The Voice of the Rain
Think it out
I. 1. There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this?
Answer:
The poem contains two voices. The first is of the rain, and the second is of the poet himself.
“And who art thou? Said I to the soft-falling shower,” is the voice of the poet and “I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain” is the voice of rain.
2. What does the phrase “strange to tell” mean?
Answer:
The phrase refers to a peculiar phenomenon, as the raindrop responds to the poet’s questions.
3. There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two.
Answer:
The voice of the rain says, “I am the Poem of Earth,” implying a link between rain and poetry.
The poet draws parallels between the two by observing the rain’s life cycle. They both originate from a source, rise, and return to their origin after completing their task.
4. How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science.
Answer:
As the poem’s lines go, the water rises from the “land and the bottomless sea” to reach the sky. Water rises untouched from the sea in the form of water vapour, forms a cloud, and then descends back on earth to wash away the dryness, returning to its source. This cyclical movement of rain parallels the phenomenon of precipitation we learned in science.
5. Why are the last two lines put within brackets?
Answer:
The last two lines contain the poet’s comment or general observation, not the voice (something said) of the rain or the poet. As a result, they are enclosed in brackets because they do not constitute a conversation between the rain and the poet.
6. List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.
Answer:
(a) Day, night
(b) Reck’d, unreck’d
(c) Rise, descend
II. Notice the following sentence patterns.
1. And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower.
Answer:
I enquired the soft-falling rain about its identity.
2. I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain.
Answer:
The voice of the rain introduced itself as the Poem of Earth.
3. Eternal I rise
Answer:
Upward movement of the rain (towards sky) is eternal.
4. For song… duly with love returns
Answer:
The poet says that, similar to the natural cycle of the rain, a song originates from the heart of the poet, travels to reach others and after fulfilling its purpose (whether acknowledged or not), it returns to the poet with all due love.
III. Look for some more poems on the rain and see how this one is different from them
Answer:
Do it yourself.