- a very high place on the mountain.

11. What happens when the train crosses a tunnel?

Ans: When the train reaches a tunnel, …………..

1. it increases lights.
2. it creates a deafening noise from  brakes, bolts and machinery.
3. it moves very smoothly.
4. it moves very slowly.

Correct answer is 2.- it creates a deafening noise from brakes, bolts and machinery.

12. How does the train appear in the night when it reaches a mountainous place with burning phosphorus?

Ans: The train appears ………….

1. like a burning train.
2. like a comet.
3. like a comet moving through flames.
4. like a burning train moving through flames.

Correct answer is 3.- like a comet moving through flames.

13. How does the train sing when it reaches the open countryside?

Ans: When the train reaches the open countryside, ………….

1. it sings madly like jazz music.
2. it sings very slowly.
3. it sings loudly.
4. it sings at first slowly, then loudly and then madly like jazz music.

Correct answer is 4.- it sings at first slowly, then loudly and then madly like jazz music.

14. What is the elate metre of her wheels?

Ans: It is ………..

1. the track on which the train moves.
2. the metre which tells the speed of the train.
3. rhythmic movement of wheels.
4. the music created by rhythmic movement of wheels.

Correct answer is 4.- the music created by rhythmic movements of wheels.

15. What are the strange shapes? 

Ans: The strange shapes are ……………

1. shapes of railway track.
2. shapes of forests.
3. shapes created by steam and smoke.
4. shapes of fields.

Correct answer is 3.- shapes created by steam and smoke.

16. What are the broad curves and parallels? 

Ans: The broad curves and parallels are………

1. shapes of railway track.
2. shapes of forests.
3. shapes created by steam and smoke.
4. shapes of fields.

Correct answer is 3.- shapes created by steam and smoke

17. When does the train acquire mystery? 

Ans: The train acquires mystery………

1. when she leaves cemetery.
2. when she reaches the open country.
3. When she reaches beyond the crest of the world..
4. when she reaches Rome.

Correct answer is 2.- when she reaches the open country.

18. What is the destination of the train? 

Ans: The destination of the train is ………

1. Edinburg.
2. London
3. Rome
4. not given clearly in the poem.

Correct answer is 4.- not given clearly in the poem.

Explanation of Some Phrases

......the first powerful plain manifesto........black statement of pistons......

The above two phrases are very important in the poem as they are in the beginning of the poem. Why has 'manifesto' been used? Then comes 'black statement'. What is the connection between these two phrases ? What is their function in the poem?

Let us see the meaning of 'manifesto'? Manifesto is a public declaration of policy and aims especially one issued before an election by a political party or a candidate.

Here in the poem, the train like a candidate of election,  makes a public declaration about the journey that is going to start that it is going to be a smooth, joyful and picturesque journey. It is a promise that is made at the beginning of the poem. This manifesto consists of 'a plain manifesto' and 'the black statement of pistons; But why 'plain manifesto'?  Plain manifesto means "long whistle of the train', plainly a long whistle and nothing else. So the whole manifesto consists of the title 'Manifesto' and then comes the statement. The statement is given by the black pistons. The black pistons make a smooth and silent movement indicating that  it is going to be a smooth journey. Thus the train makes a plain manifesto means it reads only the title first and then reads the black statement of pistons. So if the question is ..... What is manifesto of the train?

Answer: Manifesto of the train is a long whistle followed by black statement by the black pistons indicating that it is going to be a smooth journey as the silent movement of the pistons indicates smooth journey.

But if the question is .. What is a plain manifesto?

Answer: Plain manifesto is a plain long whistle made by the train. 

The manifesto continues as a new page comes which is labelled as a heavy page. It is cemetery.

Q. What is the acquired mystery of the train?

Ans. The acquired mystery of the train is her luminous self possession like that of a ship on ocean and her singing at first low then loud and at last singing with jazzy madness.

About Stephen Spender

Stephen Spender (1909-1995) was a renowned English poet, essayist, and critic. He was born on February 28, 1909, in London, England. Spender was part of the generation of poets known as the "Thirties poets," which included W.H. Auden and C. Day Lewis. He attended University College, Oxford, and was deeply influenced by the literary and intellectual circles of his time. Throughout his life, Spender was actively involved in political and social causes, particularly during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. He served as a firefighter during the London Blitz and worked as a cultural ambassador for the British Council. As a poet, Spender's works often explored themes of love, alienation, and social justice. His poetry was marked by its clarity, emotional depth, and empathy for the human condition. Aside from his poetic achievements, Spender was also a successful editor and translator. He received numerous accolades during his lifetime, and his literary contributions continue to be celebrated and appreciated long after his death on July 16, 1995.