Skimbleshank: The Railway Cat by TS Eliot

Skimbleshank: The Railway Cat 

by TS Eliot

There's a whisper down the line at 11.39

When the Night Mail's ready to depart,

Saying "Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?

We must find him or the train can't start."

All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster's daughters

They are searching high and low,

Saying "Skimble where is Skimble for unless he's very nimble

Then the Night Mail just can't go."

At 11.42 then the signal's nearly due

And the passengers are frantic to a man—

Then Skimble will appear and he'll saunter to the rear:

He's been busy in the luggage van!

He gives one flash of his glass-green eyes

And the signal goes "All Clear!"

And we're off at last for the northern part

Of the Northern Hemisphere!

You may say that by and large it is Skimble who's in charge

Of the Sleeping Car Express.

From the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards

He will supervise them all, more or less.

Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces

Of the travellers in the First and the Third;

He establishes control by a regular patrol

And he'd know at once if anything occurred.

He will watch you without winking and he sees what you are thinking

And it's certain that he doesn't approve

Of hilarity and riot, so the folk are very quiet

When Skimble is about and on the move.

You can play no pranks with Skimbleshanks!

He's a Cat that cannot be ignored;

So nothing goes wrong on the Northern Mail

When Skimbleshanks is aboard.

Oh, it's very pleasant when you have found your little den

With your name written up on the door.

And the berth is very neat with a newly folded sheet

And there's not a speck of dust on the floor.

There is every sort of light-you can make it dark or bright;

There's a handle that you turn to make a breeze.

There's a funny little basin you're supposed to wash your face in

And a crank to shut the window if you sneeze.

Then the guard looks in politely and will ask you very brightly

"Do you like your morning tea weak or strong?"

But Skimble's just behind him and was ready to remind him,

For Skimble won't let anything go wrong.

And when you creep into your cosy berth

And pull up the counterpane,

You ought to reflect that it's very nice

To know that you won't be bothered by mice—

You can leave all that to the Railway Cat,

The Cat of the Railway Train!

In the watches of the night he is always fresh and bright;

Every now and then he has a cup of tea

With perhaps a drop of Scotch while he's keeping on the watch,

Only stopping here and there to catch a flea.

You were fast asleep at Crewe and so you never knew

That he was walking up and down the station;

You were sleeping all the while he was busy at Carlisle,

Where he greets the stationmaster with elation.

But you saw him at Dumfries, where he speaks to the police

If there's anything they ought to know about:

When you get to Gallowgate there you do not have to wait—

For Skimbleshanks will help you to get out!

He gives you a wave of his long brown tail

Which says: "I'll see you again!

You'll meet without fail on the Midnight Mail

The Cat of the Railway Train."

Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat — Line by Line Explanation

 Stanza 1

“There's a whisper down the line at 11.39” ( whisper = soft secret talk, down the line = throughout the railway station or along the railway line)

A quiet message spreads through the railway station at 11:39 at night.

“When the Night Mail's ready to depart,” (Night Mail = a night train carrying mail and passengers 

depart = leave)

The Night Mail train is prepared to leave the station.

“Saying ‘Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?’” (hunt the thimble = a playful expression meaning wandering or searching aimlessly)

People jokingly ask where Skimbleshanks has gone.

“We must find him or the train can't start.”

Everyone believes the train cannot leave without Skimbleshanks.

This shows how important he is.

“All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster's daughters” ( guards = railway officials on the train, porters = workers who carry luggage, stationmaster = the head of the railway station)

Railway workers and even the stationmaster’s daughters are searching for him.

“They are searching high and low,” ( high and low = everywhere possible)

They search everywhere.

“Saying ‘Skimble where is Skimble for unless he's very nimble’” ( nimble = quick and active)

They wonder where he is unless he is moving very quickly.

“Then the Night Mail just can't go.”

Without him, the train cannot leave.

The poet humorously exaggerates his importance.

Stanza 2

“At 11.42 then the signal's nearly due” (signal = railway permission for the train to move

due = expected)

At 11:42 the railway signal is about to be given.

And the passengers are frantic to a man—” (frantic = worried and excited

to a man = every person)

All the passengers become anxious.

“Then Skimble will appear and he'll saunter to the rear:” ( saunter = walk slowly and confidently

rear = back part)

At last Skimbleshanks appears and walks casually toward the back of the train.

“He's been busy in the luggage van!” ( luggage van = railway compartment for baggage)

He was working in the compartment carrying luggage.

Stanza 3

“He gives one flash of his glass-green eyes” ( glass-green eyes = bright shining green eyes)

Skimbleshanks looks around sharply with his shining green eyes.

“And the signal goes ‘All Clear!’” ( All Clear = permission to proceed safely)

Immediately the railway signal allows the train to leave.

“And we're off at last for the northern part”

Finally the train begins its journey northward.

“Of the Northern Hemisphere!” ( Northern Hemisphere = northern half of the Earth)

The train travels toward northern Britain.

The line humorously makes the journey sound grand.

Stanza 4

“You may say that by and large it is Skimble who's in charge” ( by and large = generally

in charge = responsible)

Generally, Skimbleshanks controls everything on the train.

“Of the Sleeping Car Express.” ( Sleeping Car Express = train with sleeping compartments)

He supervises the sleeping train compartments.

“From the driver and the guards to the bagmen playing cards” ( bagmen = luggage workers)

Everyone from the driver to workers handling luggage obeys him.

“He will supervise them all, more or less.” ( supervise = manage or inspect, more or less = almost completely) 

He watches over almost everyone.

Stanza 5

“Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces” (paces = walks steadily

examines = checks carefully)

He walks through the train corridors observing passengers carefully.

