Samacheer Kalvi Class 6 English Solutions Poem 2 From a Railway Carriage

Warm Up (Text Book Page No. 128)

What do you think the poem is about?
Answer: The poem talks about a trip on a train. It shows what someone sees and feels during the journey.
In simple words: The poem is about a journey in a train.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about the theme, identify the main topic and what the poem focuses on or describes.

Have you been on a train?
Answer: Yes, I have travelled by train before. Train journeys can be exciting and offer different views.
In simple words: Yes, I have traveled on a train.

🎯 Exam Tip: For personal questions, a simple, direct answer is usually best, optionally with a short, related detail.

Close your eyes and think about the moving scene outside a train window?
Answer: When looking out a train window, you might see many things passing by quickly. These include trees, open fields, farm animals like cattle, houses, rivers, and even telephone poles. The world outside becomes a fast-moving blur of sights.
In simple words: Outside a train window, you can see trees, fields, animals, houses, rivers, and poles go by.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use descriptive words to paint a clear picture of what you imagine, focusing on movement and variety.

Take turns in class to describe one image that crossed your mind:
Answer:
Image 1: You might picture a big green field where rice plants gently move with the wind. This shows the beauty of nature.
Image 2: Another image could be birds flying in a 'V' shape, which looks exciting and beautiful in the sky. Birds flying in formation is a common sight and always impressive.
Image 3: Imagine a wide river overflowing, with tree branches in its water. It forms a small waterfall as the water hits a large rock. This shows the power and beauty of flowing water.
In simple words: You might see green fields, birds flying in a 'V' shape, or a river with a small waterfall.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing images, use adjectives that help the listener or reader visualize the scene clearly.

Textual Exercises

Read and Understand

A. Read the lines and answer the questions given below.

1. Faster than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
a) What is faster than fairies and witches?
Answer: The train is moving faster than both fairies and witches. The poet uses these magical beings to emphasize the incredible speed.
In simple words: The train is quicker than fairies and witches.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the specific subject being compared in the line to answer questions about comparisons.

b) Why does the poet mention 'bridges and houses, hedges and ditches? Where are they?
Answer: The poet talks about bridges, houses, hedges, and ditches because these are all things the train passes by very quickly during its journey. These details paint a picture of the varied landscape seen from the train.
In simple words: The poet mentions these things because the train travels past all of them quickly.

🎯 Exam Tip: Connect the specific items mentioned in the poem to the overall context of the scene or journey.

2. Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,
All by himself and gathering brambles;
a) Where do you think the child is?
Answer: The child is located outside, likely in the countryside near the train tracks. The poet describes sights both near and far from the train.
In simple words: The child is outside the train.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use clues from the description, like "clambers and scrambles," to determine the child's location.

b) What does 'gathering brambles' mean?
Answer: 'Gathering brambles' means the child is collecting blackberries, which are wild fruits found on thorny bushes. Brambles are plants with thorns, so picking their fruit can be a bit tricky.
In simple words: It means picking blackberries.

🎯 Exam Tip: For vocabulary questions, explain the meaning of the phrase in simple terms based on the context of the poem.

3. And ever again, in the wink of an eye
Painted stations whistle by.
a) 'In the wink of an eye' means quickly. Explain 'painted stations whistle by'?
Answer: The phrase 'painted stations whistle by' means the train passes brightly colored railway stations so quickly that they appear and disappear almost instantly, often accompanied by the sound of the train's whistle. The speed makes everything outside feel like a fleeting blur.
In simple words: It means the train passes colorful stations very fast, with a whistle sound.

🎯 Exam Tip: Break down the phrase into parts and explain each element (e.g., "painted stations" and "whistle by") to give a complete answer.

4. Each a glimpse and gone forever;
a) What is 'each' over here? Why is it gone for ever?
Answer: Here, 'each' refers to every single thing the passengers see from the train window. It is gone forever because the train moves so incredibly fast that each sight is only visible for a moment and then quickly disappears from view. This highlights the transient nature of a train journey's view.
In simple words: 'Each' means every sight seen from the train. It's gone forever because the train goes too fast for you to see it again.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining why something is "gone forever," link it directly to the speed and movement described in the poem.

