POEM

2.2 SCIENCE
THE SECRET OF THE MACHINES | RUDYARD KIPLING

SUMMARY:

'The Secret of the Machines' by Rudyard Kipling revolves around the concept of machines being
personified to talk about their experience in their human world. They describe the process of
making the machine from the first step. They say that they were extracted from ores and mines,
later being subjected to furnaces. They were cut and hammered to get a proper shape. In order
for a machine to run, all it requires is oil, water or coal. They can serve twenty-four hours a day if
the requirements are met. There are machines to replace or make the jobs humans do, such as
read, write, count, etc. The machines can also perform tasks that are incapable by humans, such
as lifting heavy objects. Machines can fly, dive, run in the form of vehicles. But they do not possess
the capacity to emote like humans. They can only obey commands and can be dangerous if
handled improperly. They give credit to human beings saying that they are products of the human
mind, no matter how powerful they are.

Popularity of “The Secret of the Machines”: Rudyard Kipling, a great American writer, and poet
wrote this poem after the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom in 1911. “The Secret of the
Machines” highlights various functions of manmade machines and the ease and convenience they
have brought to our lives. It also highlights that this marvellous creation is devoid of emotions. If
a person handles machines carelessly, the results could be catastrophic. There’s a
stark comparison made by the speaker between machines and humans beings.

“The Secret of the Machines” As a Representative of Modernism: This beautiful poem presents
various benefits of modern technology as well as its drawbacks. The poem begins with machines
speaking to humans about their creation as they prove that they are the mouthpiece of man’s
creative and brilliant mind. The speaker details how the raw material is melted and shaped into
various useful machines. These machines use coal, water, and oil and are ready to help us twenty-
four hours a day. Moreover, they can perform all the tasks humans can perform. The speaker gives
a vivid description of the fields in which machines have assisted us positively.
For instance, they have brought revolutionary changes in the communication sector. Also, they
help humans to shape the landscape the way they want it to be. Thus, the speaker seems touched
by the miraculous tasks performed by the machines. However, the ideal situation suddenly fades
away in the final lines, where the speaker admits that this enormous and wonderful machinery is
the creation of a human’s brain, and nothing is greater than the creation of God.

Major Themes in “The Secret of the Machines”: The significance of modern machinery, man
versus the modern world, and admiration of man’s achievements are the major themes of the
poem. The speaker artistically sketches the modern world in this poem to show how machines
have become inevitable in almost all spheres of life. Our dependence on them has dramatically
increased to the extent, where we feel vulnerable without them, which makes humanity weak.
Machines indeed increase our comfort level but we must think rationally about them. If they are
not used appropriately, they can bring disaster to us.

EXPLANATION OF EACH STANZA:

“ We were taken from the ore-bed and the mine,

We were melted in the furnace and the pit
We were cast and wrought and hammered to design,
We were cut and filed and tooled and gauged to fit. ”

Rudyard Kipling talks about machines and how they are manufactured, along with a message for
human beings in the poem 'The Secret Life of the Machines'. The poem is written in such a way
that it appears as though the machines speak for themselves to the readers. From their
perspective, it is the machines that speak about how they were made, their purpose, their take on
human beings etc. The machines are personified in the poem as they are given lives, and they
address the readers directly.

The first stanza speaks of how machines are made or created from scratch. Machines are just
equipment made by human beings to make their jobs easier. Different machines are aligned to
perform different tasks. In the earlier days, human beings did most of the labour manually.
Especially during the 19th century, after the World wars, most countries started using machines
profusely. In Britain, this wave was called Industrial Revolution. Various Industries, including the
cotton mill, the sewing machine, Telegraph, Steam engine etc., were invented in this century.
Before this period, men invented machines to destroy, such as machine guns, whereas in that
period, machines aided human tasks.

