Trains
About the Poem
Poet: James S. Tippett What it is about: Trains TRAVEL far and wide — over MOUNTAINS, through PLAINS, during DAY and NIGHT. The poem captures the EXCITEMENT and RHYTHM of train travel.
The Poem
Over the mountains,
Over the plains,
Over the rivers,
Here come the trains.
Carrying passengers,
Carrying mail,
Bringing their cargo
Without fail.
Through the tunnels,
Through the dark,
Clickety-clack,
Clickety-clack.
Past the forests,
Past the hills,
Past the meadows,
Past the mills.
Over the mountains,
Over the plains,
Rumbling,
Grumbling,
On they go,
To and fro.
Understanding the Poem
Where Do Trains Go?
| Place | Description |
|---|---|
| Mountains | Tall, rocky places |
| Plains | Flat, open lands |
| Rivers | Wide flowing water |
| Tunnels | Dark passages through mountains |
| Forests | Areas with many trees |
| Hills | Small mountains |
| Meadows | Open grassy fields |
| Mills | Buildings where grains are ground |
What Do Trains Carry?
| Cargo | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Passengers | People travelling |
| Letters and parcels | |
| Cargo | Goods, food, materials |
The Sound of the Train
Onomatopoeia
ONOMATOPOEIA is when a word SOUNDS like the sound it describes.
'Clickety-clack, clickety-clack' — this sounds like a TRAIN MOVING on the TRACKS!
How Trains Sound
| Train Sound | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Clickety-clack | Wheels on the railway tracks |
| Choo-choo | The engine whistle |
| Whoo-whoo | The horn at crossings |
| Rumbling | The LOW, DEEP sound of the moving train |
| Grumbling | The GROANING noise the train makes |
Rhyme and Rhythm
Rhyming Words
| Stanza | Rhyming Words |
|---|---|
| 1 | Plains — Trains |
| 2 | Mail — Fail |
| 3 | Dark — Clack (close) |
| 4 | Hills — Mills |
| 5 | Plains — To — Fro (pattern) |
Rhythm
The poem has a STRONG rhythm (beat) that sounds like a TRAIN MOVING:
- da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM
- Clickety-clack, clickety-clack
What We Can Learn
1. Trains are Important
Trains carry PEOPLE, MAIL, and GOODS everywhere. They connect cities and towns.
2. Trains Travel Far
A train journey can take you across the ENTIRE country — from the mountains to the plains, through forests and meadows.
3. The Music of Movement
The poet uses WORDS to make the poem SOUND like a train. Poetry can MIMIC the sounds of the world.
Indian Trains
Did You Know?
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First train in India | 1853 (Mumbai to Thane) |
| Longest route | Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari (4,200+ km) |
| Fastest train | Vande Bharat Express |
| Most popular | Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani |
| Daily passengers | Over 23 MILLION |
Types of Trains in India
| Train Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Passenger | Stops at MANY stations |
| Express | Fewer stops, faster |
| Rajdhani | Superfast, AC coaches |
| Shatabdi | Day train between cities |
| Local/Metro | Within a city |
| Goods/Freight | Carries cargo, not passengers |
Activities
Activity 1: Train Sounds
Make the SOUND of a train:
- Start SLOW: Click...ety...clack...click...ety...clack
- Get FASTER: Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, clickety-clack!
- The WHISTLE: Whoo-whoo!
- The BELL: Ding-ding, ding-ding!
Activity 2: Draw a Train
Draw a train going through a LANDSCAPE:
- The TRAIN with its engine and carriages
- MOUNTAINS in the background
- A TUNNEL the train comes out of
- SMOKE coming from the engine
Activity 3: Where Would You Go?
If you could take a train ANYWHERE, where would you go?
- To the MOUNTAINS (Shimla, Manali)
- To the BEACH (Goa, Chennai)
- To the DESERT (Jaisalmer)
- To a BIG CITY (Mumbai, Delhi)
Write ONE sentence about your dream train journey.
Words to Learn
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Passengers | People who travel in a train |
| Cargo | Goods carried by a train |
| Without fail | Always, without missing |
| Tunnel | A passage dug through a mountain |
| Meadows | Open fields of grass |
| Mills | Buildings where grain is ground into flour |
| Rumbling | Making a low, deep sound |
| Grumbling | Making a complaining noise |
Common Mistakes
-
'Clickety-clack means the train is broken.' — No! It is the NORMAL sound of train wheels on tracks.
-
'Trains only carry people.' — No! Trains also carry MAIL, CARGO, and GOODS.
-
'The poem is about a single train journey.' — The poem is about ALL trains — their constant movement back and forth (to and fro).
-
'Trains cannot travel through mountains.' — Trains go THROUGH mountains using TUNNELS! Engineers dig tunnels so trains can pass.
Quick Self-Test
Q1: Who wrote the poem 'Trains'? A1: James S. Tippett.
Q2: What sound do the train wheels make in the poem? A2: Clickety-clack, clickety-clack.
Q3: Name two things trains carry. A3: Passengers, mail, cargo (any two).
Q4: Where do the trains travel in the poem? (Name two places) A4: Over mountains, over plains, over rivers, through tunnels, past forests, past hills (any two).
Q5: What is 'onomatopoeia'? A5: Words that sound like the sounds they describe (like 'clickety-clack').
Q6: What does 'without fail' mean? A6: Always, never missing.
Q7: What does 'to and fro' mean? A7: Back and forth (in both directions).
Q8: If you were on a train looking out the window, what would you see? A8: (Your own answer — mountains, plains, rivers, farms, stations, etc.)
