the Voice of the Rain 11

 the Voice of the Rain

 Walt Whitman 

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.)

 impalpable: something that cannot be touched

 lave:wash; 

bathe atomies: tiny particles 

latent: hidden 

 Hornbill Think it out I. 

1. There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this? 

2. What does the phrase “strange to tell” mean?

 3. There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two

. 4. How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science. 

5. Why are the last two lines put within brackets?

 6. List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.

The Voice of the Rain – Walt Whitman

Word Meanings

Word/Phrase	Meaning
Soft-falling shower	Gentle rain
Impalpable	Not touchable; beyond physical feeling
Lave	To wash or bathe
Droughts	Dry areas lacking rain
Atomies	Tiny particles (dust etc.)
Latent	Hidden; not yet developed
Eternal	Everlasting; without end
Whence	From where
Reck’d / Unreck’d	Cared for / Not cared for

Summary (Easy Language)

In this poem, the poet speaks to the rain, asking it who or what it is. Surprisingly, the rain replies, saying:

"I am the Poem of Earth."

The rain describes its life cycle: it rises from land and sea as invisible water vapor, then forms clouds in the sky. It returns to Earth in the form of rain, giving life to plants, washing away dust, and allowing seeds to grow. It claims that, like a poem, it returns to its origin (the Earth), refreshing it.

In the last two lines, the poet compares rain to poetry—just as poems rise from the heart and return as beauty or inspiration, rain too rises and returns to the Earth, giving life.

Central Idea of the Poem – The Voice of the Rain

The poem highlights the eternal and life-giving cycle of rain. The rain is personified as a voice from nature, describing its journey—from rising as vapor from the land and sea, to forming clouds in the sky, and finally returning to the Earth as rain. Through this cycle, rain purifies and nourishes the Earth, giving life to seeds and plants.

The poet also draws a parallel between rain and poetry. Just as rain originates from Earth and returns to enrich it, a poem is born from the poet’s soul and returns as inspiration and beauty. Both are natural, cyclical, and renewing forces—essential to life and the soul.

NCERT Textbook Questions – Think It Out

1. There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this?

Answer:
The two voices are:

• The poet’s voice (first line: "And who art thou?")

• The rain’s voice (from "I am the Poem of Earth..." onward)

2. What does the phrase “strange to tell” mean?

Answer:
It means something surprising or hard to believe. The poet finds it unusual and amazing that rain speaks back to him.

3. There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity.

Answer:
The words “Poem of Earth” and the final lines about “song” show the link between rain and music.
Similarity:

• Both rain and song rise from their source, spread beauty, and return to their origin.

• Both are natural, cyclical, and life-enriching.

4. How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare with science.

Answer:
The poem describes how:

• Rain rises as vapor (evaporation)

• Forms clouds in the sky (condensation)

• Falls back to Earth as rain (precipitation)

• Nourishes Earth and returns to its source (groundwater or sea)

In science, this is called the water cycle, and the poem captures it in poetic terms.

5. Why are the last two lines put within brackets?

Answer:
They are the poet’s reflection or commentary. The brackets separate this personal thought from the rest of the poem, which is in the rain’s voice.

6. List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.

Answer:

Opposite Pairs	Meaning
Day and night	Continuous cycle
Reck’d and unreck’d	Cared for / Not cared for
Rise and descend	Upward vapor / Downward rain
Hidden (latent) and born	Not visible / Becomes visible and grows

Poetic Devices in the Poem

Device	Example	Effect
Personification	"I am the Poem of Earth"	Rain speaks like a human being
Metaphor	“Poem of Earth”	Rain is compared to a poem—natural, beautiful, pure
Imagery	"Lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers..."	Visual and sensory description of rain’s effect
Symbolism	Rain = Nature’s poetry	Suggests deeper connection between nature and art
Alliteration	“Soft-falling shower”	Repetition of ‘s’ sound creates musical effect
Enjambment	Sentences continue across multiple lines	Creates flow and rhythm in the poem

Theme of the Poem

• Nature’s Cycle: The poem shows how nature works in cycles—birth, growth, return.

• Interdependence: Earth and rain depend on each other.

• Art and Nature: Poetry is compared to rain—both originate naturally and beautify the world.

• Renewal and Life: Rain gives life to dry Earth, just as art refreshes the soul.

Message of the Poem

The poet conveys that nature is a form of poetry, and rain is Earth’s voice. Like poetry, it is beautiful, meaningful, and necessary. The poem teaches us to observe and appreciate the deep, life-giving rhythms of nature.