Class 11 English The Voice of Rain summary
“The Voice of the Rain“
by Walt Whitman
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Poem : “The Voice of the Rain”
Poet : Walt Whitman
- Summary of the Poem
- The poet asks the rain, “And who art thou?” and strangely, the rain replies, calling itself the “poem of earth.”
- The rain says that it is born from the earth but cannot be seen since it is in the form of vapors.
- It rises into the sky to form clouds and then falls back to the earth in the form of drops.
- It removes droughts and washes away even the tiniest particles.
- It falls on dry seeds, which appear lifeless, and helps them sprout into saplings.
- It gives life to its own origin, i.e., earth; it purifies and beautifies the earth.
- Like a song coming out from the heart, it spreads joy all around and seeps back into the earth.
- Poetic Devices Used in the Poem
- Personification:
“Said the voice of the rain” – Rain speaks throughout the poem.
- Antithesis:
“All together changed, and yet the same” – Two opposite ideas have been pulled
together to describe the continuous cycle of rain.
- Metaphor:
“I am the poem of the earth.”
- Theme of the Poem
- The poet portrays the life cycle of rain and compares it to a song.
- The poem discusses a conversation between the poet and the rain, where the rain calls itself the “poem of the earth.”
- The rain describes its journey:
- It rises as vapors from the land and sea.
- It forms clouds and falls back to the earth to refresh drought-filled lands.
- This helps seeds grow into beautiful greenery.
- The poet compares his role in creating poems to the role of rain, as both bring life and beauty.
- The rain symbolizes the cycle of life in all living things.
- The rain completes the cycle of life, much like the life of all human beings.