Melodic trains, by John Ashbery, was published in 1976 and is one of

the most fine pieces of art where the poet has described the philosophy
of life in depth. The poem is about poet traveling in a train along with a
little girl and other passengers. Poem reflects on how the journey takes
twists and turns and how inconsiderate we are to the other human
beings. The poem, ironically, can rightly be called a pessimist view on
life, where every other person is sad and each new phase creates unrest
and disturbance in the hearts regardless of how beautiful the outside
world is, which is totally opposite of what the title suggests.

There is a little girl sitting beside me. Her nails are painted red. She is
asking me about the time, even though she is wearing a watch herself
but that is just a toy watch and she is wearing it for fun. It is fun to wear
strange clothes like the ones I am wearing right now, the woollen coat
and the striped brown shirt, the colors of which are penetrating into the
colors of the beautiful indescribable valleys. The journey cannot be
easily understood by a person like me. It seems like the train is a pencil,
drawing lines on the beautiful mountains of Europe. I and this little girl
have come so far only to witness the beauty of these valleys and this is
the only thing common between us. This is a fact and it is as true as her
toy watch telling the right time twice a day.

It seems pointless and useless for trains to wait on the stations, as

pointless as a people themselves are. How do the train decide that it
needs to wait for a certain amount of time. Or maybe there is no rule to
abide by, but even if there is, the trains do not follow it. The children
standing on the train platforms are sad, grownups are worried and
concerned about getting a taxi to lead them to their destinations. The
taxis, just like the trains, do not follow a proper schedule. One may
always find a taxi to get him to his home but that too by a chance of
fate. Fate and luck have constricted the circle of faith. It has made
people impatient, trying to get things as soon as they can.

The stops before the final stop creates anxiety and regrets. One regrets
all the decisions that he had taken in life and all those times when he
did not treat people right. He asks himself that why couldn’t I be more
kind and patient with people.

All the people who wish to board the train are like my brothers, we
share the same feelings, the same panic and anxiety. We go through the
same challenges and obstacles, in quest of satisfaction and
contentment – only to reach our final destination.
The main theme of the poem is the stages of life that every man passes through.
The grievances, the anxieties, the worries, the concerns, the companions who
come into one’s life, be a part of the journey and leave when they have to. It is
about life taking turns and with each turn one’s heart is filled with sadness and
regret. This painful journey of life and the endless miseries of existence finally
ends with death.