The lovely poem "Night Mail" was written in 1936 to complement the documentary film of the same name, which was released the same year. It has since become a cinematic classic. Auden is claimed to have penned the lyrics using a timer while watching the film. The poem was originally titled "Night Mail Train", but this title was changed when it was decided not to use any words that might be considered profane by some readers. The original title was therefore altered to match the content of the poem itself. Auden used the money he received for writing the poem to send out letters to friends announcing his new career as a courier driver. He worked the night shift delivering newspapers in London with a friend from college. The job paid £10 a week, more than enough to live on but less than most people think today. However, it gave Auden time to write poetry during those hours when most people are asleep. It's a shame we don't get more poems sent through the night mail nowadays. Perhaps one day someone will write another beautiful poem about second-hand smoke and heavy metals poisoning our environment or something similar.