ANALYSIS AND EXPLANATION OF SONG OF THE RAIN CBSE-CLASS-IX-ENGLISH

NAME – Kahlil Gibran

Born – January
6, 1883, Lebanon

Died – April 10,
1931, United States

He was a poet,
painter, writer, philosopher and Visual Artist

Notable works –                     1) The Prophet
                                                2)
Broken Wings
                                                3)
The Earth Gods
 
ABOUT THE POEM
 
Image result for RAIN
 
Through the poem “Song of the rain”, Kahlil Gibran
has presented us a piece us aesthetic beauty. He subtly points out the very
mystical aspect of nature. Rain, a common phenomenon is catered in the most
beauteous way. ‘Song of the rain’ is a eulogy of rain and its unseen aspects.
The poem speaks in the first person i.e. the rain in personified form speaks.
SONG OF THE RAIN-A NATURE POEM
 
The poem in its core reflects ethereal aspects of nature.
Fields and valley are elaborately connected by the rain droplets which are
symbolically presented as “dotted silver threads”. The two pole asunder aspects,
the heaven (sky) and the earth are imagined as beautifully connected by rain
and thus nature is best
epitomized. We start visualising nature with a different eye when we see the
words like ‘hills laugh’, ‘beautiful pearls’, ‘embellish the garden’, ‘flowers
rejoice etc.’ We are mesmerised when we read that the field and cloud are
lovers and the rain works as the messenger. “Thirst of the land” and “ailment” of the cloud” overwhelm us as we feel there natural
aspects with personified and unique angle. We are amazed when the very ordinary
occurrence of rain, thunder and rainbow is presented in an artistic way. We are
thrilled to imagine that apparently cacophony of the rain can be realised as
delicate and sensitive song. The cycle of rain thus is marvellously expounded
by Gibran as a perfect chronicle of natural events.
SONG OF THE RAIN-A POEM MEANT FOR THE SENSITIVES
There is not even a scintilla of doubt that “SONG OF
THE RAIN” is a poem meant for the
people possessing aesthetic sensibility. When the poet talks about embellishing
the ‘garden’, it makes us feel something close to fantasy. ‘The laugh of hills’,
‘the rejoicing if flowers’, ‘messenger of mercy’, transport us to a realm where
nature is imagined as lively. The poet again goes on saying about the sound
that the rain droplets create. He opens up saying that only sensitive people
can understand this. The rain droplets create a rhythmic music that common
people fail to understand.
STANZA WISE EXPLANATIONS
“I am
dotted………….
………………………………..
………………..
and valleys”
Analysis – The whole poem is personified. Here ‘rain’ is
personified in its different form. Here the rain is the speaker. At first the
rain droplets compared herself as dotted silver threads (the droplet are silver
in colour and while it comes down in a line appears to be a threads) which are
dropped from the heaven (symbolised as sky) by the Gods. Then nature accepts
her to decorate her fields and valleys.
Poetic
devices in use: –
1)
Personification –
throughout the poem ‘Rain’ is personified.
2)
Metaphor – “I am
dotted silver threads.”
3)      Symbolism
– i) dotted silver threads (silver colour rain droplets)
               ii) Heaven (sky)
4)      Alliteration
– then takes 
STANZA
– 2
“I am
………………………………..
…………………………………………..
           The garden”
 
Analysis:
– Again rain compares herself to beautiful pearls plucked from the crown of
Ishtar. (Ishtar was the goddess of love, war, fertility and sexuality. She was
the daughter of Anu. She was particularly
worshipped in Northern Mesopotamia, at the Assyrian cities of Nineveh, Ashur
and Arbela.) Here the rain droplets are like the pearls of the crown of Ishtar.
As if these pearls are plucked by daughter of dawn to decorate the gardens. In
other words the dew drops are like the pearls which add to the beauty of the
gardens.
Poetic devices in use: –
1)
Metaphor – I am beautiful pearls
2)      Alliteration
– pearls, plucked
  STANZA – 3
Image result for RAIN
 
“When I
…………………………………
……………………………………………..
…………………………
are elated.”
Analysis:
– when it cries (meant as showering of rain droplets from clouds) the hills
laugh (hills rejoice for the nourishing rain which will revive everything on
the hills). When it humbles itself (meaning showers slowly down towards the
earth) the flowers become mirthful. Flowers become ecstatic as soft showers
purify and rejuvenate them and when rain droplets bow (falls on ground and get
soaked) everything- such as plants, animals or aquatic animals get necessary
nourishment.
Poetic devices in use: –
1)
Anaphora –   When I…………..

When I…………..

