On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955 (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another from the anthology. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem
• The ideas and messages of the poet 
• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to James Berry’s poem “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955”, from the Worlds and Lives anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell
• A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining James Berry’s intention and message

“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" in a nutshell

“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" is written by the poet James Berry, a Jamaican poet who was part of the Windrush Generation who settled in England in the 1940s. Berry explores individuals’ lives and relationships in 1950s England by depicting a conversation on a train. 

“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" breakdown

Lines 1–2

“Hello, she said, and startled me.

Nice day. Nice day I agreed.” 

Translation

• The lines introduce a conversation between two individuals on a train
• The pair greet each other and discuss the weather
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry introduces a polite meeting between two strangers on the train 
• He presents typical English small talk to represent cultural traditions

Lines 3–6

“I am a Quaker she said and Sunday

I was moved in silence

to speak a poem loudly

for racial brotherhood.”

Translation

• The poem introduces the first speaker as a quaker, a member of a religious group
• The speaker refers to church on Sunday and how they were emotionally stirred
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry introduces ideas about differences in individuals’ lives
• The speaker is a Quaker (a form of protestantism which began in England in the 17th century):
• They alludes to Christian values about “brotherhood” and equality 

Lines 7–10

“I was thoughtful, then said

what poem came on like that?

One the moment inspired she said.

I was again thoughtful.”

Translation

• The second speaker, the narrator, replies after some thought
• They ask the woman what poem she recited
• The woman, however, does not name a poem:
• She says that it was “one” that she was inspired to recite
• This leads the narrator to further reflect
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry’s speaker is a thoughtful listener, implying his intelligence
• The woman’s vague reply seems dubiousto the narrator:
• Berry suggests the woman may not have recited a poem or, at least, cannot remember it enough to discuss it properly 

Lines 11–15

“Inexplicably I saw

empty city streets lit dimly

in a day’s first hours.

Alongside in darkness

was my father’s big banana field.”

Translation

• The speaker is not sure why but they turn introspective , imagining two contrasting scenes
• They see the streets of England as well as a banana field from their childhood
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry highlights the different lives of the narrator and the woman
• He contrasts a rural and urban environment to show how the narrator notices stark differences between their childhood home and this one

Lines 16–17

“Where are you from? she said.

Jamaica I said.”

Translation

• The narrator is asked a question about his heritage
• He replies that he is originally from Jamaica
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry draws attention to the way natives are motivated to ask where migrants are from
• Berry hints at the way this draws attention to differences, which is Ironic having just mentioned “racial brotherhood”
• It is implied the woman asks the question based on the colour of the narrator’s skin: 
• This is made clearer by the similar language of the narrator and woman 

Lines 18–19 

“What part of Africa is Jamaica? she said.

Where Ireland is near Lapland I said.”

Translation 

• The woman asks the narrator a question about their homeland:
• The woman makes a mistake, showing a lack of knowledge about other parts of the world 
• The narrator replies with sarcasm : they allude to the way Lapland may share similarities with Ireland although they are different countries
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry implies the narrator’s superior knowledge about the world
• Berry draws attention to the narrator’s bitter tone, implying their frustration at the unintentional discrimination

Lines 20–22 

“Hard to see why you leave

such sunny country she said.

Snow falls elsewhere I said.”

Translation 

• The woman makes a vague comment about the warmer climate of the narrator’s homeland
• The narrator’s reply informs the woman that snow falls in other countries too
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry’s conversation is presented as a typical conversation on a train:
• The narrator’s lack of emotion as they give the woman information implies this is a predictable conversation
• Berry presents a native’s ignorance about the world outside as pervasive
• Berry draws attention to the woman’s thoughtless comment about the motives of migrants, as well as a lack of knowledge about other climates:
• He shows the migrant’s superior knowledge about the world

Lines 23–24

“So sincere she was beautiful

as people sat down around us.”

Translation 

• The narrator comments on how he sees that the woman thinks she has been sincere:
• Perhaps she smiles as she sits down next to them, which makes her “beautiful”
• The poem ends suggesting the conversation and small talk is over when other people sit down
  

Berry’s intention

• Berry’s narrator notices how everyday conversations may leave a native feeling Virtuous yet none the wiser 
• He highlights the sense of frustration an individual feels when their heritage is misunderstood

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the sections below, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes James Berry’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form
• Structure
• Language

Form

The poem’s form contributes to the nature of a real conversation. James Berry breaks the poem into sections that explore the narrator’s responses to the conversation, as well as depict events as a lively anecdote.  

