The narrator and other passengers on a train are halted in a siding as they watch a train full of coal pass slowly by. The coal train moves painfully slowly, with each truck seeming like an achievement as it passes. As the passengers watch mesmerized, the narrator notices a coal black horse and foal in the distance and clouds moving across the sky like the mounds of coal. When the last truck passes, the passengers sigh with relief except for an old man who is compared to a mole, with wrinkled skin and teeth like coal.

2. Karroo Stop A whole trainful of coal like a soul burnt black in a hole or tunnel, passed us slowly. We were halted in our carriage. The roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, dragged painfully, each truck like the goal achieved, yet still this kept control of each eye.

3. A horse and a foal beyond were meagre to it, coal – black horse and foal, and far-off clouds stroll white in little mounds, and the coal in mounds and piles that crawl and crawl.

4. A sigh, a grunt from us all, with one exception, I saw patrol like a mole underground, through walls of skewer patience, cold and fire and old old man’s sharp smile, an old man wrinkled small with teeth like coal.

5. A whole trainful of coal like a soul burnt black in a hole or tunnel, passed us slowly. Narrator’s train is halted in a siding in the Karroo He watches (with other passengers) as a train laden with coal goes past Simile: blackness of the train compared to a soul that has been burnt black

6. We were halted in our carriage. The roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, dragged painfully, each truck like the goal achieved, yet still this kept control of each eye. Carriage move by very slowly – without apparent end – repeated “roll” suggests how slowly this occurs Appear to go on and on Movement is so slow that each carriage that passes appears to be an achievement – requires a great deal of effort Passengers are completely mesmerised

8. A horse and a foal beyond were meagre to it, coal – black horse and foal, Poet’s eye zooms out and he tells us what else he can see Very small in comparison to the size of the train Notices that their colour is the same as the coal

9. and far-off clouds stroll white in little mounds, and the coal in mounds and piles that crawl and crawl. Eye glances upwards to the sky – notices the clouds moving Contrast in colour Shape of the coal and the shape of the clouds is similar Movement of the coal trucks vs movement of the clouds

10. A sigh, a grunt from us all, with one exception, I saw patrol like a mole underground, through walls of skewer patience, cold and fire and old old man’s sharp smile, an old man wrinkled small with teeth like coal. Passengers sigh with relief as the last truck passes by Old man – simile – compared to a mole – dressed in black or Images of heat and cold Link between train and old man