CHAPTER

THEVOICE
8 OF THE RAIN
Walt Whitman

Introduction t
The poem is in the form of a conversation between the poet and the 'rain'. The poet asks the rain 'who are your.
To this question, the rain replies that it is the poem of the earth; it rises continuously in the form of vapours and
returns to earth in the form of rain. It says that it purifies earth and also gives life to it. Itreturns toearth exactly like
a song, which finally return to its singer in the form of appreciation after it is heard everywhere round the globe.

Summary
The Voice of the Rain' contains a dialogue between the poet and the rain itself. The rain, in its personified form,
describes what it is and what it does. In other words, the poet describes the cycle of the rain and also celebrates the
coming of the rain.
The poet inquires who the rain is
The poet asks the rain who she is. The rain promptly answers the question and the poet translates it.
The Reply of the Rain
Being personified the rain replies, "Iam the poem of Earth. Irise out of the Land and the bottomless sea like
something which cannot be touched. I rise upward to the sky where I change my form. Then Ifall down on the
surface of the earth to wash or bathe the droughts, atoms, dust etc. Ialso fall on the thing which cannot assume
life without me".
Functions of the rain
"Dav and night I give life to my own origin and make it pure and beautify it. A song issuing from its birth-place
after fulfilling and wandering as voice here and there acquires love when it returns. So, Ireturn with love after
giving life to anything that Itouch."
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Explanation of the Poem this topic
Stanza 1
And who art thou? said I tothe soft-falling shower,
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated: The Voice of the
I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain, Rain

Explanation: In the above given lines, the poet asks aquestion to the soft-falling rain 'Who are you? (assumingthe
rain as a person). The answer, which the rain gives, is strange to express but it is still translated or explained here.
The rain replied Iam the poem of the earth'.
Stonza 2
Eternal Irise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea.
Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form'd, altogether changed, and yet the same.
Explanation: The rain saysthat it is the poem of the earth. It is born in an invisible and intangible form which rises
Erom thewater bodies and reaches the inme Sky to cnange its
appearance into clouds of different shapes
sizes, Yet, the rain says, it remains the same in its heart as it was at its birth
Stanza3 LITERATURE : POETRY 155
Idescendto lave the
Andiall that in them droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the
globe,
Aud forever, by day andwithout I were seeds only, latent, unborn;
ne
night, give back life tomy
Explanation: The rain falls
earth's soul and Washes away down on the earth own-origin, and make pure and
as little water beautijyit;
dust and dirt. It gijves droplets which brings respite to us, rejuvenates the
1unborn undergrOundthe land as mere life to new
seeds. Thus, rain continues itsnlants which would have otherwise
of origin giving it lite and
making it all the more beautiful and pure. iourney where it returns to the earth,remained
lS place
Stanza 4
(For song, issuing from its
birth-place,
Reck'd or unreck d. duly with after
love returns.) fulfilment, wandering,
Explanation: Walt Whitman feels that the rain is a kind of some song, The
Once it is completed, it transfers from one song's birth place is the poet's heart.
person
The last lines of the poenm are kept in brackets as
to other person and one day it returns to all
its
rain.
thev do not belong to theconversation between listenetS.
the poet and the
IPoetic Devices
Personification : The rain has been personified as it speaks.
Paradox:1give back life to my own origin' (a situation, person or thing that combines contradictory features or
qualities.)

(O Extract Based Questions (1 mark each)

