Two Hours On The Train Poem Analysis

“Two Hours on the Train”, written by Abdellatif Laâbi, is a free verse poem that follows the journey of the narrator and his companion. The two are riding a train, while the narrator ponders his past. While I may not know for sure what the narrator is thinking, why the poet chose to write in free verse, or where the train is headed, however, I can certainly make deductions based on the evidence that I do have. The answers to the following questions are a result of reading, interpreting, and attempting to resolve some missing links in “Two Hours on the Train.”

1. Analyze the imagery in this poem.
Imagery is all about what the reader thinks they would sense if they were present in a situation. If I were to put myself in the shoes of the narrator, I must …show more content…
The first one mentioned is a large one, the train. When analyzing literature, it’s important to recognize that sometimes objects aren’t just what they appear to be. Yes, trains are a useful system for the transportation of materials and people, but they can have symbolic meaning, too. Trains are a place where people can meet. They are a place where people say goodbye to each other and part ways. A train can be the way you get to a brand new place, to start a new part of your life. Some like to ride trains for fun, to do work, or to simply think. The narrator in “Two Hours on the Train” clearly did some thinking while on the train, but there was also a purpose to the ride. Line twelve mentions “arriving,” telling me that there is a destination being reached. I think Laâbi chose to use a train in the poem opposed to a car or boat because of the connections tied to trains. The idea that a train can be a place to meet, part ways, work, think, or observe. It’s an object that can have several meanings, leaving it up to the reader to decide what that may