CBSE Class 9 English Poem Song of the Rain Summary, Explanation and Question Answers from Literature Reader (Communicative) Book
Song of the Rain Class 9 – CBSE Class 9 English Literature Reader (Communicative) Book Poem Song of the Rain Summary and Detailed explanation of the Poem along with the meanings of difficult words.. All the exercises and Questions and Answers given at the back of the lesson have been covered.
Class 9 English Literature Reader Poem – Song of the Rain
By Kahlil Gibran
- Song of the Rain Introduction
- Song of the Rain Summary
- Video Explanation of Song of the Rain
- Song of the Rain Lesson Explanation
- Song of the Rain Question Answers
Song of the Rain Introduction
In this poem the poet has personified rain as he tells the story of rain in the first person. He tells us how raindrops are formed, how they fall upon the thirsty Earth to satisfy the thirst of the trees and plants. Finally, the rain ends and the rainbow in the sky marks the end of rain.
Rain is like human beings as it also has a life cycle. It is born, it develops and grows and finally it comes to an end.
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Song of the Rain Summary
The rain introduces itself as being silver coloured threads which fall from the sky, showered by God for the nourishment of all living things on the Earth. It is a pearl from the crown worn by the goddess Ishtar and is taken by god to decorate the gardens. The rainfall makes the hills happy and they become joyous. It is selfless as it pours upon flowers and makes them happy. The selfless rainfall gives joy and happiness to all. Rainfall is a messenger between lovers – the clouds and the fields who cannot live without each other. The rain does good to both of them – it satisfies the thirst of the field and lightens the cloud which is heavy due to being full of water. The rain’s start is announced by thunder and storm and its end is announced by the rainbow. Rain begins with crazy happenings in the sky and ends in heaven just like human beings. The crazy happenings are the thunder and storm. The heaven is signified by the rainbow which was considered to be a path to heaven according
to Arabic mythology. The rain is born when water evaporates from the surface of the sea. It travels with the air and reaches the clouds. The drops of water gather in the clouds till they mature. Finally, they fall down on the flowers and trees and nourish them. The sound of the rainfall on window panes is a welcome song as the rain announces its arrival to all. This is heard by all but only those who have feelings and emotions can understand it. As the water drops evaporate from the sea, the sea sighs in the pain of separation. As the rain falls on the
fields, they laugh and enjoy. As the rain falls from the sky above, they separate and the sky seems to cry. The rain is full of affection. It is affectionate towards the loving sea which is sad upon their separation. It is fulfilling it’s duty, selflessly by nourishing the plants which will satisfy the hungry souls of all living beings. It is thankful to the sky and the clouds for retaining it, making it mature and meaningful and giving it happy memories of the time spent together.
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Video Explanation of Song of the Rain
Song of the Rain Poem Explanation
Poem:
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
Word meanings:
dotted: something that looks like a dot
adorn : to decorate or add beauty to
Explanation:
‘I’ here is the voice of rain. It tells us about itself- it is a collection of silver threads which are so thin and so small that they look like dots from a distance. They are dropped from heaven by the gods, meaning that they are something holy and pure in nature. Nature, i.e the environment sweeps away the raindrops and drops them on the fields and valleys. The rain adds beauty to the fields and valleys when it falls on them.
Poem:
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
Word meanings:
Ishtar : goddess of fertility, love, war and sex, in the Babylonian Pantheon, she “was the divine personification of the planet Venus”.
dawn: sunrise
embellish : decorate.
Explanation:
The rain says that it is a collection of beautiful pearls which are plucked from the Crown of the goddess of fertility, love, war and sex. They are plucked by the daughter of Dawn, meaning that the presence of sun plays an important role in the water cycle. Without the sun, there would be no evaporation, and hence, there would be no rain. Rain is plucked for the purpose of decorating the gardens with the shine of the pearls. Therefore, rain increases the beauty of Nature or the environment.
Poem:
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.
Word meanings:
humble: Feel respectful
rejoice: Feeling of happiness
bow: Bend forward as a mark of respect
elated : very happy and excited.
Explanation:
When it rains, refreshing winds flow and the weather becomes pleasant. When rain becomes respectful to the other components of Nature, it stops raining and the sun comes up. At that time, the flowers are able to bloom and are happy with the sunny weather. When rain stops coming, the weather becomes brighter.
Poem:
The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one;
I cure the ailment of the other.
Word meanings:
quench : satisfy thirst.
