The Voice of the Rain

Okay, I can help you with a summary of the chapter ‘The Voice of the Rain’ and answer the questions provided in the sources, drawing from the text you’ve given me.

This section of the source material introduces the poem “The Voice of the Rain” by Walt Whitman. The notes describe it as a nature poem celebrating the coming of the rain.

Here is a summary of the poem based on the text:

The poem is presented as a dialogue between the poet (“I”) and the soft-falling shower. The poet asks the rain, “And who art thou?”. The rain, surprisingly (“strange to tell”), answers, identifying itself as “the poem of Earth”.

The rain describes its perpetual, eternal cycle. It states that it rises “impalpable” (something that cannot be touched) out of the land and the deep sea. It goes upward to heaven, where it forms vaguely and changes, yet remains the same essence. From heaven, it descends to wash (“lave”) the droughts, tiny particles (“atomies”), and dust-layers of the globe. Through this process, it gives life to everything that, without the rain, would remain as latent, unborn seeds. Forever, day and night, the rain gives back life to its origin (Earth) and works to make it pure and beautify it.

Finally, a parenthetical statement draws a parallel, comparing the rain’s journey to that of a song. A song issues from its birthplace, wanders (whether noticed or not), and then duly returns with love. This mirrors the rain’s cycle of rising, travelling, and returning to Earth.

Now, let’s address the questions from the “Think it out” section.

I. Questions about the poem:

1. There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this?
   • The two voices belong to the poet (“I”) and the rain.
   • The lines that indicate this are: “And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,” and “I am the poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,”. 🗣️💧
2. What does the phrase “strange to tell” mean?
   • The phrase “strange to tell” means that it was unusual or surprising for the poet to hear the rain respond and speak to him. 🤔💬
3. There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two.
   • The words that indicate this parallel are “poem of Earth” and the comparison of the rain’s cycle to a “song” in the bracketed lines. 🎶🌧️
   • The similarity explained is that a song, like the rain, originates from a source (its birthplace), travels or wanders (whether cared about or not), and then returns duly with love. The rain, similarly, rises from Earth, travels to heaven, and returns to Earth, nourishing and purifying it.
4. How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science.
   • The cyclic movement is described through the rain’s actions: it rises “impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea”, goes “Upward to heaven,” where it changes form (“vaguely form’d, altogether changed, and yet the same”), and then descends (“I descend”) back to Earth. This return gives life and purifies its origin.
   • This description aligns with the water cycle as understood in science, involving evaporation (rising), condensation (forming in heaven), and precipitation (descending). 🔄🌍💧
5. Why are the last two lines put within brackets?
   • The source material indicates that the last two lines are bracketed, but doesn’t explicitly state why. Based on common poetic practice, placing lines in brackets often suggests they are a parenthetical thought, an aside, or an analogy that stands slightly apart from the main description. In this case, they offer a comparison between the rain’s cycle and a song’s journey, reinforcing the rain’s self-description as a “poem”. They are a related idea presented as a distinct reflection on the rain’s nature. 💭
6. List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.
   • Pairs of opposites found in the poem include:
     • Land and Sea (sources of rising) vs. Heaven (destination for rising).
     • Rise Upward vs. Descend.
     • Day and Night.
     • Latent, unborn (seeds without rain) vs. giving back life.
     • Reck’d (regarded) vs. Unreck’d (unregarded). 🌓⬆️⬇️🌱

II. Sentence patterns:

Here are the sentences rewritten in prose:

1. “And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower.”
   • I said to the soft-falling shower, “And who are you?”
2. “I am the poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain.”
   • The voice of the rain said, “I am the poem of Earth.”
3. “Eternal I rise”
   • I rise eternally.
4. “For song … duly with love returns.”
   • For song… duly returns with love.

III. Compare with other rain poems:

The source suggests looking for other poems about rain to see how this one is different. It doesn’t provide other poems or specific differences, leaving this as an activity for the reader to explore. 📖🌧️➡️🤔

The notes mention that this section aims to cover understanding the voices and sense of the poem, relating it to the scientific process of rainfall, noticing sentence structure, and comparing it with other rain poems.