The Voice of the Rain
Questions and Answers
1. There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to ? Which lines indicate this?
Ans:- One voice is of the poet. The other is that of the rain. The following lines indicate this —
"And who art thou? Said I to the soft falling shower. I am the poem of Earth said the voice of the rain".
2. What does the phrase "Strange to tell" mean?
Ans:- It was raining softly. The poet asked the soft - falling shower who he was. He was filled with wonder when he heard the voice of rain answering his question.
3. There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two?
Ans:- The two brackted lines of the poem bring out the similarity between rain and music. The music of a song rises from the soul of a poet. After the poet has sung his song it settles back in to its brithplace. It keeps the poet's soul pure and happy. Similarly, rain rises from the earth. After coming down the sky, it goes back into its birthplace. It makes the eart pure and beautiful.
4. How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science.
Ans:- The poet's description of rain is scientifically true. The birthplace of the rain is ofcourse the earth. It constantly rises from land and the seas. It rises towards the sky and takes vague shape in the form of clouds and them comes down to the earth to bathe the dry tiny particles of dust layer. When the rain falls it bathes everything softly. It makes the earth pure and beautiful. It goes back into its birthplace. Again it rises upwards to sky and the cycle continues endlessly.