Introduction
Unit 4, titled “Travel and Adventure,” explores the theme of travel through activities, a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay titled Travel, and various exercises that encourage students to think about modes of transport, reasons for travel, and the excitement of adventure. The chapter aims to enhance students’ understanding of literary devices, vocabulary, and the emotional aspects of travel while fostering creativity and critical thinking.
Poem: Travel by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Summary
The poem Travel expresses the speaker’s fascination with trains and the sense of adventure they represent. Despite the train being far away, the speaker vividly imagines its whistle and glowing cinders, reflecting a deep longing to embark on a journey, regardless of the destination. The poem captures the excitement of travel and the emotional pull of exploration.
Stanza-Wise Analysis
- Stanza 1: The speaker hears the train’s whistle “shrieking” during the day, despite its distance, suggesting their preoccupation with the idea of travel.
- Stanza 2: At night, in the quiet, the speaker imagines the train’s “cinders red on the sky” and hears its engine “steaming,” highlighting their vivid imagination.
- Stanza 3: The speaker values their friends but expresses a strong desire to take any train, no matter where it goes, emphasizing the allure of adventure.
Post-Reading Activities
I. Matching Main Ideas to Stanzas
- Stanza 1: (3) The speaker hears the train whistle during the day, even though the train is far away.
- Stanza 2: (1) At night, the speaker imagines the train and hears its engine in the quiet.
- Stanza 3: (2) The speaker feels a strong desire to take any train, no matter where it goes.
II. Rhyming Words
- Stanza 1: Away-day, speaking-shrieking.
- Stanza 2: By-sky, dreaming-steaming.
- Stanza 3: Make-take, knowing-going.
III. Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABCB (the second and fourth lines rhyme in each stanza).
IV. Personification
The word “shrieking” personifies the train’s whistle, giving it a human-like quality of screaming or calling out.
V. Tone
The poet’s tone is excited and enthusiastic, reflecting a sense of longing and eagerness for travel.
VI. Symbolism
The train symbolizes adventure and opportunities for the poet, representing freedom and exploration.
VII. Purpose of Repetition
The repeated line, “there isn’t a train goes by,” highlights the speaker’s fascination with the train, emphasizing its constant presence in their thoughts.
VIII. Contrast Between Day and Night
- Contrast: The day is “loud with voices speaking,” while the night is “still for sleep and dreaming.”
- Common Factor: The speaker’s awareness of the train persists in both settings, through its whistle or imagined presence.
IX. Imagery
Examples of imagery in the poem include:
- “Day is loud” (sound).
- “Whistle shrieking” (sound).
- “Cinders red on the sky” (sight).
- “Engine steaming” (sound and sight).
Let Us Think and Reflect
I. Extract-Based Questions
Extract: “My heart is warm with the friends I make, And better friends I’ll not be knowing…”
- Meaning of “My heart is warm”: (B) Full of love.
- About Current Friends: The speaker values their friends deeply and feels affection for them.
- Implication of “better friends I’ll not be knowing”: The speaker feels their current friends are exceptional and unlikely to be surpassed.
- Tone: The tone is grateful and content.
II. Additional Questions
- “Cinders red on the sky”: It suggests the glowing, fiery particles from the train’s engine illuminating the night sky, creating a vivid image.
- Significance of the Whistle: The whistle represents the train’s call to adventure, capturing the speaker’s imagination and longing.
- “No matter where it’s going”: It reveals the speaker’s adventurous spirit, prioritizing the journey over the destination.
- Does the Poet See/Hear the Train?: The poet likely does not physically see or hear the train, as it is “miles away”; the vivid descriptions stem from their imagination and fascination.
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