From A Railway Carriage Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson

From A Railway Carriage

Rating: 3.7


Faster than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
And 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 runaway 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!

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Sarah Kirk 15 December 2009

One of my favourites along with 'Night Mail'. The rhythm really reflects the sound of the steam train and views from the window seen on frequent childhood journesy by steam train.

49 15 Reply
Pranab K Chakraborty 05 March 2015

Extraordinary speed implied so...so skilfully within space between words, Marvelous. Lucidity the main criteria to communicate the flying expression...may it be the conscious withdrawal from the existing material world. Unique and unique forever. Pranab k c

27 17 Reply
Kim Barney 05 March 2015

Captivating is how I would describe it. On reading the first line I thought it was a poem just for children, but I must be a child at heart because I was caught up in the magic of this one. The words fit together almost like the sound of the train itself, moving down the line.

25 18 Reply
Thomas Vaughan Jones 24 February 2014

Grab a ticket and enjoy the ride. This is onomatopoeia at it's best. Listen to the music of the poem, the rhythm of the wheels, sway with the movement of the carriage, and simply enjoy the view. Intellectuals would no doubt dissect this piece and discuss the transition of time and the fleeting existence of we mere mortals. I prefer to enjoy the sheer exhuberance of the poem

27 15 Reply
Nancy Oyula 05 March 2015

His choice of words makes everything flow well.

22 19 Reply
Silver Bird 10 May 2023

Through its rhythmic verses and descriptive language, the poem takes the reader on a fast-paced journey, where bridges, houses, hedges, and ditches blur into a colorful tapestry of sights and sounds.

2 0 Reply
Silver Bird 10 May 2023

'Faster than Fairies' is a whimsical and lively poem that captures the essence of movement and fleeting moments in a vivid and imaginative manner.

1 0 Reply

Yes, dear poet, I felt, on reading the poem, that

0 0 Reply
iqnArjvn 16 December 2020

" Find and copy the word that means " see for a moment" ." where? ? ?

0 0 Reply
tfyjyijt 17 July 2020

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0 2 Reply
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