B. Answer the Following Questions.

1. What does 'charges along like troops in a battle' mean?
Answer: The phrase 'charges along like troops in a battle' means the train moves forward very quickly and powerfully, similar to how soldiers march boldly and rapidly into a fight. This comparison makes the train's movement sound strong and determined.
In simple words: It means the train moves fast and strongly, like soldiers marching into a fight.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain similes by breaking down the comparison and describing what qualities are being shared between the two things.

2. What word could best replace 'charges' in the poem – marches, rushes or pushes?
Answer: In the context of the poem, the word that best replaces 'charges' is 'rushes'. This emphasizes the rapid, continuous movement of the train. 'Rushes' perfectly captures the swift and unstoppable momentum of the train.
In simple words: The best word to replace 'charges' is 'rushes'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Consider the nuance of each option and choose the one that most accurately reflects the speed and energy described in the poem.

3. Why does the child clamber and scramble?
Answer: The child clambers and scrambles because they are trying to gather blackberries. These actions describe moving with effort to reach and pick the fruit. Children often get excited about finding wild berries and move quickly to collect them.
In simple words: The child moves with effort to pick blackberries.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the reason behind the action clearly and simply, focusing on the character's motivation.

C. Think and Write. (Text Book Page No. 130)

1. Write a paragraph about 50 words describing the scenes that the poet passed by.
Answer: The poet describes a train journey where everything outside rushes by very quickly. The train moves faster than imaginary fairies and witches. Bridges, houses, thorny bushes, and ditches flash past in an instant. The train also speeds through fields where horses and cattle graze. Colorful stations, a child picking blackberries, a person watching the train, flower garlands, a heavy cart, a river, and a mill are all seen for just a brief moment. This rapid succession of images creates a vivid sense of movement and changing scenery.
In simple words: The poet tells about seeing many things quickly from a train. Bridges, houses, plants, and ditches pass by fast. He sees fields with animals, stations, a child picking berries, and other things, all for a very short time.

🎯 Exam Tip: Summarize the key visual elements mentioned in the poem, ensuring you capture the sense of speed and fleeting glimpses.

2. There is a connection between the rhyming words and rhythms of the train. Present your views about it.
Answer: Yes, there is a clear link between the poem's rhyming words and the train's rhythm. As the train moves, it creates a regular sound pattern of rising and falling beats. The rhyming words in the poem often mimic this steady, rhythmic sound, making the poem feel like the train itself. This poetic device helps the reader feel as if they are also on the train, listening to its sounds.
In simple words: Yes, the rhyming words in the poem match the sound and rhythm of a moving train. You can almost hear the train's beat as you read the rhymes.

🎯 Exam Tip: When discussing connections between poetic elements and the subject, describe how the form (rhyme, rhythm) enhances the feeling or imagery related to the subject.

Eg: Faster than fairies, faster than witches Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches. We hear rhythms in the above two lines while reading them.

D. Fill in the Blanks to Complete the Summary.

Ever since their introduction, the sentences and their unique rhythms have attracted poets. In this poem, the poet shares his experience of the train track with us. He presents natural scenes seen from the window of a railway carriage. The sound is regular and steady but the scenes from the window of the train are constantly changing. The poem's rhythm and phrases bring the joy of a railway journey. The poet looks out of the window at the passing images outside. Every line we see here is a quick account of something seen for a moment. The line that best sums up is the final one: “Each a glimpse and gone forever!”.

Vocabulary

E. Find Me in the Poem.

1. I can help you to cross the river
2. I can border your garden
3. I can alert you
4. I can carry you
5. You can ride on me
6. You can climb on men
7. You can lay down on me
8. You can play with me
Answer:
1. I can help you to cross the river - bridge
2. I can border your garden - hedges
3. I can alert you - whistle
4. I can carry you - cart
5. You can ride on me - horse
6. You can climb on me - scramble
7. You can lay down on me - meadow
8. You can play with me - child
In simple words: These are things or actions that match the descriptions given, like a bridge helps cross a river, or a child plays.

🎯 Exam Tip: Carefully read each clue and recall the related nouns from the poem to find the correct match.

