The Voice of The Rain
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;
–Walt Whitman
वर्षा को स्वर
“तिमी को हौ?” मैले सोधेँ, त्यहाँ हल्का झरी परिरहेकी,
र अचम्मको कुरा, उसले जवाफ दियो, जस्तो यहाँ अनुवाद गरिएको छ:
“म पृथ्वीको कविता हुँ,” वर्षाको स्वरले भन्यो,
सदैव म उठ्छु, अस्पर्शनीय, जमिन र अनन्त समुद्रबाट,
आकाशतिर, जहाँ अस्पष्ट रूपमा बनेर, पूरै परिवर्तन भई,
तर अझै पनि उस्तै,
म झर्छु, सुख्खा जमिन, कण, धुलोका तहहरूमा,
र ती सबै कुरा जसमा म बिना थिए, केवल बीउ मात्र, लुकेका, जन्म नलिएका;
र सदैव, दिन-रात, म आफ्नै उत्पत्तिलाई जीवन फर्काउँछु,
र यसलाई शुद्ध र सुन्दर बनाउँछु।
—-Walt Whitman
Analysis/Summary of the poem
‘The Voice of the Rain’ has been composed by Walt Whitman. He has personified the rain because she answers the question asked by the poet like a human being. In the beginning of the poem the poet inquires the light rain who she is. The light rain answers him promptly. The poet has translated her voice in a public language so that even common people can understand it. The rain answers him that she is the poem of the earth. Here ‘poem’ means ‘song’. It means as the poem (song) gives relaxation to the heart, similarly the rain gives life to all living-things on the earth. The rain is eternal. She is difficult to be touched, felt or understood when she goes out of the land and the fathomless sea. She goes upward to the sky in an invisible.form. Although she changes her form, yet remains the same.
She falls down to finish droughts. She washes atomies and dust-layers of the world. She says that the seeds inside the earth cannot grow but remain latent and unborn unless it rains. The poet compares the rain with a song as they both share a common journey. The song originates from the heart of the singer, travels across to fulfil its aim and ultimately goes back into the heart of the singer. Similarly the rain gets birth from water stores, gives life to the living-things of the world and goes back into the water resources to make pure and beautify them.
Book Exercise
A. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B.
- eternal – vii. never-ending
- impalpable – v. not easily understood
- vaguely – ii. unclearly
- descend – i. come down
- lave-vi. to pour out as water
- atomies – iii. indivisible particles
- reck – iv. to take care of
B. Fill in the blanks choosing the words given below.
a. The river ran dry during the drought.
b. It is still impalpable to understand how the earth originated.
c. The company produces a wide variety of makeup and skin care products designed to gently and effectively beautify human skin.
d. His greatest ambition is to sail around the globe.
e. Without training, his musical talent remained latent.
f. What recks it whether they win or lose?
C. Complete the summary of the poem using suitable words or phrases given below.
The poem is a conversation between the poet and the rain. When the poet asks the identity of the drizzle, she replies that she is the poem of the Earth. The rain expresses that it gives happiness to mother Earth.
The rain is a perpetual process which has different forms at different times. It rises from the land as water vapour and ascends high up to the sky. It takes the form of clouds. Though it changes its form or shape, its originality remains unchanged. It shows that nature is not fully understood. Some parts of it always remain mysterious.
The raindrops pour down from above to wash away atomies and dust layers. It quenches the thirst of the dry Earth and heals everything that is becoming lifeless. In other words, the showers make the Earth pure and beautiful.
Finally, the poet observes that the life of rain is similar to that of a song. A song also has the power to calm rhythm, transform and thrill. In the same way, repeated evaporation and condensation purify the rain. It beautifies the whole earth as a rhythm does to a poem or music.
D. Answer the following questions.
a. What are the two voices in the poem? Who do they belong to?
Answer:- The two voices in the poem are the voice of the poet and the voice of the rain.
b. How is the cyclic movement of the rain shown in the poem?
Answer:- The cyclic movement of the rain is shown in the poem by describing how it rises from the land, ascends to the sky as vapor, forms clouds, descends as rain, and then repeats the process.
c. Why are the showers necessary for the Earth?
