About the Lesson
Welcome to our website dedicated to Walt Whitman's wonderful poem "The Voice of the Rain." Immerse yourself in the enthralling words that explore nature's inherent essence and transformational force.
The rain takes on a voice in this enthralling poetry and exposes itself as the "Poem of Earth." It tells of its timeless essence, rising ethereally from the earth and the abysmal sea, changing mysteriously but constantly while staying intrinsically the same. As it descends, it generously showers the world's droughts, atomies, and dust layers, reawakening latent seeds and pouring life into them.
We welcome you to explore the poem's theme—nature's vital and regenerating force—via this website. Learn about the rain's metaphorical meaning as a catalyst for regeneration, rebirth, and cleansing. Consider its function in supporting life, both physically and spiritually, as it cleanses and embellishes its own source.
Explanations
The Voice of the Rain
And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated:
I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,
Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the
bottomless sea,
Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form’d, altogether
changed, and yet the same,
I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of
the globe,
And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent,
unborn;
And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my
own origin,
And make pure and beautify it;
(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment,
wandering
Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns.)
The Poem in Simple Language
"Who are you?" I inquired of the soft rain shower.
Surprisingly, it replied with the following translation:
"I am the embodiment of Earth's poetry," said the rain's voice.
I ascend endlessly, intangibly, from the enormous country and limitless water.
Ascending to the skies, assuming a new and hazy appearance but staying essentially identical.
Then I descend to satiate the arid earth's hunger, rejuvenating the minute particles, the layers of dust that blanket the world.
And everything that existed only as latent, unborn seeds inside them.
I constantly, day and night, restore life to its source.
It is being cleansed and adorned with beauty."
(Because singing, whether recognised or unheard, dependably returns to its home with love after being satisfied and travelling.)
Theme of the Poem
The topic of Walt Whitman's poem "The Voice of the Rain" above is nature's vital and transformational force. The rain is personified in the poem as a sentient [able to see or feel through the senses] being capable of communicating and expressing itself. The rain labels itself the "Poem of the Earth," emphasising its deep connection to nature.
The concept is based on the importance of rain in the life cycle. It represents rebirth, regeneration, and rejuvenation. Rain emerges from the earth and sea, passing through a gradual change before dropping to feed and revitalise the world's dry and dormant components. It gives life to dormant and unborn seeds, awakening them to their full potential.
Furthermore, the rain's persistent presence emphasises its everlasting character. It works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, reflecting an eternal cycle that supports and cleanses existence. Rain's acts not only offer bodily food but also cleanse and adorn the earth, boosting its natural beauty.
The poem's overall topic reflects the concept that nature, in this instance, rain, has an intrinsic ability to revitalise, alter, and bring forth life. It honours the connectivity of all natural world components and reminds us of the critical role that nature plays in supporting and improving our lives.
Word Meanings
1.who art thou who are you
2.soft falling shower rain
3.eternal immortal/ never – ending
4.impalpable intangible/ that cannot be felt physically
5.bottomless very deep
6.heaven sky
7.whence from where
8.vaguely indistinctly / not properly(formed)
9.to lave to wash
10.droughts long period of time without any rainfall
11.atomies small particles
12.latent hidden
13.own origin earth
14.issuing taking birth
15.wandering roaming
16.Reck’d heeded
17.unreck’d unheeded
Poetic Devices
1. I am the poem of the earth personification
2. bottomless sea hyperbole
3. …altogether changed, and yet the same oxymoron
4. And all(that in them) assonance
5. own origin assonance
Summary
The poet asks the softly falling rain who it is and
much to his surprise he gets a reply from the
rain that it is the Poem of the Earth. The
intangible rain says that it rises eternally
from the land and bottomless sea.
It soars up in the sky and from there vaguely
changes its form altogether but basically the
rain remains the same. Then it comes down to
wash the dry land, dust particles, and layers of
the world. It waters the land and it sprouts the seeds.
Thus it gives back life to the earth again and makes
it a beautiful place.
At last, the poet compares rain to a song. The
rain makes a cyclic journey and comes back
to its origin similarly, a song shoots out from
its origin and after completing its journey
around the world, whether heeded or
unheeded, comes back with love to its origin.
Preparation
Think it out
1. There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this?
Ans. They belong to poet and the rain. In the first line, the poet is asking the rain “And who art thou?” In the third line the rain replies, “I am the Poem of the Earth’” These two lines indicate that the tone of the poem is conversational between the poet and the rain.
2. What does the phrase “strange to tell” mean?
Ans. The phrase, “strange to tell” means that it is very surprising for the poet to get the reply from the rain to his question. The poet can hardly believe it!
3. There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two.
Ans. In the last two lines, the poet philosophically sums up that there is a similarity between the rain and the music. The rain completes a full cycle just to come back to its origin; similarly, a song starts its journey from its birthplace, wanders around the world, whether heeded or not, comes back to its origin with love. Besides, the sound of rain itself is a song or music of nature. This is how there is a parallelism between rain and song (music).