The machines begin from scratch by saying that they were first taken from the ore-bed and
the mine. Ores are natural rocks from which the minerals needed, such as iron, is extracted. In
order to make machines, raw materials are needed. It can also be extracted from mines, dug from
underground passages. It is then heated in a furnace or the pit to melt the mineral to make it into
the material. Once the material gets extracted and heated, it needs to get a form according to the
expected task. It is wrought and hammered to get it into a shape. Machines like wheels, pulleys,
and levers need to be hammered. Various processes like cutting, filing are made to make the tools
perfect. The thickness and texture are gauged to fit to do the tasks.

Words with difficult meaning:

S.No Words Meaning

1 Ore-bed A sequence of rocks with minerals
2 Mine A deep passage underground with minerals
An enclosed fire and heat system to melt
3 Furnace
metals
4 Wrought To do something with physical efforts
5 Hammered To hit with a hammer
6 Filed To rub off a fragment of metal from minerals
7 Gauged Determining the thickness of the sheet metal

“ Some water, coal, and oil is all we ask,

And a thousandth of an inch to give us play:
And now, if you will set us to our task,
We will serve you four and twenty hours a day!

We can pull and haul and push and lift and drive,
We can print and plough and weave and heat and light,
We can run and race and swim and fly and dive,
We can see and hear and count and read and write! ”

The machines address the human world first by narrating their origin story as to how they were
extracted and given form. The second stanza consists of details about what they require to
function properly from the material world. It is not just enough that the machines are made;
instead, some efforts need to be put into work efficiently. The machines that are mentioned in the
poem are the ones that are capable of performing high functions, such as
in factories and industries. Even in the case of human beings, one needs some kind of fuel in the
form of food and water to go about the routine tasks.
Machines need fuel to go on and perform tasks. Different machines have different requirements.
But predominantly, the fuel that runs them is coal, water, or oil. Coal is mostly used in high-end
machines such as water carters, cement productions etc. Although it seems like a very common
element, water is essential for even the working of trains, flights, cars, power stations etc. Oil
helps in the flexibility of the machines. The machines say that if they are given the requirements,
they would only move their parts a thousandth of an inch, meaning it would only take a short time
to work quickly. And with all this, they are set to a task, and they can even work twenty-four
hours a day.

The machines then explain the various tasks that they are capable of performing. They can
perform high-end jobs that men cannot easily do, such as lifting heavy objects, pushing, pulling
and driving huge objects like tanks. They can print papers, plough fields, weave clothes, which is
impossible for humans. They can transport people to places with bikes, cars, flights, ships, as can
they race, swim, fly and dive. Machines have also aided in academics to a great level, such that a
normal person would take time to do calculations and accounts, compared to a calculator. They
have also aided in all human activities such as reading, writing, hearing etc.

Words with difficult meaning:

S.No Words Meaning

1 Coal A black mineral that is dug from underneath
2 Thousandth A fraction of a thousand
3 Haul Pull or drag with effort or force
4 Plough To turn over the soil using a tractor
5 Weave To make cloths using threads
6 Dive The act of jumping from a height

“ Would you call a friend from half across the world?

If you’ll let us have his name and town and state,
You shall see and hear your crackling question hurled
Across the arch of heaven while you wait.
Has he answered? Does he need you at his side? ”

The given stanza appears to evoke a sense of wonder and interconnectedness in a world where
communication spans great distances. The speaker begins by asking whether you would contact
a friend who is located far away, perhaps on the other side of the world. This question suggests
the marvel of modern communication, where geographical distances are no longer
insurmountable barriers. The speaker then proposes that if you provide the necessary details
about your friend's name, town, and state, your message will travel through the vast expanse of
the sky, carried by technology, until it reaches your distant friend.

The phrase "crackling question hurled" conveys the idea that technology can transmit our queries
and messages across great distances almost instantaneously. The use of the word "crackling"
suggests the speed and energy of this transmission. It implies that communication can bridge gaps
in space and time, creating a sense of unity and connection between people separated by vast
distances.

The final two lines of the stanza pose questions about the friend's response. They ask whether
your friend has replied to your message and whether they need your presence by their side. These
questions highlight the power and immediacy of communication in bringing people closer,
allowing us to stay connected and provide support, even when physically distant.
Overall, this stanza underscores the transformative impact of technology on human relationships
and the way it has made the world a smaller and more interconnected place. It celebrates the
ability to reach out and be present for those we care about, regardless of the geographical
distances that separate us.

