THE VOICE OF THE RAIN IMPORTANT ANSWERS

THE VOICE OF THE RAIN

WALT WHITMAN

CLASS - XI (HORNBILL)

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Answer: There are two voices in the poem. One of the voices belong to the rain and the other voice belongs to the poet. The lines that indicate the voice of the rain are ‘I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain’ and and the lines which indicate the voice of the poet are ‘And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower’.

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

Answer: The poet feels "strange to tell" when the rain responds, since it is lifeless and cannot speak. To the surprise of both the poet and the readers, the rain gives an answer, which the poet translates for us.

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

Answer: The words that indicate that a parallel has been drawn between rain and music are - "(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, wandering reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns).

             Just as rain rises from the land and sea and returns to refresh the earth, a song rises from the writer’s heart and comes back to it after giving joy to the listeners. In the same way that the earth feels renewed after rainfall, the writer too feels renewed by the shower of appreciation his song receives.

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

Answer: In the poem, water rises from the land and the endless sea as vapour. It then changes its form and turns into clouds. Later, it returns to the earth as rain, ending droughts, giving water, and bringing life to the hidden seeds within the soil. The rain also cleanses and beautifies the earth.

In Science, water evaporates as vapour, condenses in the sky to form clouds, and then falls back as rain into rivers, streams, the ground, and the ocean. In the poem, however, the rain speaks of its own timeless journey.

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

Answer: The main theme of the poem is the voice of the rain, which the poet interprets in his own way. The poem mainly presents the rain’s reply to the poet’s question. However, the final two lines express the poet’s personal thoughts, where he compares rain with music. To keep his views separate from the rain’s voice, he places them within brackets.

 

EXTRA QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

  

1. How does the poet feel when he gets a reply from the rain?

Answer: The poet is surprised when the rain responds to him, as it is a lifeless element and not expected to speak. To the astonishment of both the poet and the readers, the rain gives an answer, which the poet translates and shares with the readers.

2. What reply does the poet get from the rain?

Answer: The rain replies to the poet by saying that it is the "Poem of Earth", taking part in a never-ending cycle of rising or evaporating and falling.

3. Why does the rain claim to be "Poem of Earth"?

Answer: Through the poem 'The Voice of the Rain', the poet wishes to show that his poem carries the duty of giving joy, happiness, and life to its readers. In the same way, the falling rain brings rhythm and music to the Earth. That is why the rain calls itself the “Poem of the Earth.”

4. Explain "Latent seeds get a life by rain".

Answer: Seeds lying in the soil need water to begin their growth. When it rains, they start to sprout and slowly turn into saplings. In this way, the rain gives new life to seeds that might otherwise have dried up or been wasted.

5. Why is rain essential in the context of the poem?

Answer: If it does not rain, the Earth will stay dry, droughts will occur, and the layers of dust will remain. Plants and trees will have nothing to drink, and their seeds will wither away.

6. Why do you think the poet says the phrase ‘reck’d or unreck’d’?

Answer: The poet uses the words “reck’d” and “unreck’d,” which mean “reckoned” and “unreckoned,” or literally, “cared for” and “uncared for.” He uses these words to highlight that when something falls to the Earth, we may sometimes notice it and other times completely ignore it. Yet, even if it is left uncared for, it still fulfills its purpose and returns to where it originated.

7. Anslyse the title 'The Voice of the Rain'.

Answer: The poem focuses on the continuous cycle of rain and its benefits. Using the perspective of the rain, the poet highlights how important rain is for the Earth, for plants, and for humans. Since the poet expresses what the rain seems to be saying through its own sounds, the poem can be seen as a conversation between the rain and the poet. In this way, the title is appropriate.

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