Explanation:
The rain says that the field and the cloud are in love with each other. The rain carries the message of love between them. Rain satisfies the thirst of the fields both by giving it water and the messages from the cloud, and it cures the loneliness of the clouds by carrying the messages to the field to take some load off of them.
Poem:
The voice of thunder declares my arrival;
The rainbow announces my departure.
I am like earthly life which begins at
The feet of the mad elements and ends
Under the upraised wings of death.
Word meaning:
upraised : lifted or moved upwards.
Explanation:
The loud voice of thunder announces to the world that rain is about to come. The rainbow in the sky announces that the rain is about to be over. Then, the rain describes itself to be something which has life. Rain’s life begins when fire and water interact with one another and rain’s life ends when the clouds die or run out of water.
Poem:
I emerge from the heart of the sea and
Soar with the breeze.
When I see a field in Need,
I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways.
Word meanings:
emerge: come out
soar: rise
descend: go down
embrace: to hug
Explanation:
Rain says that it arrives from the water in the ocean and the wind currents decide where the rain will fly down to. When the rain sees a field in need of water, it goes down to the field and embraces the flowers and trees in many ways. One way is to pour raindrops on the withering flowers and the other way is to supply water in the form of groundwater at the end of the water cycle.
Poem:
I touch gently at the windows with my Soft fingers,
and my announcement is a
Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
Explanation:
The rain touches the windows of the houses where we live in a soft manner while singing a welcoming song. Everyone can hear the soothing pitter patter of the rain but only the people who have a soft and emotional heart can understand the meaning behind the pitter patter song.
Poem:
I am the sigh of the sea;
The laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
So with love –
Sighs from the deep sea of affection;
Laughter from the colourful field of the spirit;
Tears from the endless heaven of memories.
Explanation:
The rain describes itself in three more ways. First, it is the sound of the sea sighing with love and affection. It signifies the laughter of the field, as the field becomes happy when the rain satisfies its thirst. The rain is responsible for the blooming of various colourful flowers. It is the tears of heaven, as the sky looks as if it is crying while remembering the past. This is the reason why rain is often associated with sadness and sorrow.
Poetic Devices
1. Rhyme scheme – The poem is in Free Verse
2. Personification – Rain is personified and has a voice. This literary device is present in all stanzas except Stanza 9.
3. Metaphor – In stanzas 1, 2, 4 and 8. Stanza 1 – “I am dotted silver threads”. Stanza 2 – “I am beautiful pearls,”. Stanza 4 – “I am a messenger of mercy.”. Stanza 8 – “I am the sigh of the sea, the laughter of the fields, the tears of heaven.”
4. Symbolism – In stanza 1 – “Nature then takes me, to adorn Her fields and valleys.”
5. Alliteration – In stanzas 2, 4 and 7. Stanza 2 – “daughter of Dawn”. Stanza 4 – “messenger of mercy.” and “the thirst”. Stanza 7 – “windows with”
6. Anaphora – In stanzas 3, 4, 5 and 8. Stanza 3 – The word ‘when’. Stanza 4 – ‘I’. Stanza 5 – ‘the’. Stanza 8 – ‘the’
7. Allusion – In Stanza 2 – “plucked from the Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn”
8. Simile – In Stanza 5 – “I am like earthly life”
9. Antithesis – In stanzas 4 and 5. In Stanza 4 – “I cure the ailment of the other.” Stanza 5 – “arrival…departure” and “which begins at…ends”
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Song of the Rain Question Answers
Exercises
Q1. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by selecting the correct option.
(a) The rain calls itself the ‘dotted silver threads’ as ________.
(i) the shimmering drops fall one after the other
(ii) it ties heaven and earth
(iii) it dots the earth with shimmering water
(iv) it decorates the fields
Ans. (ii) it ties heaven and earth
(b) The tone and mood of the rain in the poem reflects its ________ .
(i) love for the earth
(ii) desire to take revenge
(iii) merriment as it destroys
(iv) desire to look beautiful
Ans. (i) love for the earth
(c) Choose the option that lists the examples of ‘elated’.
1. Asmi is convalescing from her ailment.
2. Gurdeep and Sanvi met each other after a decade.
3. Damehi heard the news that he had been nominated for an award.
4. Sohrab has witnessed a burglar in the dark.
(i) 1, 3
(ii) 2, 3
(iii) 3, 4
(iv) 1, 4
Ans. (ii) 2, 3
(d) Antithesis is a figure of speech which brings out a contrast in the ideas by placing opposing words, clauses or sentences within a parallel grammatical structure.