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Belonging and heritage	The poem’s Free verse form reflects natural speech: The Narrator relates a conversation on a train	The poem represents a typical, everyday conversation: The narrator’s thoughts and responses are conveyed as the narrator tells the story
	The poem is divided into five stanzas: The stanzas become longer to show how the conversation flows better	Berry presents the way the conversation develops: The first two lines depict two strangers greeting each other politely Berry interweaves lines of speech with the narrator’s responses, creating an Anecdotal effect By the end the pair are talking more comfortably
	Berry wishes to represent an everyday conversation in order to convey the pervasive nature of unintentional Discrimination

Structure

Berry shifts the rhythm of the poem to reflect the speaker’s emotions and responses in his depiction of a conversation between a migrant and a native on an afternoon train in England in 1955.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Individual lives	The poet uses Caesurae in the first two lines to represent the initial greeting between the strangers: The rhythm is disconnected: “Hello, she said, and startled me.”	Berry conveys the narrator’s reflective nature as he is “startled” by a greeting: Berry presents the awkwardness of the strangers’ first words
	enjambment is used to convey faster speech or flowing thought: The woman is eager to share her story about the poem on “racial brotherhood” The narrator remembers his father’s banana field	Berry builds Characterisation by representing the speakers’ emotions through the rhythm of their speech
	Berry disrupts the flow with short sentences to reflect the way the narrator interprets the woman’s words:  In stanza two the narrator shows their reflective nature: “I was again thoughtful.” In stanza four the narrator’s short replies contribute to a resigned tone	Berry wishes to offer an example of the way a migrant may respond to a thoughtless native: Berry shows the narrator’s wry replies in order to highlight aspects of discrimination he feels are typical
	In this way, Berry conveys the personal experience of a migrant who has a better understanding of the world in comparison to a native

Language

“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955” explores a migrant’s sense of Displacement that arises from typical misunderstandings between well-intentioned yet ignorant native individuals.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Disconnected relationships	Berry uses contrasts to show a disconnected relationship between two people on a train: The woman says she was “moved in silence” to “speak a poem loudly”	Berry implies the woman’s eagerness to impress the migrant by mentioning racial equality: Berry hints at unintentional discrimination
	Berry contrasts different settings to show the narrator’s various perspectives:  The “empty city streets” appear next to his “father’s big banana field”	Contrasting imagery highlights the cultural differences between the two individuals on the train
	Berry draws attention to typical comments the migrant hears about the climate in their homeland: The woman refers to a “sunny country” and the narrator replies by referring to “snow”	Berry also uses opposing imagery to highlight miscommunications
	Berry offers alternative perspectives in the poem, exploring individuals who attempt to connect but are unable to due to their different experiences and understanding of the world

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information but connected to your analysis. Examiners ask for sophisticated contextual connections that are linked to the theme in the question. In this case, it is not biographical information about James Berry that is unrelated to the ideas in “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955”. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Berry in the poem which relate to worlds and lives. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Berry explores:

• Belonging and heritage
• Disconnected relationships   

Belonging and heritage 

• "On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" is a poem written by James Berry
• Berry was the first West Indian poet to win the Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition in 1981:
• His work explores his Jamaican roots and the experiences of the West Indian community in England
• "On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" specifically depicts a typical conversation between a Jamaican and an English woman in 1955
• James Berry was born in Jamaica and travelled to England in 1948:
• Berry moved to further his education and achieve his ambitions to be a writer
• His poetry often recalls elements of his homeland:
• In this poem, Berry imagines his “father’s big banana field”
• James Berry is part of the Windrush Generation:
• In order to strengthen a weakened workforce after World War II, the British government asked Jamaicans to relocate to England
• Berry’s poetry conveys alternative perspectives about cultural heritage:
• He sees the banana field alongside the “empty city streets”
• This poem conveys the sense of displacement experienced by a West Indian migrant:
• He implies that, even on a train, a migrant is reminded of differences between them and the native:
• The woman “startles” him and brings up “racial brotherhood” immediately
• This draws attention to his race, and reduces his individuality
• In “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" Berry uses a wry narrator to subtly criticise unintentional racism:
• The narrator suggests the woman is oblivious to the fact she may have been offensive
• This is shown with the ironic line: “So sincere she was beautiful”

