What The Engines Said Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCBB DDEEEEE FFGGHHHH IIJJKLEEMEMM NNOONNPPQRSS TUVVWWKK BBXYOpening Of The Pacific Railroad | A |
- | |
- | |
What was it the Engines said | B |
Pilots touching head to head | B |
Facing on the single track | C |
Half a world behind each back | C |
This is what the Engines said | B |
Unreported and unread | B |
- | |
With a prefatory screech | D |
In a florid Western speech | D |
Said the Engine from the WEST | E |
I am from Sierra's crest | E |
And if altitude's a test | E |
Why I reckon it's confessed | E |
That I've done my level best | E |
- | |
Said the Engine from the EAST | F |
They who work best talk the least | F |
S'pose you whistle down your brakes | G |
What you've done is no great shakes | G |
Pretty fair but let our meeting | H |
Be a different kind of greeting | H |
Let these folks with champagne stuffing | H |
Not their Engines do the PUFFING | H |
- | |
Listen Where Atlantic beats | I |
Shores of snow and summer heats | I |
Where the Indian autumn skies | J |
Paint the woods with wampum dyes | J |
I have chased the flying sun | K |
Seeing all he looked upon | L |
Blessing all that he has blessed | E |
Nursing in my iron breast | E |
All his vivifying heat | M |
All his clouds about my crest | E |
And before my flying feet | M |
Every shadow must retreat | M |
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Said the Western Engine Phew | N |
And a long low whistle blew | N |
Come now really that's the oddest | O |
Talk for one so very modest | O |
You brag of your East YOU do | N |
Why I bring the East to YOU | N |
All the Orient all Cathay | P |
Find through me the shortest way | P |
And the sun you follow here | Q |
Rises in my hemisphere | R |
Really if one must be rude | S |
Length my friend ain't longitude | S |
- | |
Said the Union Don't reflect or | T |
I'll run over some Director | U |
Said the Central I'm Pacific | V |
But when riled I'm quite terrific | V |
Yet to day we shall not quarrel | W |
Just to show these folks this moral | W |
How two Engines in their vision | K |
Once have met without collision | K |
- | |
That is what the Engines said | B |
Unreported and unread | B |
Spoken slightly through the nose | X |
With a whistle at the close | Y |
Bret Harte
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