“ You can start this very evening if you choose,

And take the Western Ocean in the stride
Of seventy thousand horses and some screws!
The boat-express is waiting your command!
You will find the Mauretania at the quay,
Till her captain turns the lever ’neath his hand,
And the monstrous nine-decked city goes to sea.
Do you wish to make the mountains bare their head
And lay their new-cut forests at your feet?
Do you want to turn a river in its bed,
Or plant a barren wilderness with wheat?
Shall we pipe aloft and bring you water down
From the never-failing cisterns of the snows,
To work the mills and tramways in your town,
And irrigate your orchards as it flows? ”

The stanza from Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Secret of Machines" underscores the incredible
power and potential of technology and machinery. It encourages the reader to consider the vast
capabilities and possibilities that technology can offer.

The stanza begins by urging the reader to take immediate action: "You can start this very evening
if you choose." It suggests that with the power of machines, one can embark on significant
endeavors, even across great distances. The reference to "seventy thousand horses and some
screws" symbolizes the immense force and precision that machinery can provide. In this context,
the "boat-express" represents a vessel capable of impressive feats, waiting for your command.

The stanza then introduces the Mauretania, a famous ocean liner of the time. The captain's ability
to turn a lever and set the enormous ship in motion highlights the control and influence
technology bestows upon humans. The ship, with its nine decks, is described as a "monstrous
nine-decked city," emphasizing the magnitude of what machinery can achieve.

The stanza goes on to present various possibilities: making mountains yield their resources,
rerouting rivers, and converting wilderness into arable land. It suggests that machines can
harness nature's elements to serve human needs and desires, from clearing forests and planting
crops to controlling water sources for industrial and agricultural purposes.

The last part of the stanza speaks to the idea of harnessing natural resources, particularly water
from mountainous regions, to power mills, tramways, and irrigation systems in towns. It portrays
the potential of technology to bring water from remote, snow-covered sources and utilize it for
various applications, enhancing the productivity and development of human settlements.

Overall, the stanza celebrates the transformative power of machinery and technology, inspiring
readers to contemplate the incredible achievements that can be unlocked through the application
of these tools, from transportation to agriculture, resource management, and industrial progress.
It serves as a call to explore and harness the capabilities of machines to shape the world according
to human desires and needs.

“ It is easy! Give us dynamite and drills!

Watch the iron-shouldered rocks lie down and quake
 As the thirsty desert-level floods and fills,
And the valley we have dammed becomes a lake. ”

This stanza from Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Secret of Machines" underscores the ease with
which modern technology, particularly explosives like dynamite and powerful drills, can
transform landscapes and conquer nature's obstacles. Kipling describes how with dynamite and
drills, rocks, which were once formidable and unyielding, can be broken and brought to the
ground. The imagery of "iron-shouldered rocks" suggests the hardness and strength of the natural
world, which can be overcome by the might of machinery.

The stanza goes on to describe how the use of technology can manipulate the environment. By
damming a valley, it's possible to control the flow of water and create a lake from the previously
arid landscape. This transformation illustrates the power of human engineering to reshape nature
and make it serve our purposes, emphasizing the mastery that machines can grant over the
physical world.

“ But remember, please, the Law by which we live,

We are not built to comprehend a lie,
We can neither love nor pity nor forgive,
If you make a slip in handling us you die!

We are greater than the Peoples or the Kings—

Be humble, as you crawl beneath our rods!-
Our touch can alter all created things,
We are everything on earth—except The Gods!

Though our smoke may hide the Heavens from your eyes,
It will vanish and the stars will shine again,
Because, for all our power and weight and size,
We are nothing more than children of your brain! ”

The machines explain their purpose, history, needs and requirements to help the life of human
beings get easier. Machines are invented for the feasibility of manual labour. It saves time to a
greater extent and requires minimum effort from the side of humans. It can do almost every task
in the material world and replace manual labour. But the machines themselves remind the
readers of one thing - that they live by one specific law: they cannot think or feel like a human.
They can only obey commands and work based on predetermined functions and settings. They
are programmed to complete specific tasks, and they work on them.