Disconnected relationships  

• "On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" examines misunderstandings between individuals, particularly between a migrant and a native:
• Berry depicts an everyday train journey to present the conversation as typical
• The setting of the poem, an afternoon train, draws attention to the way public transport brings different people together:
• Nevertheless, Berry describes how pleasant small talk can lead an individual to feel more disconnected: 
• The conversation (and the poem) ends “as people sat down around us”
• This implies the small talk was simply a brief and superficial exchange:
• The woman has learned nothing new about the narrator, the world or migration
• Berry’s poem focuses on the way individuals attempt to connect and find a commonality:
• The polite exchange represents a cultural tradition that the narrator has adopted in order to relate to others and form bonds: “Nice day I agreed”
• Nevertheless, Berry shows miscommunication between the pair:
• The narrator’s replies are not understood or heard
• Though apparently pleasant, the conversation reminds the narrator of the differences between a native and a migrant:
• She is unclear of the difference between Africa and Jamaica
• Her frame of reference for migration is the weather
• Berry’s poem subtly criticises superficial religious attitudes that unintentionally result in disconnected relationships:
• The Quaker is keen to share an example of her virtue
• Her reference to race makes the narrator “thoughtful”
• The narrator’s doubt about her sincerity is conveyed by his probing: “what poem came on like that?”

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about worlds and lives in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955” explores the ideas of disconnected relationships and differences between individual lives, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955"  and “Name Journeys” 
• “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and “Thirteen” 
• “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and “Homing” 

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell
• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and “Name Journeys” 

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both James Berry’s “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and Raman Mundair’s “Name Journeys” employ speakers who explore fitting in and integrating in England. Both examine a disconnection from their world in terms of their cultural heritage. However, while Berry’s poem describes a polite yet stilted conversation on a train, Mundair uses a vibrant monologue to express her identity. 

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems explore disconnections between human relationships
Evidence and analysis	“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955"	“Name Journeys”
	Berry’s poem is set on a train in England to explore miscommunications based on cultural differences: The English woman asks “What part of Africa is Jamaica?”	Similarly, Mundair uses the theme of travelling in her poem about displacement: The speaker is “travelling from south to north” They describe changes in the language, geography and culture
	Berry’s narrator is unable to form a relationship with the English woman:  His ironic reply, “Where Ireland is near Lapland I said” is ignored by the woman She goes on to make further ignorant comments	Mundair’s speaker finds similar obstacles in conversing with English natives:  She relates how her name is a “Stumble that filled English mouths”
	Berry’s speaker depicts the narrator’s sense of isolation in everyday occurrences, such as on a train: The narrator is “startled” by the woman The narrator is “thoughtful” and dubious	Mundair’s poem alludes to the isolation felt by those not native to an area: Her metaphor, “wilderness”, connotes to being lost and vulnerable The speaker has “not been blessed with a companion”
	Both “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and “Name Journeys” explore how external worlds impact human beings’ inner lives

Differences:

Topic sentence	While Berry describes a polite and essentially pleasant conversation on a train, Mundair’s monologue is critical of her environment
Evidence and analysis	“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955"	“Name Journeys”
	Berry’s narrator remains polite and calm throughout: His frustration is hidden as he offers short, wry replies to the woman	In contrast, Mundair’s speaker has a more fluid tone using enjambment to present rambling thoughts
	Berry describes simple imagery as the pair converse on a superficial level: The woman mentions a “sunny country” and the narrator refers to “snow”	In contrast, Mundair uses rich imagery to criticise England and present her culture positively:  She refers to “Infertile English soil”  Her heritage consists of “spiritual” bonds with “sisters” and lands of “sugar cane”
	Berry’s poem shows the speaker’s controlled frustration, which is left unresolved at the end as “people sat down around us”	In contrast, Mundair expresses her anger at the “Anglo echo chamber void of history and memory”
	Berry’s narrator has a resigned attitude to his disconnected place in his world, whereas Mundair’s poem presents resistance

“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and “Thirteen”

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both James Berry and Caleb Femi use cynical narrators to examine individuals who feel singled out because of their identity. The poems both depict speakers facing discrimination while going about everyday activities. However, while Berry’s “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955” presents an adult resigned to their experiences, Femi shows a young boy’s growing sense of hopelessness. 

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems present speakers who relate everyday discrimination
Evidence and analysis	“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955"	“Thirteen”
	Berry’s narrator is “startled” by an English woman on a train: The narrator, a Jamaican migrants, is identified by his race	Femi’s narrator is stopped by a police officer and told he may “fit/the description of a man” involved in a robbery
	Berry relates a conversation in which an English woman ignorantly identifies the narrator as an African: The woman asks “What part of Africa is Jamaica?” diminishing his individuality and culture	Femi relates a conversation between a young boy and a police officer that is initially threatening, and later, patronising: He is “cornered by an officer” He says, “You’ll be patted on the shoulder, then, by another fed”
	The speakers comment on the pervasive nature of unintentional racism as speakers relate their personal perspectives on typical conversations

