Std:8th

Poem: From a Railway carriage

Introduction of the poet:

The Poem has been written by Robert Louis Stevenson who was a Scottish
(Scotland) novelist. The poem was published in Robert Louis Stevenson‘s
1885 volume of poetry for children.

Explanation of the First Stanza:lines-1to8

The poet describes the sights that he notices while travelling in the train. The
train is moving faster than fairies(imaginary creature with magic powers) and
witches(woman having black magic power). The train rushes(moves) forward
like soldiers who are attacking their enemies in the battlefield(ground on which
battle is fought). The speedy movement of the train leaves behind bridges,
houses, fences and ditches(drainage at the both side of the road) behind. It
also leaves behind the green fields where horses and cattle are
grazing.Stevenson says that all the scenes of the hill and plain were being
crossed by the train as quick as one drop of rain following the other in a storm.
In the next moment, the train passes railway stations and it looked like painted
pictures.

Explanation of the Second Stanza:lines-9 to16

The poet sees a child climbing a steep ground and collecting berries during
climbing. He also sees a homeless person who looks at the train with
amazement. As the train moves forward, he sees some ladies in a common
village grassy land making garlands with daisy flowers.The poet then sees a
cart moving slowly in the highway. It was full of load and the cart driver was
sitting on the top of the load. He also gets a glimpse of a mill and a river by its
side. All these objects appeared and disappeared so quickly.

Glossary of 2nd stanza

Clambers and scramble- climb

Tramp- homeless person
Stringing- making garland of daisy flowers
Lumping-carry a heavy load with difficulty
Glimpse- to see
Themes of the poem

The joy that we get from travelling is the major theme of the poem. Also
beauty of nature comes as a theme in the descriptions like “meadows”, “the
horses and cattle”, “sights of the hill and the plain” etc. The poverty of human
beings too is a theme, as suggested by the scene in which a tramp looks
excitedly at the train.

Q/ANS. Think and answer

Q1. Explain what ‘glimpse and gone forever’ mean in the context.

Ans. In this context ‘glimpse and gone forever’ means that while
travelling nothing remains stationary, everything moves along with
the movement of the train. So every scene that you see in just a
glimpse disappear as the train keeps moving and a new scene comes
in the place of previous one,

Q.2 What is the theme of the poem? Explain.

Ans. Mentioned above

Q.3 Summary of the poem

The poet describes a journey by train. He describes a journey by

train.He describes the different scenes that pass the eye while
travelling so rapidlythat all the things seen while travelling are just a
glanced then disappear altogether.In this poem, the poet shares his
experience of his first railway journey. He has been amazed by the
speed of the train. He says that speed of train is faster than the speed of
fairies and witches. It runs so fast that the bridges, houses, rows of
thorny plants and ditches pass by in a moment.

It goes forward as quickly as army soldiers attack the enemy in the battle
field. The train runs through common grassy lands where horses and
cattle are grazing. All the sights pass as quickly as drop of train follows
another drop. Many colourful buildings of stations appear and disappear
in a glance due to the speed of train.
Poet sees a child climbing up steepy ground. He moves with difficulty
and gathers black berries. He also sees a homeless person looking at
the train with amazement. He sees some ladies making garlands of
daisies in a common grassy village land. In the middle of road there was
cart with load. Due to heavy load it was moving awkwardly. The cart
man was sitting on the load. He also sees a river and a floor mill. All
these scenes appeared and disappeared in a very short moment.

Glossary

⁎Hedges- row of bushes that look like fences.

⁎Ditches- a long narrow furrow to enable water flow.

⁎Charging- to rush forward.

⁎Troops- soldiers.

⁎Clambers- climb or move in an awkward way.

⁎Brambles- a prickly shrub with berries.

⁎Stringing- joining.

⁎Lumping- carrying with difficulty.

⁎Tramp- beggar or a person who wanders.

⁎Gaze- look.
Exercises

1. Which are the images that we can construct in mind on reading this
poem?

The poem presents a series of lifelike images such as a speedy train moving in
the midst of meadows, hills, river etc.
2. Can we compare the speedy movement of the train with the passage of
time?

Some lines from the poem suggest the transcience of life such as “Each a
glimpse and gone forever.”

3. What are the expressions used by the poet to show the amazing speed of
the train?
There are several expressions used in the poem to indicate the fast movement
of the train such as “faster than fairies”, “faster than witches”, “charging along
like troops”, “fly as thick as driving rain”, “each a glimpse and gone forever”
etc.

4. What is the poem about?

The poem is about a fast moving train and the people, places and things seen
from it.

5. What is the aim of the poet while writing this poem?

To entertain readers with an exciting description of a train ride.

6. Does the train move through a village or a city? Justify your answer.

The train moves in a village like setting as evident in expressions like “sights of
the hill and the plain”, “all through the meadows” etc.

Question and Answers

Q.1 What does the poet see from a railway carriage?

Ans. He sees the beauty of the area. He also sees bridges, houses,
ditches, meadows, horses, hills and a boy who is collecting services
hardly and a homeless person who is doing nothing but to stare the train
and a man who is lifting the overloaded cart.

Q.2 What pleasures does the railway journey give to the poet?
Ans. The railway journey gives an immeasurable pleasure to the poet.
Natural beauty provides him an everlasting joy which includes the sights
of meadows, daisies, mill, river, hill plain etc. He is pleased because a
thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Q.3 who is tramp and what was he doing?

Ans. A person who goes from one place to another place without any
aim. He was gathering brambles and watching the train passed by.