I Read the given lines and choose the correct 0.3. Who rises 'eternal out of the land'?
answer: [1 x 3= 3] (A) Poet (B) Air
And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower, (C) Rain (D) Water vapour
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer Ans.Option (C) is correct.
Iam the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain, III. Read the given lines and choose the correct answer :
[1 x 3 = 3]
Q.1. Identify the poet.
(B) Ted Hughes Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form'd,
(A) Shirley Toulson altogether changed, and yet the same,
(C) Walt Whitman (D) Markus Natten
Idescend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers
Ans.Option (C) is correct. of the globe,
Q.2. What does 'who art thou' means ? Q.1. What is 'vaguely formd' ?
(A) Who are they ? (B) Who are you ? (A) Rain (B) Water
(D) Who art thus ? (C) Clouds (D) None of the above
(C) Whoare these ?
Ans.Option (B) is correct. Ans.Option (C) iscorrect.
Q.2. Identify the poem.
Q.3. Who are in conversation ?
(B) Poet and stranger (A) Voice of the cloud (B) Poem of the rain
(A) Poet and earth (C) Poem of the earth (D) The Voice of the rain
(D) None of these
(C) Poet and rain Ans.Option (D)is correct.
Ans.Option (C) is correct. 0.3. What is the synonym of 'lave' ?
choose the correct answer:
II. Read the given lines and (A) Hydrate (B) Wash
AO[1 x 3 = 3] (D) All of the above
(C) Bathe
sajd the voice of the rain, the Ans.Option (D)is correct.
Iam the Poem of Earth. and
out of the land IV Read the givenlines and choose the correct answer:
Eternal I rise impalpable [1 x3 = 3]
bottomless sea,
of Earth ? And all that is in them without me were seeds
Q.1. Who is called as Poem (B) Water only,latent, unborn.
(A) Earth And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my
(D) Rain
(C) Wind own origin, andmake pure and beautify it;
Ans.Option (D) is correct. Q.1. What does' them' refer to ?
Earth' talking to ?
Q.2. To whom the 'Poem of (A) Plants (B) Human Beings
(B) Earth (D) Clouds
(C) Seeds
(A) Rain above
(D) All of the Ans.Option (C) is correct.
(C) Poet
Ans.Option (C) is correct.
156

Q.2. Why were they unborn ? Ans.Option (D) is correct.

the poem ?
(A)Seeds cannot grow without water. Q.3. Who 'give back life' in (B) Living Organisms
(A) Earth
(B) Seeds cannot be born without a plant. (D) Rain
(C) Poet
(C) Without water seeds would have remained
buried under the earth. Ans.Option (D) is correct.
(D) Allof the above
(40-50 words &3 marks each)
Short Answer Type Questions
back life to my owe
Q.1. The poem begins in a conversational tone. Who Q.9. Why does rain say, "Igive
are the two participants in this conversation? again"? (MSE, 2008)
Or
Ans. The two participantsare the poet and the rain. The
poetmakes the rain relate its Own story. This direct What answer does rain give to the poet about its
presentation makes the narration more authentic,
origin?
interesting and captivating. Poem
Ans. The rain answered the poet that it was the
Q.2. How did the poet look at the rain? What did he and the
ask it? of Earth. It rose eternally out of the land
bottomless sea upto the sky. There, it is formed
Ans. The poet looked at the rain as 'the soft falling vaguely and changed its form. But it remains the
shower. The showers were falling very lightly same.
producing a soft music. The poet was fascinated
and asked who she was. Q. 10. Why is rain compared to music? (KVS Q 2014|
Q.3. How does the poet feel when he gets the answer? Ans. The poet compares the rain with music. The
poet watches the falling showers of the rain.
Ans. Strangely enough, the rain itself answers the
questions posed to it. The poet feels really The showers are falling very lightly producing a
surprised to get an answer and translates the soft music. Like music, rain too is life giving and
answer into hisown language. inspirational. It spreads love and joy.
Q.4. How does the rain justify its claim: 'I am the Q. 11. Behind the apparent simplicity, the poem hides
Poem of Earth'? a deep meaning. What exactly does the poem
Ans. In poem The Voice of the Rain, the rain is convey to the reader?
personified and describes what it is and what it
Ans. The poem is not merely giving a description of
does. In short, the poem describes the cycle of rain. life-cycle of rain. It has deeper meaning. Ran
Q.5. What is the cycle of the song? What does it is a poem or thing of beauty of Earth and so is
represent?
song or music. The comparison between rain and
Ans. The cycle of the song is what is issued from its music and their function, making the Earth pure
birthplace. It represents fulfilment and moving and beautiful conveys the eternal role of natural
reckd- unreck'd returns to its origin with love. phenomenon and art in real life.
Q. 6. What does the rain do day and night to the
Q. 12. How does the rain describe herself in the poem
things? The Voice of the Rain'?
Ans. The rain gives back life to its own origin and AO (DDE, 2014)
continues making it pure and beautiful. This Or
action of rain is automatic. It is a source of life to all Give the central idea of the poem, "The Voice of
things without which it would remain seeds only. the Rain,'
Q.7. On what does the rain descend? What does it do Ans. The rain calls itself the poem of
to those things on which it falls?
earth. IP
everlasting and perpetual. It is something tht
Ans. The rain descends on droughts, land and dust cannot be touched. It originates from the lanu
particles on the surface of the earth. It also falls and the deep sea. Then it rises upward to heaven
those
on everything that is there. It gives life to where it changes its forms into a cloud, yet remai
things on which it falls. The things not getting it the same in quality. From the sky it pours down ot
remain seeds only, latent and unborn.
earth to wash the dry thin particles and dust laye
Q. 8. "Eternal, Irise impalpable". What gives eternity of the earth. The rain helps the unborn seeds
torain? sprout. These seeds lay hidden and unborn und
it rises the layer of earth. Rain gives back life to its orig
Ans. The rain water cycle makes it eternal as
out of the land and deep sea. It gathers in the making it pureand beautiful. 2

