Emily Dickinson 's father was instrumental in bringing the railroad to Amherst, Massachusetts, and he even led a parade in honor of the first train. This proceeds to explain why, among her many masterworks, famous romantic poet Emily Dickinson included a poem entitled “I like to see it lap the miles” that can be interpreted as idolizing trains. Through artful verse, this poem expresses Dickinson’s admiration for the train through similes comparing the train with heavenly or religious items, two prominent shifts in the poem, and powerful description and imagery that further exemplifies her veneration of the iron horse. To begin, Dickinson’s poem is written without any direct statement that she was referencing the train. However, this quickly …show more content…
The similes “neigh like Boanerges” and “punctual as a Star” (Dickinson) outwardly express Dickinson’s reverence for the train. Noticeably, both “Boanerges” and “Star” are capitalized in the middle/end of the line. This employment of capitalization proposes that these words are key to this part of the poem. A star is in the heavens, high above the Earth, and phenomenal. Similarly, a Boanerges is a loud, loquacious preacher, who teaches about religion; something that is heavenly, and often difficult to explain. This wordage allows for the reader to assume that Dickinson is attempting to display the majesty and wonder of the train by comparing it to heavenly or religious things. Additionally, the opening of the line “and neigh like Boanerges” includes the verb “neigh”. Horses neigh in order to announce their position to the rest of the group. By using this verb, Dickinson shows how the train announces itself as it “neigh like Boanerges” (Dickinson), and announces a better way, much like a preacher. Although, the train is announcing a better, faster, way of transportation, rather than a religion. This use of figurative language is one of many methods in which Dickinson described the glory of