2.1 From a Railway Carriage - Std 7th - Balbharati

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Genre: Narrative Poem / Travel Poem

Textbook: English Kumarbharati – Class 7

Board: Maharashtra State Board

English Summary

The poem From a Railway Carriage vividly describes the scenes a traveller observes from a moving train. The train rushes forward faster than fairies and witches, and the poet compares its speed to soldiers charging in battle. As the train passes through fields and meadows, the poet sees bridges, houses, hedges, ditches, horses, and cattle flash by quickly. The stations painted with colours whistle past in the blink of an eye. He notices a child scrambling for brambles, a tramp gazing idly, a girl stringing daisies, a cart lumbering on the road, a mill, and finally a river. Each sight appears for just a moment and disappears forever. The poem captures the excitement and rhythm of a train journey through strong imagery and rhythm.

Theme / Central Idea

The poem highlights the thrill and excitement of a railway journey. It captures the fleeting beauty of sights seen from a train, showing how travel opens the eyes to varied scenes of life and nature.

Word Meanings

Figures of Speech (with examples)

1. Simile – “Charging along like troops in a battle” – train compared to soldiers.

   
   

2. Simile – “Fly as thick as driving rain” – speed of sights compared to rain.

   
   

3. Alliteration – “Here is a child who clambers and scrambles” – repetition of ‘c’ and ‘s’ sounds.

   
   

4. Imagery – Descriptions of meadows, cattle, stations, tramp, and river create vivid pictures.

   
   

5. Personification – The sights are said to “fly,” as if they have wings.

   
   

Rhyme Scheme

The rhyme scheme of the poem is aa bb cc … (rhyming couplets).

Personal Response Questions (5)

1. What excites you most about a train journey?

   The most exciting part of a train journey is watching the changing scenery outside. Villages, rivers, fields, and people flash past so quickly that every moment feels new. The rhythm of the train adds to the thrill.

   
   

2. Why does the poet say the sights ‘fly’?

   The poet says the sights fly because the train moves at great speed. Things outside appear only for a second and then vanish. The quickness makes them seem like flying objects.

   
   

3. Which sight in the poem appeals to you the most? Why?

   The sight of the painted stations appeals the most because they appear suddenly and disappear with a whistle. They add colour and excitement to the journey. Their suddenness makes them memorable.

   
   

4. Have you experienced something similar while travelling?

   Yes, during a bus and train journey I have seen fields, trees, and houses rushing past. The speed makes ordinary things look extraordinary. It gives a sense of adventure and joy.

   
   

5. What lesson do you learn from this poem about enjoying life?

   The poem teaches that life is full of fleeting moments, like sights from a train. We should enjoy every small scene, as each one is unique and will not return. Life becomes rich when we notice and value such moments.

   
   

True or False (5)

1. The poet compares the speed of the train to fairies and witches. → True

   
   

2. The train moved slowly across the meadows. → False (It moved very fast.)

   
   

3. The poet saw a tramp who stood and gazed. → True

   
   

4. A child was playing football near the river. → False (He was gathering brambles.)

   
   

5. Each sight seen from the train vanished quickly. → True

   
   

Probable Exam Questions (5)

1. How does the poet describe the speed of the train?

   The poet describes it as faster than fairies and witches and compares it to soldiers charging in battle. This shows its great force and energy.

   
   

2. What different sights does the poet observe from the train?

   He sees bridges, houses, meadows, cattle, painted stations, a child clambering, a tramp gazing, a girl stringing daisies, a cart with a man and load, a mill, and a river.

3. What is the significance of the line “Each a glimpse and gone for ever”?

   It means that the train moves so fast that each sight can be seen only once, for a moment. Once passed, it cannot be seen again. This reflects the fleeting nature of life.

   
   

4. Why is the poem called From a Railway Carriage?

   It is called so because the poet describes the journey and sights exactly as seen from a railway carriage window. It captures the traveller’s perspective.

   
   

5. What message does the poem give about travel and life?

   The poem conveys that travel is thrilling because it reveals many fleeting sights. It also suggests that life is similar, where moments pass quickly and must be enjoyed while they last.

Appreciation / Reflection Paragraph

From a Railway Carriage by R.L. Stevenson is a lively narrative poem full of rhythm and energy. The poet uses similes, images, and sound effects to make the journey vivid. The rhyme and rhythm echo the movement of the train. By describing ordinary sights like children, tramps, mills, and rivers, the poem makes them extraordinary. The message, that life is full of fleeting moments, gives the poem depth. It is memorable for its rhythm, imagery, and joyful celebration of travel.

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