For example:
“To err is human; to forgive divine.” – Alexander Pope
Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.
Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.
From the following phrases in the poem, select the option that correctly lists the examples of Antithesis.
1. When I cry the hills laugh; When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
2. And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
3. When I bow, all things are elated.
4. The voice of thunder declares my arrival; The rainbow announces my departure.
5. I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
6. I touch gently at the windows with my Soft fingers
(i) 1, 3, 4, 6
(ii) 1, 3, 4
(iii) 1, 3, 4, 5
(iv) 1, 3, 5
Ans. (iii) 1, 3, 4, 5
Q2. Read the given extracts and answer the following questions by selecting the correct option.
(a) I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me,
to adorn Her fields and valleys.
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
i) Select the option that DOES NOT include a visual connected to the given lines.
A. Option i
B. Option ii
C. Option iii
D. Option iv
Ans. A. Option i
ii) Read the definitions given below:
| Allusion: Reference to a famous person, place, or historical event, either directly or through implication.
Alliteration: Repetition of same consonant sound at the initial position in two or more neighbouring words. |
Select the option that correctly includes examples of i) allusion and ii) alliteration from the extract.
A. i) Ishtar ii) daughter of Dawn
B. i) Dawn ii) dotted silver threads
C. i) Nature ii) pearls, plucked from the Crown
Ans. A. i) Ishtar ii) daughter of Dawn
(iii) Choose the option containing a statement that is NOT conveyed through the extract.
A. The rain calls itself the shimmering drops sent by gods.
B. The rain is the daughter of Dawn born to decorate the gardens.
C. Nature has adopted rain to decorate her fields and valleys.
D. The rain is beautiful pearls plucked from the crown of the goddess of fertility.
Ans. B. The rain is the daughter of Dawn born to decorate the gardens.
(iv) Ishtar is a Mesopotamian goddess and signifies diverse things in different cultures. Select which symbol of Ishtar is relevant in the extract with the most appropriate reason.
A. The poet utilized the symbol of ‘Love’ to represent Ishtar because the rain brings love and peace to the world.
B. Ishtar signifies ‘War’ as her power arises from her connection with storms.
C. Ishtar here represents ‘Fertility’ because she is responsible for all life and so is the relevance to the rain.
D. The poet meant to associate the symbol of ‘Beauty’ to Ishtar as the rain makes the world beautiful.
Ans. C. Ishtar here represents ‘Fertility’ because she is responsible for all life and so is the relevance to the rain.
(b) The voice of thunder declares my arrival;
The rainbow announces my departure.
I am like earthly life, which begins at
The feet of the mad elements and ends
Under the upraised wings of death.
i) The rain says, ‘I am like earthly life’. Select the option with the most suitable explanation of the expression.
A) The rain undergoes the same phases as that of earthly beings.
B) Most of the rain’s life is on the earth.
C) The fate of earthly life is dependent on the rain.
D) Rain has a concern for earthly life.
Ans. A) The rain undergoes the same phases as that of earthly beings.
ii) The tone and mood of the rain in the extract reflects _________.
A) its merriment as it destroys
B) rain’s desire to reach its destiny
C) its objective and realistic manner
D) the rain’s pride at its might
Ans. B) rain’s desire to reach its destiny
iii) Read statements 1 and 2 given below and choose the option that correctly assesses these statements.
1. Rainbow declares the rain’s parting.
2. Rainbow causes the end of the rain.
A) Both statements 1 and 2 are false.
B) Statement 1 is true but 2 is false.
C) Statement 1 is the reason for statement 2.
D) Statement 2 is the cause of statement 1.
Ans. B) Statement 1 is true but 2 is false.
Q3. Answer briefly.
(a) Why is the rain divine?
Ans. Rain is divine because it comes from heaven which is the abode of god. It is a pearl taken from the crown of goddess Ishtar. It gives new life and nourishment to all.
(b) In this universe, rain performs many functions. What are those?
Ans. The rain performs the following functions:
(1) It makes the flowers blossom.
(2) It acts like a messenger between the field and the cloud.
(3) It quenches the thirst of the field.
(4) It makes all things happy when it bows.
(5) It causes the hills to laugh.
(c) “When I cry the hills laugh; When I humble myself the flowers rejoice; When I bow, all things are elated.”
Cry, humble and bow indicate different intensity with which the rain falls. Explain the three in the context of the poem.
Ans. The rain cries means that it falls with great intensity and this heavy rain makes the hills laugh. The rain falls with lesser intensity when it is humble and it bows. This mild shower makes the delicate flowers happy and everyone is full of joy.