Appreciation Questions

F. Work in Pairs:

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two things. Similes explicitly use connecting words such as 'like' and 'as'. eg.'as cool as', 'like a child'

1. Discuss with your partner and pick out the similes used in the poem. Which one do you like the most?
Answer: The similes used in the poem are: 'like troops in a battle', comparing the train's movement to soldiers, and 'as thick as driving rain', describing a dense, quick sight. Both create strong pictures in the mind. Similes help readers visualize actions and sensations more vividly.
In simple words: The poem uses two similes: 'like troops in a battle' and 'as thick as driving rain'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for comparison words like 'like' or 'as' to identify similes in a poem.

2. Discuss with your partner and pick out the rhyming words from the poem.
Answer: The rhyming words found in the poem are pairs like 'witches' and 'ditches', 'scrambles' and 'brambles', 'battle' and 'cattle', 'gazes' and 'daisies', 'plain' and 'rain', 'road' and 'load', 'eye' and 'by', and 'river' and 'forever'. Rhyming words give poems a musical quality and make them more enjoyable to read.
In simple words: The poem has rhyming words such as: witches-ditches, scrambles-brambles, battle-cattle, gazes-daisies, plain-rain, road-load, eye-by, and river-forever.

🎯 Exam Tip: To find rhyming words, listen to the end sounds of words in each line or stanza.

Creative Writing (Text Book Page No. 131)

G. Pick out the nouns from the poem. Write as many cinquain poems as you can.
Answer: The poem contains various nouns. Below are examples of words associated with 'Tramp' and 'Cart', which can be used to create cinquain poems. Cinquain poems follow a specific five-line structure, starting and ending with a noun, with descriptive words and actions in between. Writing cinquain poems helps to focus on specific details and build vocabulary.
In simple words: Nouns from the poem can be used to write short poems called cinquains. Here are some words related to 'Tramp' and 'Cart' to help you.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on selecting strong nouns and then brainstorming descriptive adjectives, verbs, and phrases that relate to them for your cinquain poems.

6th English Guide From a Railway Carriage Additional Appreciation Questions

1. 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:
a) Who is moving faster than fairies and witches?
Answer: The poem states that the train is moving at a speed greater than that of fairies and witches. This vivid comparison emphasizes the train's extraordinary speed.
In simple words: The train moves faster than fairies and witches.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for direct comparisons in the poem to identify what is being described as faster.

b) What is the rhyming scheme used here?
Answer: The rhyming scheme for these lines is 'aabb', meaning the first two lines rhyme with each other, and the next two lines rhyme with each other. Rhyming schemes add a musical quality and structure to a poem.
In simple words: The rhyming pattern used is 'aabb'.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the rhyming pairs at the end of lines to determine the scheme (e.g., AABB, ABAB).

2. And charging along like troops in a battle.
a) What is charging along?
Answer: It is the train that is charging along, moving forward with great speed and force. This imagery highlights the powerful and unstoppable nature of the train.
In simple words: The train is moving forward quickly.

🎯 Exam Tip: Relate the action directly to the main subject of the poem, which is the train's journey.

b) What is the train compared with?
Answer: The train is compared to 'troops in a battle', suggesting it moves with the same determined, powerful, and unified front as soldiers marching to war. This comparison helps readers visualize the train's strong and purposeful movement.
In simple words: The train is compared to soldiers in a battle.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the specific noun used in the "like" or "as" comparison to answer questions about similes.

3. All of the sights of the hill and the plain
Fly as thick as driving rain
a) What are the sights mentioned here?
Answer: The sights mentioned in these lines are the 'hill' and the 'plain', representing the natural landscape seen from the train. These broad terms indicate the diverse geography passing by.
In simple words: The sights are the hill and the plain.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to the specific nouns in the lines that refer to objects or places being viewed.

b) What does "driving rain” mean?
Answer: 'Driving rain' in this context refers to rain that is falling very heavily and forcefully, often carried by wind, making it seem like it's 'chasing' or pushing people quickly. It suggests a powerful, almost aggressive, movement. The phrase evokes a sense of urgency and speed.
In simple words: 'Driving rain' means rain that falls very hard and fast, as if it's chasing you.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the meaning of a figurative phrase by considering its context and the strong image it creates.

4. Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,
All by himself and gathering brambles:
a) What does the child do?
Answer: The child is seen climbing and moving quickly, or 'clambering and scrambling', to collect blackberries from the bushes. These actions show the child's eagerness and effort to find the fruit.
In simple words: The child climbs and moves quickly to pick blackberries.

🎯 Exam Tip: Describe the actions of the character accurately as presented in the poem, including their purpose.

b) Is the child alone?
Answer: Yes, the poem describes the child as being 'all by himself', indicating they are alone. The image of a solitary child adds a touch of quiet observation to the scene.
In simple words: Yes, the child is alone.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for direct phrases in the poem that confirm details about the characters, such as "all by himself."

5. Here is a tramp who stands and gazes:
a) Who is a tramp?
Answer: A tramp is someone who travels from one place to another, usually on foot, without a fixed home or job. This figure often represents freedom and a life lived close to nature.
In simple words: A tramp is a person who walks from place to place.

🎯 Exam Tip: Define the term based on its common understanding and how it's typically portrayed in literature.

b) What does he look at?
Answer: The tramp is looking at the train as it passes by, observing its fast movement. His fixed gaze contrasts with the train's fleeting speed.
In simple words: He watches the moving train.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the object of the tramp's attention as described in the poem.

6. Here is a cart run away in the road,
Lumping along with man and load.
a) What is the sight described here?
Answer: The scene described is a cart that seems to be moving freely, almost as if it's running away on the road, with a person and its goods bouncing along. This image suggests a rustic and perhaps chaotic moment on the roadside.
In simple words: The sight described is a cart moving on the road with a person and their load.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the main object and its immediate actions or surroundings as mentioned in the lines.

b) What does 'Lumping' mean?
Answer: 'Lumping' means moving along slowly and heavily, often with difficulty or in a clumsy way, especially when carrying a burden. This word conveys the effort involved in moving a heavy cart.
In simple words: 'Lumping' means moving slowly and with effort because of a heavy load.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain the verb's meaning in the context of movement and carrying heavy objects.

From a Railway Carriage Summary in English

The poem is about the author's childhood experience on a railway journey, seen through the eyes of a young child. The poet compares the speed of the train with how fairies fly and witches move. The train's movement also seems like soldiers marching on a battlefield. The train leaves everything behind itself as it moves along its track. The poet concludes that the scenes he had witnessed from the train window would never come back to him again.

From a Railway Carriage Summary in Tamil

இந்த கவிதை கவிஞரின் இளமைப்பருவ ரயில் பயணத்தைப் பற்றியது. ஒரு சிறிய குழந்தையின் கண்களால் காணப்பட்டது இந்தக் கவிதை. கவிஞர் இரயிலின் வேகத்தை தேவதைகள் பறக்கும் விதம் மற்றும் மந்திரவாதிகளின் இயக்கத்துடன் ஒப்பிடுகிறார். இரயிலின் இயக்கம் போர்க்களத்தில் வீரர்கள் போரிடுவதைப் போல் தெரிகிறது. இரயில் தனக்கு பின்னால் உள்ள எல்லாவற்றையும் அதன் பாதையை நகர்த்தும். அவர் ரயிலின் ஜன்னலில் இருந்து பார்த்தக் காட்சிகள் தன்னிடமும் வராது என்று அவர் முடிவு செய்கிறார்.

From a Railway Carriage About the Author in English

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 Nov 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, musician, and travel writer. His famous works are 'Treasure Island', 'Kidnapped', 'Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde' and 'A Child's Garden of Verses'.

From a Railway Carriage About the Author in Tamil

ராபர்ட் லூயிஸ் பால்பர் ஸ்டீவன்சன் (13 நவம்பர் 1850 – 3 டிசம்பர் 1894) இவர் ஒரு ஸ்காட்டிஷ் நாவலாசிரியர், கவிஞர், கட்டுரையாளர், இசைக்கலைஞர் மற்றும் பயண எழுத்தாளர் ஆவார். அவரது புகழ்பெற்ற படைப்புகள் 'Treasure Island', 'Kidnapped', 'Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde' மற்றும் 'A Child's Garden of Verses' ஆகும்.