The Voice of the Rain - Hornbill - Class 11 - CBSE English

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About the Author - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was a seminal American poet, essayist, and journalist. He is best known for his poetry collection "Leaves of Grass," first published in 1855, which was a departure from the established conventions of poetry at the time and highly controversial due to its overt sexuality. Whitman continued to expand and revise "Leaves of Grass" throughout his life.

Whitman worked as a journalist and a school teacher before he started publishing his poems. He was deeply affected by the American Civil War, volunteering as a nurse and working in hospitals throughout the conflict. His experiences in the war greatly influenced his work, especially his collections "Drum Taps" and "Memories of President Lincoln."
In the poem you shared, "The Voice of the Rain," one can observe Whitman's deep connection with nature, his use of personification, and his reflection on the cyclical process of life, growth, and return. His metaphor of rain as the "Poem of Earth" and its cycle of rising and falling represents not only the natural processes but also the creative process of the poet.

Summary - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

"The Voice of the Rain" is an exquisite poem by Walt Whitman that presents a philosophical and spiritual dialogue between the speaker, presumably the poet, and the rain. It’s a meditation on the cyclical nature of life and the divine beauty of natural processes intertwined with the creative process of a poet.

The poem opens with the speaker questioning the identity of a soft-falling shower. In an unusual twist, the rain responds, identifying itself as "the Poem of Earth." This personification of the rain, presented as a sentient, communicative entity, sets the foundation for the ensuing exploration of its role and meaning.

The rain, in its response, describes its eternal, impalpable rise from the earth and the "bottomless sea." This upward movement can be seen as an evocation of the water cycle, but it also serves as a metaphor for the creative process – thoughts and emotions rising from the depths of the mind to be transformed into the tangible form of poetry.

Once risen to heaven, the rain retains its essence but is transformed, much like an idea that takes a new form when expressed through words yet remains intrinsically the same. The rain then descends to "lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe," a symbol for the nurturing and sustaining quality of rain. This might also be read as a poet's words touching and influencing the minds of readers, potentially bringing forth latent seeds of thought and emotion.

Whitman beautifully personifies the rain as a life-giver, breathing life back to its origin and purifying it, reflecting the poet's transcendental belief in the interconnectedness of all life. This idea is echoed in the final lines, where the poet draws a parallel to a song that, after fulfilment, returns to its birthplace with love, "Reck'd or unreck'd." Here, the rain and song become metaphors for the cycle of creation, existence, and return. The poem is a manifestation of Whitman's deep reverence for nature and its processes, using them as a lens to explore themes of creation, rejuvenation, and cyclical existence.

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Themes - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

1. The Cycle of Life:
One of the central themes in Whitman's "The Voice of the Rain" is the cycle of life. The rain's journey—rising from the earth and sea, transforming in the sky, and returning to the earth—mimics the circle of life: birth, growth, death, and rebirth. This theme resonates with Whitman's transcendentalist beliefs, underlining the interconnectedness and continuity of all life forms.

2. Nature as a Metaphor for Creation:
Whitman frequently uses nature as a metaphor for artistic creation, and this poem is no exception. The rain's journey from earth to sky a....

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Symbols - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

1. The Rain:
The rain is the central symbol in the poem. It represents the life-giving, nurturing aspect of nature and the cyclic pattern of life. It symbolizes the process of rejuvenation and purification. On a deeper level, the rain is presented as "the Poem of Earth," symbolizing the creative output of the poet that enriches and inspires its readers, much like rain nourishing the earth.

2. The Earth and the Sea:
The earth and the sea from which the rain rises symbolize .....

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Poetic Devices - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

1. Personification:
The primary poetic device used in the poem is personification. Whitman gives the rain human characteristics, allowing it to speak and describe its cycle of .....

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Extra Questions - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

  • And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower, 
    Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated: 

    a. What question does the poet ask the rain? Does he expect an answer? If not, why? 
    b. What does the expression "soft-falling shower" suggest? 
    c. What language does the poet receive the answer in? How was he able to interpret and translate it?

    a. The poet asks the rain, "Who are you?" This rhetorical question is posed as a means of reflecting on the nature and purpose of the rain. It's unlikely that he expects a literal answer, considering that rain, as a natural element, cannot verbally communicate. However, Whitman often personifies natural elements in his poetry to explore deeper themes and connections between humanity and the natural world.

    b. The expression "soft-falling shower" suggests the rain's gentle, calming, and nurturing aspect. It brings to mind the image of a light, steady rain that softly touches everything, replenishing and nourishing the earth. This could also symbolize a soothing, restorative effect, indicating the beneficial and life-giving qualities of rain.

    c. The poet doesn't specify the language he receives the answer in, but the following lines suggest that he interprets the rain's "response" metaphorically, not literally. The "answer" is more of an intuitive or symbolic understanding of the rain's cycle and role in nature. This is expressed in the phrase "as here translated," indicating that Whitman has "translated" the non-verbal, natural "language" of the rain into human language. He was likely able to "interpret and translate" this through his keen observation of nature and his poetic imagination, transforming the physical process of the water cycle into a profound metaphor for life and creativity.

  • 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 

    a. What poetic device does the poet use here? What makes him use this device? 
    b. What does the rain say about its origin?
    c. Explain: 'I rise impalpable'. 
    d. Raindrops are well-formed with a tear-drop-like shape. On rising as clouds, they assume a vague and ill-defined shape. Then why does the rain say, 'altogether changed, and ‘yet the same'?

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  • 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. 

    a. Having risen upward to heaven, rain attains an envious position. Why does it then descend once again? 
    b. What does it do day and night? 
    c. How does it give back life to its own origin? 
    d. How does rain 'purify and beautify it' (its own origin)?

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  • The poem is a dialogue. Between whom does this dialogue take place? What prompts this dialogue?

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  • Voice' is a word that refers to the human voice. For rain, one normally uses the word 'sound '. Why does the poet refer to the sound of the rain as the voice of the rain?

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  • Describe rain's journey from the surface of land and the womb of the ocean to the sky?

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  • As the rain descends to the earth, what different activities does it involve itself in?

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  • Is the rain justified in calling itself 'The Poem of Earth'?

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  • Why does rain say, 'I give back life to my own origin’? What else does rain give life to?

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  • 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.

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Back Questions - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

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

    The two voices in Walt Whitman's "The Voice of the Rain" belong to the poet and the rain itself.

    1. The Poet's Voice:
    The poet's voice is the inquisitive one, the one that initiates the conversation by asking the question: "And who art thou?". This line is the first line of the poem: "And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower," Whitman is known for his conversational and colloquial style, and the poet's voice in this poem is direct, straightforward, and curious, a reflection of his connection and dialogue with the natural world.

    2. The Voice of the Rain:
    The voice of the rain is the one responding to the poet's question. This is introduced in the second line of the poem when the rain gives the poet an answer: "I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain," The rain's voice is calm, profound, and insightful, reflecting on its role in the natural cycle and paralleling its journey to the creative process.

    These two voices—the poet's question and the rain's response—form the basis of the poem's dialogue and exploration of life, creativity, and the cyclical patterns of nature.

  • What does the phrase "strange to tell" mean?

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

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

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  • Why are the last two lines put within brackets?

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  •  List the pairs of opposites found in the poem. 

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  •  Notice the following sentence patterns.
    1. And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower.
    2. I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain.
    3. Eternal I rise
    4. For song… duly with love returns
    Rewrite the above sentences in prose 

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The Voice of the Rain - Line by line explanation in Hindi | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

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Quiz - The Voice of the Rain | Hornbill | Class 11 Literature | CBSE English

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