I like to see it lap the Miles－ 1
And lick the Valleys up－
And stop to feed itself at Tanks－
And then－prodigious step
Around a Pile of Mountains－ 5
And supercilious peer
In Shanties－by the sides of Roads－
And then a Quarry pare
To fit its sides 9
And crawl between
Complaining all the while
In horrid－hooting stanza－
Then chase itself down Hill－
And neigh like Boanerges－ 14
Then－prompter than a Star
Stop－docile and omnipotent
At its own stable door－
And lick the Valleys up－
And stop to feed itself at Tanks－
And then－prodigious step
Around a Pile of Mountains－ 5
And supercilious peer
In Shanties－by the sides of Roads－
And then a Quarry pare
To fit its sides 9
And crawl between
Complaining all the while
In horrid－hooting stanza－
Then chase itself down Hill－
And neigh like Boanerges－ 14
Then－prompter than a Star
Stop－docile and omnipotent
At its own stable door－
(F.383/J.585)
[1-17]:: This poem describes the venture of Don Quixote's horse, Rocinante. The name Rocinante means a low-quality before but now the first-rate horse. The same is applied to Dickinson's poems.
[1] I like to see:: the speaker likes to "read" the part of Rocinante in the novel.
[8] Quarry pare:: all lines here can fit to the novel somewhere except the quarry pare. Quarry is a place to cut stones into useful materials.
[11] stanza:: a hint on the hidden subject of this poem, poetry.
[16] docile and omnipotent:: Dickinson's poems are both docile and omnipotent.
[17] own stable door:: Rocinante goes home safely at the end.