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From a Railway Carriage

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From a Railway Carriage is a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, included within his 1885 collection A Child's Garden of Verses.[1] 'The poem uses its rhythm to evoke the movement of a train.

Poet

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

Poem

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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

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  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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