NCERT Poem: 'Trains' - Class 3 English

Summary of the Poem 'Trains'

The poem 'Trains' is a beautiful description of how trains move across the country. The poet tells us that trains don't run on regular roads; they run on special tracks. They travel through different landscapes, going 'over the mountains, over the plains, over the rivers'. This shows that trains can reach many different places, no matter if the ground is high or low. They carry important things, like passengers (people) and 'precious loads' of goods in their carriages. They also carry 'mail', which means letters and parcels for everyone. The poem highlights that trains are always moving, running through 'day and darkness' and from 'dusk to dawn', which means from evening to morning. They never seem to stop, bringing people and things to where they need to go, without any fail.

New Words and Their Meanings

Mountains

Very high hills, like the Himalayas.

Plains

Large areas of flat land with few trees.

Rivers

Large natural streams of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river.

Precious

Something of great value, very important or expensive.

Mail

Letters and packages that are sent by post.

Dusk

The time in the evening just before it gets completely dark.

Dawn

The first light of the day in the morning.

The Music of the Poem: Rhythm and Rhyme

Have you noticed how the poem sounds like a moving train? The poet uses short lines and repeating words to create a fast rhythm. When you read 'Over the mountains, / Over the plains, / Over the rivers, / Here come the trains,' it feels like the quick 'chug-a-chug' sound of a train on its tracks. The poem also uses rhyming words, which makes it musical and easy to remember. Look at these pairs:

• plains and trains
• mail and fail

These words sound similar at the end. This rhyming pattern, combined with the quick rhythm, makes reading 'Trains' a very joyful and exciting experience, just like watching a real train go by!

Key Ideas in the Poem 'Trains'

• Trains travel over many different kinds of places, like mountains, plains, and rivers.
• They carry important cargo, which the poet calls 'precious loads', as well as passengers.
• Trains are a vital service for carrying mail (letters and parcels).
• Trains are always at work, running continuously through the day and the night.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: According to the poem, where do the trains run?
  A: Step 1: Read the first stanza of the poem carefully: 'Over the mountains, Over the plains, Over the rivers, Here come the trains.'
  Step 2: Identify the places mentioned in these lines.
  Step 3: The places mentioned are mountains, plains, and rivers.
  Final answer: According to the poem, the trains run over the mountains, over the plains, and over the rivers.

• Q: What does the poet mean by 'precious loads'?
  A: Step 1: Think about what 'precious' means. It means something valuable or important.
  Step 2: Think about what trains carry. They carry people (passengers) and goods (things like food, coal, cars, etc.).
  Step 3: Combine these ideas. 'Precious loads' refers to all the important things and people that the trains transport from one place to another.
  Final answer: By 'precious loads', the poet means the important goods and the passengers that the trains carry.

• Q: The poem says trains run from 'dusk to dawn'. What does this tell us about the trains?
  A: Step 1: Understand the meaning of 'dusk' (evening) and 'dawn' (early morning).
  Step 2: The phrase 'from dusk to dawn' means all through the night.
  Step 3: The poem also mentions they run through 'day and darkness'. This means they run all day and all night.
  Final answer: This tells us that trains work continuously, without stopping, both during the day and throughout the night.

• Q: Find and write two pairs of rhyming words from the poem.
  A: Step 1: Read the poem and listen for words that end with a similar sound.
  Step 2: In the first stanza, look at the words at the end of the lines. 'plains' and 'trains' sound alike.
  Step 3: In the second stanza, look at the words at the end of the lines. 'mail' and 'fail' sound alike.
  Final answer: Two pairs of rhyming words from the poem are (i) plains and trains, and (ii) mail and fail.

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