The Voice Of The Machines

Zusatztext

Excerpt: It would be difficult to find anything in the encyclopaedia that would justify the claim that we are about to make, or anything in the dictionary. Even a poemwhich is supposed to prove anything with a little of nothingcould hardly be found to prove it, but in this beginning hour of the twentieth century there are not a few of usfor the time at least allowed to exist upon the earthwho are obliged to say (with Luther), Though every tile on the roundhouse be a devil, we cannot say otherwisethe locomotive is beautiful. As seen when one is looking at it as it is, and is not merely using it. As seen from a meadow. We had never thought to fall so low as this, or that the time would come when we would feel movedall but compelled, in factto betray to a cold and discriminating world our poor, pitiful, one-adjective state. We do not know why a locomotive is beautiful. We are perfectly aware that it ought not to be. We have all but been ashamed of it for being beautifuland of ourselves. We have attempted all possible words upon itthe most complimentary and worthy ones we knowwords with the finer resonance in them, and the air of discrimination the soul loves. We cannot but say that several of these words from time to time have seemed almost satisfactory to our ears.

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