“Of the travellers in the First and the Third;” ( First and the Third = first-class and third-class compartments)

He checks both rich and ordinary passengers.

“He establishes control by a regular patrol” ( patrol = regular inspection round)

He maintains order by constantly moving around.

“And he'd know at once if anything occurred.” ( at once = immediately occurred = happened)

He would immediately notice any problem.

Stanza 6

“He will watch you without winking and he sees what you are thinking” ( without winking = without blinking)

He watches passengers so carefully that it seems he knows their thoughts.

“And it's certain that he doesn't approve” ( approve = like or permit)

It is clear he dislikes bad behavior.

“Of hilarity and riot, so the folk are very quiet” ( hilarity = loud fun and laughter, riot = disorderly behavior, folk = people)

He dislikes noisy fun and disorder, so people behave quietly.

“When Skimble is about and on the move.”

When he is nearby and walking around.

Stanza 7

“You can play no pranks with Skimbleshanks!” ( pranks = mischievous tricks)

Nobody can fool or trick him.

“He's a Cat that cannot be ignored;”

He is too important to overlook.

“So nothing goes wrong on the Northern Mail”

Everything remains orderly on the train.

“When Skimbleshanks is aboard.” ( aboard = on the train)

When he is on the train.

Stanza 8

“Oh, it's very pleasant when you have found your little den” ( den = small cozy room)

Passengers feel comfortable after finding their compartment.

“With your name written up on the door.”

Their compartment is properly reserved.

“And the berth is very neat with a newly folded sheet” ( berth = sleeping bed in a train compartment)

The sleeping bed is clean and tidy.

“And there's not a speck of dust on the floor.” ( speck = tiny spot)

Everything is perfectly clean.

Stanza 9

“There is every sort of light—you can make it dark or bright;”

Passengers can adjust the lights as they wish.

“There's a handle that you turn to make a breeze.” ( breeze = cool moving air)

There is a fan or ventilator.

“There's a funny little basin you're supposed to wash your face in” ( basin = bowl-shaped sink)

A small washbasin is provided.

“And a crank to shut the window if you sneeze.” ( crank = turning handle. sneeze = sudden expulsion of air from the nose) 

There is a handle for closing the window.

Stanza 10

“Then the guard looks in politely and will ask you very brightly” ( brightly = cheerfully)

The railway guard speaks cheerfully and politely.

“‘Do you like your morning tea weak or strong?’” ( weak tea = less strong tea flavor, strong tea = concentrated tea flavor) 

He asks how the passenger likes tea.

“But Skimble's just behind him and was ready to remind him,”

Skimbleshanks supervises even the guard’s duties.

“For Skimble won't let anything go wrong.”

He ensures perfect discipline.

Stanza 11

“And when you creep into your cosy berth” ( creep = move softly, cosy = comfortable and warm

Passengers quietly get into bed.) 

“And pull up the counterpane,” ( counterpane = bedcover or blanket) 

They pull up the blanket.

“You ought to reflect that it's very nice” ( reflect = think deeply)

Passengers should realize how pleasant the journey is.

“To know that you won't be bothered by mice—” ( bothered = troubled) 

There are no mice to disturb passengers.

“You can leave all that to the Railway Cat,”

Skimbleshanks takes care of such problems.

“The Cat of the Railway Train!”

He proudly rules the railway train.

Stanza 12

“In the watches of the night he is always fresh and bright;” ( watches of the night = late-night hours)

Even late at night he remains active and energetic.

“Every now and then he has a cup of tea” ( every now and then = sometimes) 

Occasionally he drinks tea.

“With perhaps a drop of Scotch while he's keeping on the watch,”( Scotch = Scotch whisky, keeping on the watch = staying alert)

He may drink a little Scotch whisky while remaining alert.

“Only stopping here and there to catch a flea.” (flea = tiny insect found on animals)

Sometimes he pauses to scratch or catch fleas. (This line creates comic effects.)

Stanza 13

“You were fast asleep at Crewe and so you never knew” ( Crewe = railway town in England)

Passengers slept while the train stopped at Crewe station.

“That he was walking up and down the station;”

Skimbleshanks was still actively supervising.

“You were sleeping all the while he was busy at Carlisle,” ( Carlisle = city in northern England)

Passengers slept while he continued working at Carlisle station. ( elation = great happiness)

“Where he greets the stationmaster with elation.”

He happily greets the stationmaster.

Stanza 14

“But you saw him at Dumfries, where he speaks to the police” ( Dumfries = town in Scotland)

At Dumfries station he talks to policemen.

“If there's anything they ought to know about:” ( ought to = should)

He informs them of important matters.

“When you get to Gallowgate there you do not have to wait—” ( Gallowgate = railway area in Scotland)

Passengers quickly leave the station because of his efficiency.

“For Skimbleshanks will help you to get out!”

He helps passengers leave smoothly.

Final Lines

“He gives you a wave of his long brown tail”

He waves goodbye proudly.

“Which says: ‘I'll see you again!’”

The wave seems friendly and welcoming.

“You'll meet without fail on the Midnight Mail” ( without fail = certainly)

Passengers will surely see him again on future journeys.

“The Cat of the Railway Train.”

The poem ends by glorifying Skimbleshanks as the great railway cat.

Overall Meaning of the Poem

The poem celebrates:

discipline,

punctuality,

responsibility,

cleanliness,

and efficient service.

Skimbleshanks symbolizes the ideal worker who quietly keeps everything running perfectly. Eliot humorously turns an ordinary railway cat into a heroic guardian of the Night Mail train.