4. How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science.
Ans. The rain rises from the land and abyssal (bottomless) sea in the form of water vapour. It goes up in the sky (to heaven) and condenses. Then it pours down (precipitation) and washes the dry dust particles of the world and gives life to the earth. In science also we have learnt the cyclic movement of rain, namely, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
5. Why are the last two lines put within brackets?
Ans. The last two lines are put within brackets because they don’t pertain to the conversation between the poet and the rain. They are philosophically tagged at the end of the poem just to bring out the parallelism between the rain and the song (music).
6. List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.
Ans. The list of the pairs of the opposites are as following:
a. reck’d x unreck’d
b. rise x descend
c. land x sea
d. day x night
e. with x without
f. only x altogether
g. vaguely x formed
h. changed x same
i. unborn x issuing
j. rain x droughts
Understanding The Poem
Who is speaking in the poem?
The voice of the rain.
What does the rain claim to be?
The rain claims to be the Poem of Earth.
How does the rain describe its origin?
It rises eternally, impalpable, from the land and the bottomless sea.
Where does the rain ascend to?
It ascends upward to heaven, taking on a vague form, changed but still the same.
What is the purpose of the rain's descent?
The rain descends to bathe and refresh the droughts, atomies, and dust-layers of the globe.
What does the rain state about the things in the world before its arrival?
It says that all the things in the world were mere latent, unborn seeds without the rain.
What does the rain do day and night?
The rain continuously gives back life to its own origin and purifies it.
How does the rain affect its birthplace?
The rain's song, once fulfilled, wanders and eventually returns to its birthplace with love.
What does the rain do to its own origin?
The rain makes its own origin pure and beautified.
What is the significance of the rain's return?
The rain's song, whether recognized or not, dutifully returns to its birthplace, completing its cycle with love.
VALUE BASED QUESTIONS:
How does the poem "The Voice of the Rain" by Walt Whitman reflect the value of interconnectedness between nature and humanity?
What does the rain symbolize in the poem, and how does it convey the value of renewal and rejuvenation?
How does the concept of eternal transformation in the poem emphasize the value of embracing change and adaptation in our own lives?
What role does the rain play in purifying and beautifying the world in the poem, and how does it reflect the value of nurturing and caring for our environment?
In what ways does the poem highlight the value of recognizing and appreciating the inherent beauty and vitality of nature in our daily lives?
Here are the answers to the value-based questions related to the poem "The Voice of the Rain" by Walt Whitman:
1. How does Walt Whitman's poem "The Voice of the Rain" express the notion of connectivity between nature and humanity? The poem emphasises the importance of connection by depicting rain as the "Poem of Earth." It emphasises the deep relationship between nature and humans, as rain comes from the land and sea, feeds the ground, and gives forth life. This emphasises the connectivity and unity that exist between people and the natural environment.
2. In the poem, what does the rain represent, and how does it express the notion of restoration and rejuvenation? In the poem, rain represents restoration and rejuvenation. It signifies a transformational energy that reactivates latent seeds, quenches the earth's hunger, and breathes new life into desolate landscapes. This emphasises the need to accept change and seek possibilities for development and rejuvenation in our own lives.
3. How does the poem's theme of endless metamorphosis emphasise the need to accept change and adaptability in our own lives? In the poem, the theme of perpetual metamorphosis represents the ever-changing character of rain. It climbs through a hazy but continual alteration and then lowers to complete its mission. This emphasises the need to accept change, be flexible, and accept that change is an inevitable aspect of life. It inspires us to accept change and strive for personal growth and development.
4. In the poem, what function does rain play in cleaning and beautifying the planet, and how does this represent the idea of nurturing and caring for our environment? The rain in the poem works to cleanse and beautify the planet. It washes away the dust layers, replenishes the land, and offers a feeling of freshness and beauty to the environment. This demonstrates the need to nurture and care for our surroundings. It reminds us of the necessity of conserving and safeguarding nature, as well as our obligation to guarantee our planet's well-being.
5. How does the poem emphasise the need to see and enjoy nature's intrinsic beauty and vitality in our everyday lives? The poem emphasises the need to see and enjoy nature's beauty and vitality by demonstrating the rain's capacity to alter and bring life to the planet. It invites us to halt, notice, and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis. We may establish a deeper connection with the environment around us and create a stronger feeling of thankfulness and amazement by recognising nature's intrinsic beauty and vitality.
Notice the following sentence patterns. Rewrite these sentences in prose.
1. And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower.
Ans. I asked the gently falling rain, “Who are you?”
2. I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain.
Ans. The voice of the rain replied, “ I am the poem of the earth.”
3. Eternal I rise
Ans. I rise up from the earth endlessly.
4. For song…duly with love returns.
Ans. A song, after its birth, goes around the world, completes
its journey, whether heeded or unheeded comes back with love to its origin.