Answer:- The showers are necessary for the Earth as they quench its thirst, wash away dust and impurities, and bring life to latent seeds.
d. How are the rain and music similar?
Answer:- The rain and music are similar as both have the power to calm, transform, and beautify. Rain’s process of purification is compared to the rhythm in a song.
e. How are the clouds formed?
Answer:- Clouds are formed when the rising vapor cools and condenses, forming visible clusters of water droplets or ice crystals.
f. List the pairs of opposite words in the poem.
Answer:- Pairs of opposite words in the poem:
rise/descend,
changed/unchanged,
form/formlessness,
impalpable/visible.
g. What may happen on the Earth if it does not rain for a long time? Discuss in a group.
Answer:- If it doesn’t rain for a long time, the Earth may experience drought, leading to water scarcity for plants, animals, and humans. Agriculture and ecosystems could suffer, causing food shortages and environmental imbalances. This could have severe consequences for the planet’s biodiversity and overall health. In a group discussion, you could explore the impacts of prolonged drought and possible strategies for water conservation and management.
Extra 25 Question For Exam
A. Answer the following questions:
1. Whom does the poet ask who she is?
Answer:- The poet asks the soft-falling shower who she is.
2. What has the poet translated?
Answer:- The poet has translated the answer given by the voice of the rain.
3. What is the answer of the voice of rain?
Answer:- The answer of the voice of rain is: “I am the Poem of Earth.”
4. Where does the rain rise out of?
Answer:- The rain rises impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea.
5. Why does the rain descend?
Answer:- The rain descends to lave the droughts, atomies, and dust-layers of the globe.
6. What will happen to seeds without rain?
Answer:- Seeds without rain would remain latent and unborn.
7. What does the rain do to its own origin?
Answer:- The rain gives back life to its own origin and makes it pure and beautifies it.
8. Who is made pure and beautified?
Answer:- The land or Earth is made pure and beautified by the rain.
9. What is the similarity between the rain and the song?
Answer:- The rain and the song are both eternal, rising from their birthplaces and returning after fulfilment.
10. What does a song do?
Answer:- A song, like rain, issues from its birthplace, and after fulfillment, it returns duly with love.
11. What is the poem’s title?
Answer:- The title of the poem is “The Voice of The Rain.”
12. To whom does the speaker address the question in the poem?
Answer:- The speaker addresses the question to the soft-falling shower.
13. How does the rain respond to the speaker’s question?
Answer:- The rain gives an answer, describing itself as the Poem of Earth.
14. What does the rain say it is the “Poem of”?
Answer:- The rain says it is the “Poem of Earth.”
15. From where does the rain claim to rise?
Answer:- The rain claims to rise from the land and the bottomless sea.
16. How does the rain describe its journey upwards?
Answer:- The rain says it rises upward to heaven, undergoing vague changes but remaining the same.
17. Where does the rain descend to and what does it do there?
Answer:- The rain descends to lave (wash) the droughts, atomies, and dust-layers of the globe.
18. What role does the rain play in relation to latent and unborn things?
Answer:- The rain brings life and causes things that were dormant seeds to grow and come to life.
19. What is the rain’s continuous activity during day and night?
Answer:- The rain continuously gives back life to its own origin and purifies and beautifies it.
20. Who is the author of this poem?
Answer:- The author of the poem is Walt Whitman.
21. How does the rain’s description of its journey symbolize change?
Answer:- The rain’s rise and descent symbolize transformation, as it changes while maintaining its essence.
22. What does the rain’s description of itself suggest about its importance?
Answer:- The rain’s description emphasizes its vital role in sustaining and nurturing life on Earth.
23. What is the significance of the rain describing itself as a “voice”?
Answer:- Describing itself as a “voice” highlights the rain’s communicative and expressive nature.
24. What does the rain’s ability to “make pure and beautify” indicate?
Answer:- It indicates that rain has a purifying and enhancing effect on the Earth and its elements.
25. How does the rain’s role align with the overall theme of interconnectedness?
Answer:- The rain’s role of nourishing and bringing life demonstrates the interdependence of all living things on Earth.
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