Topic sentence	Both poems present individuals who attempt to form positive relationships despite cultural differences
Evidence and analysis	“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955"	“Thirteen”
	Berry’s speaker engages in polite small talk with a Quaker: He adapts to the customs of England despite his Jamaican heritage: “Nice day I agreed.”	Femi’s speaker is similarly polite in his exchange with a police officer: “You’ll laugh./Thirteen, you’ll tell him: you’re thirteen.”
	Despite the woman’s clumsy words, the narrator engages further with the woman: “I was thoughtful, then said/what poem came on like that?”	The speaker in Femi’s poem is similarly compliant: “You will show the warmth of your teeth/praying he remembers the heat of your supernova”
	Both poems present individuals attempting to connect with others in uncomfortable conversations

 Differences:

Topic sentence	James Berry’s poem “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" presents a speaker who appears accustomed to their displacement and isolation, whereas Caleb Femi’s poem offers a darker message about the diminishing hope of a vulnerable boy
Evidence and analysis	“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955”	“Thirteen”
	The narrator is presented as composed: “I was again thoughtful.”	The speaker, here, is less able to control their emotions:  Femi uses a caesura to show the boy’s nervousness: “the description of a man? – You’ll laugh.”
	The narrator’s quick and witty replies suggest the speaker is used to similar conversations: Their ironic replies suggest a resigned tone: “Where Ireland is near Lapland I said”	The speaker’s confusion is represented by a disruptive rhythm:  Lines of enjambment are followed by short, broken lines: “he will see you powerless – plump”
	The poem ends without any sense of change in the narrator’s emotions:  The conversation simply ends as “people sat down around us”	Femi’s poem, however, ends on a dismal tone, converting the boy’s growing sense of hopelessness: Instead of “stars” the children are “on the verge of becoming black holes”
	Berry examines the way a migrant adapts and accepts discrimination and displacement, whereas Femi considers how thoughtless comments can be harmful

“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and “Homing”

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both James Berry’s “On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955" and Liz Berry’s “Homing” consider the significance of language as individuals attempt to form relationships in new areas. However, James Berry’s speaker appears to have adapted in their new home, while Liz Berry’s speaker expresses an individual’s struggles as they try to integrate. 

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems examine the way an individual’s language can create bonds or highlight cultural differences in conversations
Evidence and analysis	“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955"	“Homing”
	Berry explores the way individuals from different cultures converse:  The migrant narrator adopts the language of the native English speaker: “Have a nice day I agreed”	Correspondingly, Liz Berry’s poem conveys differences in culture through language:  The speaker refers to an individual practising Received Pronunciation in elocution lessons They must articulate the vowels in “how now brown cow”
	Berry’s poem examines a migrant’s hidden frustration as they attempt to fit in: Short replies hint at his controlled emotion: “Snow falls elsewhere I said.”	“Homing” expresses a similarly  restrictive process of integration:  The speaker describes how the listener kept their accent “in a box beneath the bed” They describe the way “the lock rusted shut by hours of elocution”
	James Berry’s poem explores an individual managing two different cultures simultaneously:  The poem uses contrasting imagery: “empty city streets” and “my father’s big banana field”	Liz Berry describes an individual’s struggle with a new culture:  The speaker encourages the listener to “let years of lost words spill out” The poet uses sensory imagery to describe the comfort of home: “railways, factories thunking and clanging”
	The poets both comment on individuals with varying cultural experiences who attempt to relate to their new worlds

Differences:

Topic sentence	James Berry draws attention to their speaker’s reduced identity, whereas Liz Berry’s poem is an emotional expression of an individual’s identity
Evidence and analysis	“On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955"	“Homing”
	The narrator converses with the English woman on her terms: The woman controls the conversation	In Liz Berry’s poem the speaker wants to “shout it from the roofs,/send your words, like pigeons,/fluttering for home”
	The woman never learns about the speaker’s real identity:  The only reference to the narrator’s home is the father’s “big banana field” The narrator gives away little information about his true heritage: Instead he implicitly informs her where her misunderstandings lie	The speaker describes the positive aspects of a different cultural heritage: They refer to “a blacksmith’s furnace” and the “red-brick of home” The poem explores the perspective of a native from the south of England: “I loved its thick drawl, g’s that rang”
	The poem ends unresolved as the “people sat down around us” and bring the small talk to an abrupt end: Berry does not offer a solution to the narrator’s disconnection in their world	The poem’s ending offers a hopeful message about integration: The speaker embraces the different accent They relate this to homing pigeons, drawing on ideas related to belonging
	While James Berry highlights miscommunications based on culture, Liz Berry depicts harmonious relationships between a native and a migrant from the north of England