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 there 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!
– Robert Louis Stevenson
Summary:
The poem “From a Railway Carriage” is about the experience of the poet “R.L. Stevenson” during his train travel. He has written the poem very expressively that we also travel along with him, in his railway carriage. He says that the train travelled much faster than imaginary characters like fairies and witches. He saw bridges, houses, hedges, and ditches along the way. He felt the train charged forward like troops of soldiers in a battlefield, who were ready to attack. He saw many brightly painted stations along the way, as he heard the whistles that indicated the arrival of the stations. But all these sights flew past him in a wink of an eye, because the train was speeding fast.
The poet saw a child, scrambling up brambles to gather some blackberry fruits. He also saw a tramp who was standing and gazing at the things happening around him. Some people were stringing daisies to make garlands from it. He saw a cart that was lumping along laboriously with the weight of a man and the cartload. Finally, he saw a mill and a river. The poet saw all these sights only in a glimpse, as the train sped away – leaving the images behind them.
Question 1:
What literary device is primarily used in the phrase “Fly as thick as driving rain” in the stanza?
A) The primary literary device used is alliteration, emphasizing the speed of the sights.
B) The primary literary device used is simile, comparing the sights to driving rain.
C) The primary literary device used is metaphor, describing the sights as raindrops.
D) The primary literary device used is personification, attributing flight to the sights.
Question 2:
What is the effect of the simile “Fly as thick as driving rain” in the stanza?
A) The simile conveys a sense of stillness and calm.
B) The simile emphasizes the scarcity of sights on the hill and plain.
C) The simile vividly illustrates the abundance and rapid movement of sights.
D) The simile creates a feeling of isolation and solitude.
Question 3:
What is the significance of the phrase “in the wink of an eye” in the stanza?
A) It suggests that time passes slowly while traveling by train.
B) It emphasizes the importance of keeping one’s eyes open.
C) It highlights the fleeting nature of the sights seen from the train.
D) It indicates that the train is stopping at various stations.
Question 4:
What does the description of “Painted stations whistle by” imply in the stanza?
A) The stations are making a whistling sound as the train passes by.
B) The stations are painted with colorful artwork.
C) The stations are rushing past quickly as the train moves.
D) The stations are stationary and not moving at all.
Question 5:
What is the overall tone created by the stanza’s imagery and description of sights?
A) The overall tone is serene and peaceful.
B) The overall tone is chaotic and turbulent.
C) The overall tone is fast-paced and dynamic.
D) The overall tone is melancholic and somber.
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