The machines can comprehend orders and not human emotions. For example, they do not care if
the owner lies to them or speaks the truth. But humans, on the contrary, can understand
the intensity of someone lying and reciprocate with disappointment. Humans understand
feelings such as love, forgiveness etc. The major and the finest difference between humans and
machines is that they cannot ever express such complex and yet beautiful things
like love, pity, empathy etc. This is what makes us stand apart. The machines can also
be dangerous, as it does not understand indirect commands and has no pity or gratitude. If one
command goes wrong, then it can kill its own creator. The kill indicated here can mean literally
or damaging one's work.

The machines, which they address as "We," wield significant power, surpassing both ordinary
individuals and monarchs. The stanza encourages humility in the presence of this power since
the machines can shape and modify nearly everything in the world, except for deities (the Gods).
It emphasizes the limitations of humanity and the distinction between human authority and the
divine. In the end, the stanza underscores the impressive capabilities of these machines while
acknowledging their limitations.

The machines convey a strong message about humanity and the misuse of technology. They give
a symbolic statement that the cloud of smoke that they release can only blind the humans for a
brief time span. They say that their work and output is temporary, and the stars will shine again,
meaning the reality might hit even if it is late. The machines attribute all due credit to the human
mind, as they are the reason behind creating the machines. Irrespective of their power, weight
and force, the machines are only the product of the human brain. The machines are only
the children of the human brain such that without humans, they are nothing. Machines are
outcomes of human brain

Words with difficult meaning:

S.No Words Meaning

1 Comprehend To understand well
2 Vanish Disappear suddenly and completely
3 Pity To feel sorry for someone

QUESTION AND ANSWERS:

Q. Write the outline of the poem “THE SECRET OF THE MACHINES”.

In this poem, machines speak about themselves to human beings. They tell us, how they are
created from the metals that are taken from the ore-bed. The ores of metals are taken from the
ore-bed and mines. They are further melted in the furnace and hammered to design as machines.
The machines need water, coal, and oil to run. They are ready to serve us twenty-four hours a day.
Like human beings, they can do all sorts of work. They ask us to remember that they are operated
according to the laws of Physics. They reveal a harsh truth that they neither love nor forgive and
cannot comprehend a lie. They have no feelings like us. If they are handled in a careless manner,
the results can be fatal. They agree to the fact that they are not superior to mankind. Finally, they
humbly state that they are only the children of the human brain.

Q. What do the machines mean when they say, “we are nothing more than children of your
brain”?

Man has invented machines and without him, machines cannot work on their own. That is why
machines say “we are nothing more than children of your brain”.

Q. What actions are the machines incapable of doing?

Machines cannot detect lie. Besides, machines are not built to love or hate its owner or anyone.
Thus, machines are emotionless and have no feelings and can be dangerous if not handled
properly.

Q. Explain the line: ‘If you make a slip in handling us you die!’

This line can be taken as a warning from the machines. If they are handled in a careless manner,
the results can be fatal. Thus, they must be operated with utmost caution.

Q. What is the nine-decked city? Why is it described as monstrous?

The ‘nine-decked city’ is referred to Mauretania, a high-speed luxury passanger ship, launched in
1906. It is described as ‘monstrous’ because it was the world’s biggest passanger ship at that time.

Q. What do you understand by the line ‘shall we pipe aloft and bring you water down’?

The line means that the machines can go up to a great height and can bring water down where
human beings live.

Q. Why do the machines call themselves children of the human brain?

The machines call themselves children of the human brain because they are the products of the
creative ideas of men’s brain. They have been created by the humans.

Q. Is this poem a warning to humans or does it highlight the superior power of humans?

In the poem, the poet highlights the importance of machines in our life. Machines make many
things easier and facilitate the work of the humans. But if not handled with care, the machines
can be dangerous. However, the superior power of humans cannot be overlooked as machines
are nothing more than the creations of the human brain.