(d) The Poem invokes beautiful imagery which is built around ‘sigh of the sea’, ‘laughter of the field’ and ‘tears of heaven’. Explain the three expressions in the context of rain.
Ans. The rain quenches the thirst of the fields as it fills them with plenty of water. It helps the cloud get rid of the water it carries and frees it from the burden, hence the cloud’s ailment gets cured.
(e) Define the role of rain as the “messenger of mercy”.
Ans. The poem describes the rain as a messenger of God which blesses the life on Earth. It gives life to new beings, nourishes everyone and is of utmost importance for survival of all living beings.
(f) Contrast the arrival of the rain with that of its departure
Ans. When the rain arrives, thunder accompanies it. The sky becomes dark and there is a lot of noise. On the contrary, the rain’s end is signified by the appearance of a rainbow in the clear sky. The Sun shines brightly which makes the rainbow formation.
Q4. Answer in detail
a) Shakespeare’s ‘Seven Ages’ designates different stages of human life. Draw a parallel between the two poems to elicit the different stages of rain’s life.
Ans. Shakespeare’s ‘Seven Ages’ and Kahlil’s ‘Song of the Rain’, both depict different stages of life – one for human beings and the other for rain. According to William Shakespeare, human life can be categorised into seven ages – infancy, schoolboy, lover, youthful soldier, judge and old man. A human’s life starts with him being an infant who cries and pukes in its caretaker’s arms. A human’s life ends at old age, when he is experiencing his second childhood. Kahlil Gibran, on the other hand, described the different stages of rain’s life in the following lines – “The voice of thunder declares my arrival; The rainbow announces my departure. I am like earthly life which begins at, The feet of the mad elements and ends, Under the upraised wings of death.” Therefore, rain is formed due to an interaction between different elements in the world like water, wind and the sun. Due to this interaction, clouds are formed, which burst when they are too much filled with water. The bright light of lighting and the sound of thunder informs the citizens of the earth of the arrival of rain. After rainfall occurs, the sun comes out. The interaction between the emerging sun and the ongoing drizzle forms a rainbow, which indicates the end of death. The rainbow acts like the Grim Reaper or Death and ends the spell of rain.
b) Imagery evokes a mental image or other kinds of sensual impressions in literary writings.
“I am beautiful pearls…”, “dotted silver threads”, “laughter of the field” , etc.
Now, observe auditory images created by the words “sighs”, “thunders”, “laughter”, etc. Critically appreciate the poem, explaining the effect these techniques create in the mind of the reader.
Ans. The use of imagery brings the poem to life. The reader can visualize scenes, imagine hering the sounds, think about the emotions felt by others, etc.
The poem uses a lot of such techniques and so, the poem has an imprint on the reader’s mind.
c) “When I see a field in need, I descend and embrace the flowers and the trees in a million little ways”.
Write an imaginary conversation between a flower, a tree and the field, discussing the role of rain in their lives.
You may begin like this:
Tree: My life began as a seed. I came to life only after the rain drops embraced me.
Field: My survival, thereby the survival of all mankind depends on me. And only rains can help me thrive…
Flower: ….
Ans.
Tree: My life began as a seed. I came to life only after the rain drops embraced me.
Field: My survival, thereby the survival of all mankind depends on me. And only rains can help me thrive.
Flower: It is the rain which helps me remain alive.
Tree: The rainwater nourishes me and then I grow
Field: Even I grow the seeds and grains only because of the rain
Flower: I need the rain water to remain bright and colourful.
Trees: We all need rain in order to survive
Q5. Rain in the hills and rain in the desert present entirely different scenario. In the hills it revitalises the greenery and freshens the vegetation; it waters the parched land and relieves the thirsty and panting souls in the desert.
(i) This has been a year of scanty rains. Imagine how the rain would be welcomed when it pours in the hills and in the desert after a long dry spell. Choose one such place and describe
(a) What are you likely to see?
(b) What would happen to the rain water?
(c) What would be the scene before and after the rain?
Ans. The rain was welcome in the dry desert of Rajasthan. The fields had gone barren but now the farmer had hope of growing some crops. Everyone rejoiced at the arrival of the rain. People prayed and thanked the Gods for blessing them. Some people were dancing in the rain and children were seen playing and sailing paper boats. The rain water was seen gushing throught he streets and lanes. The low lying areas were flooded. The dry and barren earth which was dusty now looked fresh. All the trees which had become dull now became green and were invigorated.
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