the
sky,changes its form and then comes down to
earth.
 NCERT Corner
Think it Out changed-same
land - sea
LQ.1. There are two voices in the poem.
belong to? Which lines indicate this? Who do they II. Notice the sentence pattern in the following :
Ans. The two voices belong to rain and the poet. These 1. And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling
lines are: showe.
"And who are thou? said I to the soft falling 2. Iam the Poem of Earth,said the voice of the rain.
shower:."-The poet 3. Eternal I rise.
"And Iam the poem of the Earth, said the voice of
rain. The rain 4. For song .... duly uwith love returns.
Rewrite the above sentences in prose.
0.2. What does the phrase 'strange to tell' mean?
Ans. 'Strange to tell' means that the poet is amazed by Ans. 1.The poet said to the soft falling shower who she
was.
the answer from the rain. He is able to hear and
2. The voice of the rain said that she was the poem of
understand rain's language. the Earth.
0.3. There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. 3. She added that she rose eternally.
Which words indicate this ? Explain the similarity 4. Because song issuing form its birth place after
between the two. AO(NCT, 2007; KVC, 2008) fulfilment and wandering gets recked or unreck'd
but it duly returns with love.
Ans. The words´Ifor song issuing its birthplace' indicate
this. There is similarity between music and rain.
Both return to the place of their origin. Commonly Made Error
Q.4. How is the cyclicmovement of rain brought out
in the poem? Compare it with what you have Although this poem is a poetic explarnation
learnt in science? (NCT, 2008) of a scientific phenomenon, please do not
Ans. The rain originates from the earth and finally compareit with the actual scientific logic. Thus,
returns to it. It is exactly like what we read in remember that 'atomies' is a poetic expression
science. Water on earth evaporates and forms for very small particles' but not essentially
clouds. Then these clouds formed of water meaning 'atoms'
produce rain which fall on earth again. Thus, there
is asimilarity between the description of rain in
the poem and what we read in science.
within brackets? Answering Tips
Q.5. Why are the last two lines put
brackets because the
Ans. The last twolines are put in conversation Read the poem thoroughly-more than once,
form of
rest of the poem is in the if necessary-to grasp the gist of each starnza.
rain. The last two lines
between the poet and the
narration. Donot rely on paraphrases.
are written by the poet as
poem. Note the use of words and expressions.
in the
Q.6. List the pairs of opposites found Find out the context of the poem.
Ans. The pairs of opposites are :
Try to understand meanings of words in
earth - heaven context. Remember, poetic meaning of a word
rise - descend may be different from the actual meaning. Also,
sometimes certain words may undergo such
day - night poetic modifications for the sake of rhythm,
issuing -return which is not generally seen in prose.
reck'd - unreck' d