From a Railway Carriage

From a Railway Carriage is a poem written by Robert Louis Stevenson, taken from his book A Child's Garden of Verses.[1] 'From a Railway Carriage' is a masterly piece of versification using its sprighty rhythm to evoke the movement of a train.

Poet

Robert Louis Stevenson (13 November 1850 – 3 Dec 1894) was a Scottish novelist and travel writer. A celebrity in his lifetime Stevenson's critical reputation has fluctuated since his death, though today his works are held in general acclaim. He currently ranked as the 26th most translated author in the world.

Poem

From a Railway Carriage

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,

Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches,

Charging along like troops in a battle

All through the meadows the horses and cattle:

All of the sights of the hill and the plain

Fly as thick as driving rain;

And ever again, in the wink of an eye

Painted stations whistle by.

Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,

All by himself and gathering brambles;

Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;

And here is the green for stringing the daisies!

Here is a cart run away in the road

Lumping along with man and load;

And here is a mill, and there is a river:

Each a glimpse and gone forever!

References
  1. Michael J. Freeman; Derek H. Aldcroft (1991). Transport in Victorian Britain. Manchester University Press. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-0-7190-2333-0.
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