The Secret of the Machines Poem Lines, Summary & Explanation

THE SECRET OF THE MACHINES - 10TH ENGLISH POEM EXPLANATION & SUMMARY FOR GENERAL ENGLISH TNPSC GROUP 2 - 2A 2022 PRELIMINARY EXAM WITH MODEL QUESTIONS PDF#Blog-43

Mar 24, 2022, By Careericons

In this article, we have complied with very important information on the "The Secret of the Machines Poem Written by Rudyard Kipling" for the current TNPSC Group 2, 2A 2022 Preliminary Examination. Get complete study material for all General English syllabus wise with subject topics which help to clear this preliminary exam 2022.

1. Important Poem Lines in The Secret of the Machines ,
2. Line By Line Simple Explanation & Summary of the poem - The Secret of the Machines, &
3. Where to study information for all other poems.

TNPSC Group-II / IIA Services 2022 New Revised Syllabus (Objective Type Examination)

General English Syllabus-wise Study Materials

SSLC Standard For Preliminary Exam

Before going to the poem, check the prelims syllabus carefully and understand the importance of this poem. Where this poem comes under the "Part - B" of the General English of Revised New Syllabus of TNPSC G2 & 2A Services Examination 2022. Also, check the below links which will be useful for your upcoming examination.

Click Here → To Download TNPSC Group 2 & 2A 2022 - Official Notification PDF** Link

The importance of reading this poem "The Secret of the Machines" written by "Rudyard Kipling" is clearly described in the revised new syllabus as shown below,

1. This poem comes under the "Part-B" of the General English New Revised Syllabus.
2. It's also noticed separately in the "List of Poems". Where it consists of 25 poems & this poem is listed as number 3.

General English Syllabus-Wise Study Materials which includes, Part - B (Poetry)

1. Figures of Speech for The Secret of the Machines (Alliteration – Simile – Metaphor – Personification – Onomatopoeia – Anaphora – Rhyme Scheme – Rhyming Words – Repetition, etc.)
2. Poetry Appreciation for The Secret of the Machines
3. Important Lines for The Secret of the Machines

Let us discuss & read the poem The Secret of the Machines written by Rudyard Kipling (Which is also a peom in Unit - 5 of 10th standard of Tamil Nadu Samacheer Books) in detail with all examples of model questions asked in the previous TNPSC examinations.

Line By Line Stanza-wise Simple Explanation for the poem,
"THE SECRET OF THE MACHINES"

Introduction:

Rudyard Kipling's "The Secret of The Machines" reflects upon the technological advances that occurred over the last century, especially with the onset of the Industrial Revolution. Dealing with topics such as power, dependence, prudence and the importance of dealing wisely with a given technology, The Secret of the Machines delivers some important lessons for humankind. The poem was first published in 1911.

Explination for Stanza 1:

The poet informs about how the machines are produced and what kind of treatment they need. The machines tell us that they were taken from the ore-bed and mined in the furnace. They were cast in the pit. They were beaten out of shape by hammering. They were cut and filed. Then they were tooled and gauged to fit.

Explination for Stanza 2:

The machines go on to tell us about their ability to forever serve humans, carrying out all their tasks like hard-working employees. All they need to get started with their work is some water, oil, and coal as their fuel. Taking very little time to get started moving their parts for only about a "thousandth of an inch", they are very keen to serve humanity non-stop without getting exhausted.

By rising over the biological needs of humans, it is almost as if they are competing against other workers to serve their masters. There is a use of hyperbole in the line "We will serve you four and twenty hours a day" to lay emphasis on the great lengths to which the machines can go while they serve humans. However, this hyperbole is also true to a great extent.

Explination for Stanza 3:

In this stanza, the poet says that machines can do all sorts of work. They can pull, drag, push, lift and drive. They can also print, plough, weave, heat and light. Further, they can run, race, swim, fly and dive. They can also see, hear, count, read and write.

