Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Paul Muldoon's "The Train" is a contemplative exploration of constancy and the passage of time, using the metaphor of a distant freight train to delve into the nature of human relationships and the persistence of external forces that shape our lives. The poem, addressed to a beloved ("my darling"), reflects on the regularity of a train’s passing and its intrusion into the private, intimate space of the speaker and their partner. Through this metaphor, Muldoon raises questions about what is truly constant in life and whether the stability we seek in relationships can withstand the relentless march of time and the external world.

The poem opens with the speaker’s attempt to understand the impact of the train, which, despite being "miles off," consistently disturbs their sleep. This disruption is described as something that happens "tonight as every night," emphasizing the regularity and inevitability of the train’s presence. The train, loaded with ballast—material used to stabilize the tracks—becomes a symbol of the burdens and responsibilities that weigh on the couple, possibly hinting at the way external pressures intrude upon their lives and their relationship. The speaker's struggle to explain this phenomenon to themselves suggests an underlying anxiety about the persistence of such disruptions and their effect on the couple’s sense of stability.

Muldoon’s use of the train as a metaphor for constancy is multifaceted. On one level, the train’s regular passage suggests the idea of inevitability—certain forces and events in life, like the passing train, are beyond our control and recur with a dependable rhythm. However, the fact that this train "roused us both from ours" every night introduces a sense of vulnerability and disturbance. Despite the couple’s efforts to "put to the very / back of the mind all that’s customary," the train forces them to confront the reality that some aspects of life are inescapable and must be reckoned with.

The middle of the poem shifts to the physicality of the train, describing how "it takes forever to pass / with its car after car of coal and gas / and salt and wheat and rails and railway ties." These items—coal, gas, salt, wheat—represent the fundamental elements of industry and sustenance, suggesting that the train is a carrier of the basic necessities of life. The repetitive listing of these commodities mirrors the monotonous, unceasing passage of the train, reinforcing the idea that life’s necessities and obligations are both essential and unrelenting.

The final lines of the poem introduce a poignant contrast between the train and the couple’s relationship. The train, with its constant and predictable presence, seems to challenge the idea that the speaker and their beloved might be the enduring, stable force in their lives. The phrase "determined to give the lie / to the notion, my darling, / that, we, not it, might be the constant thing" suggests a realization that, despite their best efforts to maintain constancy in their relationship, it is the external, uncontrollable forces—embodied by the train—that truly represent constancy. This realization introduces a subtle sense of melancholy, as the speaker acknowledges the limitations of human relationships in the face of such relentless external rhythms.

In conclusion, "The Train" by Paul Muldoon is a meditation on the nature of constancy and the interplay between human relationships and the external world. Through the metaphor of a distant freight train, the poem explores how the unyielding forces of time and necessity intrude upon the intimate spaces of life, challenging the notion that our relationships can serve as a refuge from these forces. Muldoon’s careful attention to the rhythmic and repetitive nature of the train’s passage underscores the inevitability of these intrusions, leaving the reader with a sense of the fragile balance between the desire for constancy in love and the relentless march of time.

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