The poem contrasts the busy day with the stillness of the night. What is the common factor in these?
The common factor between the busy day and the stillness of the night is the speaker's awareness of the train.
During the day, when 'the day is loud with voices speaking,' the speaker hears the train's whistle shrieking.
At night, when 'the night is still for sleep and dreaming,' the speaker still sees the train's 'cinders red on the sky' and hears its 'engine steaming.'
The train is a constant presence in the speaker's imagination regardless of whether it is day or night.
Explanation
The chapter presents a poem where the first stanza describes the busy day with 'voices speaking' and the second stanza describes the night as 'still for sleep and dreaming.' Despite this contrast, the train remains present in the speaker's consciousness in both settings—hearing it during the day and seeing/imagining it at night.
Solution Steps
The common factor is the speaker's awareness of the train
During the busy day with 'voices speaking,' the speaker hears the train's whistle shrieking
During the still night for 'sleep and dreaming,' the speaker sees the train's cinders and hears the engine steaming
The train remains a constant presence in the speaker's imagination in both day and night