All these tasks used to be done by humans now these machines have made the work easier. The powers of the machines seem to have no limit as they are capable to do everything. And therein lies the danger as in the past, circus masters have often been torn apart by the lions they couldn't tame.

Explination for Stanza 4:

These machines warn and remind us of the fact that the only force controlling their actions is the law of physics upon which their entire existence is based. In spite of their ability to completely fulfill all the physical and logical tasks that humans can accomplish; they are found to be lacking when it comes to the humane aspects of man's being.

They are completely devoid of all sentimentality and intuitiveness. They are not equipped to understand lies and are incapable of exercising all sorts of human emotions such as love, pity, and forgiveness. The machines then warn the humans to be careful while operating them as any slip-up on their side could prove to be deadly.

Explination for Stanza 5:

This stanza highlights the other side of mechanization where the machines state that the smoke emitting out of them may temporarily cloud our visions, making us incapable of seeing the damage that is being done. However, one's ignorance will not last for very long.

Sooner or later, humans will see the consequences of our overuse of technology and we shall realize that these seemingly perfect creations have their imperfections. Despite their exceptional abilities, machines cannot surpass the strength of the human mind because they too, after all, are a product of human intelligence and knowledge.

Conclusion:

The chief message that Kipling tries to convey through this poem is that while machines definitely make our lives smoother and easier, we should be very cautious while dealing with them. If we don't pay heed to the dangers posed by them, they can very easily lead us to a catastrophic end.

Regardless of how powerful they are, machines can never replace human skill and intelligence. Our brain is the most powerful machine that exists on this planet and these metallic machines can at the best aid it. In this regard, the poem also has a didactic tone to it.

The "secret", the truth, that Kipling aims to reveal through the voice of these machines is that without humans to create and operate them, these technological advancements hold no value and are absolutely futile. Thus, instead of being dependent on them, we should use them to empower ourselves.

The Secret of The Machines Summary

Introduction: The poem by Rudyard Kipling deals with problems of technology and automation. The unquestioned utility of man-made inventions is highlighted.

Process of making machines: In the first stanza, the poet highlights the way machines are shaped and how they are managed. The raw material, iron- ore and minerals for machines are taken from the ores and mines accordingly. They were further melted in the blast furnace and in the mine. Metals were melted and turned into various designs using the hammer to be fashioned. They were also cut into different sizes and measured fit according to the required weight.

Machines: Second stanza states that the only requirement for the machine is water, coal and oil. The moving parts may have a clearance of a thousandth of an inch which may be the permissible variation from the required dimensions. These parts are closely arranged with bolts and nuts leaving only less than an inch for the movement of wheels. With such a setup, the machines are willing to work round the clock, non-stop without any rest.

Machines reduce manual jobs: In the third stanza, the machines elucidate how they can serve human race by doing all the possible human activities mastered by machines. They say they can do various tasks such as pulling, carrying, pushing, lifting, driving, printing, ploughing, weaving, heating, lighting, mining, racing, swimming, flying, diving, seeing, hearing, counting, reading and writing.

Friend indeed! The machines in the fourth stanza caution the readers with an unshakeable moral imperative – the Law by which it Jives! The machines represent a form of absolute truth that is particularly difficult for mankind to understand. Here machines tell us that they don't emote nor understand different feelings such as love, pity or apology. It reiterates its dangerous nature by simply stating that a slip while handling it means instant death.

Man-made wonder: In the last stanza the design of the machine just changes. The dream of the "perfect machinery" suddenly seems to fade out. Machines aren't perfect. Nature always wins over. Machines aren't miraculous creations but just a creation of the human brain. Therefore, machines although capable of great deeds, are still nothing more then creations of the human brain

Conclusion: The use of machines in everyday life has clearly established the fact that without them life comes to a standstill. Such is our dependence on machines which carry the instructions given by us. The perpetual use of machines in all fields shows the scalable heights it has reached.

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