And then, prodigious, step
Around a pile of mountains
And, supercilious, peer
In shanties by the sides of roads;
And then a quarry pare
To fit its sides, and crawl between
Complaining all the while
In horrid, hooting stanza;
Then chase itself down hill
And neigh like Boanerges;
Then, punctual as a star
Stop—docile and omnipotent—
At its own stable door.
The speaker admires the train as if it were a part of nature, but clearly there are hints of internal conflict. Though she claims to “like” to see the train lap the miles, she characterizes it as “supercilious” and “complaining”. It is ironic how she sees the train as a “prodigious”, unnatural technology, yet also comparable to any other animal in nature, consuming and affecting its environment. The overall tone, in effect, seems quite skeptical, but in the end she appears to respect the technology as “docile and omnipotent”.
I like to see it lap the Miles 43