When…………….
2)      Personification
– “…….hills laugh”,….. flowers rejoice.”
STANZA
– 4
The
field …………………………………
……………………………………………..
…………………………
of me other.”
Analysis:
– The field and the cloud are described as lovers. The field and the cloud are
bound in mutual love of necessity. Both are dependent on each other and both
are interlinked. And the work of messenger (love messenger) is accomplished by
the rain. The word ‘mercy’ is used to the benefits that the rain droplets do.
The rain droplets shower down on earth and thus quenches the thirst of the
earth (saves earth from drought and does provide necessary nourishment) and
cures the ailment (Here the clouds with brimming and overfilled state which is
cured by the releasing of the rain droplets) of the clouds.
Poetic devices in use: –
1)
Antithesis – i)
the field and the cloud

ii) I quench the thirst of (one)
            I cure the ailment of the (other)
2)
Metaphor – i)
The field and the cloud are lovers

ii) I am a messenger of mercy
3)
Alliteration –
the thirst,
4)
Anaphora – I quench……..
        I cure…………..
STANZA
– 5
Analysis:
– In this stanza the poet compares the life cycle of the rain to that of human.
Besides, the poet artistically presents the scientific phenomenon of rainbow. The
news of the arrival of rain is brought by thunder and departure is marked by
the advent of the rain. As a human has the main phases of life birth – maturity
and death, rain is also having the same cycle of life – birth (Evaporation),
maturity (Condensation), and death (Showering of rainfall). Here rain said to
begin at the feet of ‘mad
elements’ (The poet might have meant the liquid and vapour in cloud which is
filled with carbon, calcium, sodium, chlorine and thus under these mad elements
rain is born) and dies under the upraised wings of death (upraised wings is
meant as strong wind which blows the cloud away when the cloud becomes light
after rainfall).
Poetic devices in use: –
1)
Anaphora – i) The voice
                              The rainbow
2)      Antithesis
– i) ………………. my arrival.

                              ………………. my departure.

ii) ……………… which begins
             …………….. and ends
3)      Personification
– i) thunder declares

                                  ii) rainbow announces


4)      Simile
– I am like earthy life
5)      Enjambment       – “……………… which begins at

The feet…………………”
           STANZA – 6
“I
emerge ……………………………………….
……………………………………………………..
…………………………….million
little ways.”
Analysis:
– As a part of the rain cycle, it originates in the form of evaporated air from
land and water (Here meant as –emerging from sea) and soar with air. When there
is any need of field for nourishment, rain droplets come down and embrace
(abundant shower covering every nook and corner) the flowers and plants in
million little droplets.
Poetic devices in use: –
1)      Alliteration
– The trees

STANZA – 7
“I touch…………………………………………..
……………………………………………………..
……………………………….can
understand”
Analysis:
– Here the poet declares the sound of the rain droplets of song. At the outset
he says how rain gently falls on (touch) window panes and the sound (here song)
is like welcome song. He further goes on stating that the sound droplets could
be heard as song and this is possible to the people of aesthetic sensibility,
the sensitive people. 
           
Poetic devices in use: –
1)      Alliteration
– windows with
2)      Enjambment
– …………………………… with
my

Soft …………………………………is a

……………………….welcome song.
                                       STANZA – 8
“The
heat in me air gives birth to me,
But
in turn I kill it,
As
woman overcomes man with
The
strength she takes from him.”
Note:
– This stanza is not included in CBSE-CLASS-IX. Hence, analysis is not
provided.

                                                         STANZA – 9
 
“I
am the sigh of the sea;
The
laughter of the field;
The
tears of heaven.”
Analysis: – The first
line says about the evaporated from (sigh) of the rain which goes up and changes into another form. ‘Sigh’ is even considered as pain
of separation from the sea. The second line tells us about the joyous and
mirthful state of the field. On receiving the rain droplets the field, turn nourished
and fulfilled and thus becomes happy. The third line is meant for the situation
when rain droplets are released from the cloud. This separation in the form of
water droplets are explained as tears of heaven.


Poetic devices in use: –
1)
Metaphor – In all the three lines
rain is compared with ‘sigh of the sea’, ‘laughter of the field’ and ‘tears of
heaven.’
2)      Anaphora
– The laughter

                          The tears
                                    STANZA – 10
“So with love
……………………………………
……………………………………
………………………of
memories.”
Analysis:
– In the last stanza the evaporated air is presented as ‘sighs’ which comes out
of the deep sea of affection (The word here implies the relation between the
sea and the evaporated air. It is like mother (sea) – and daughter (sigh-
evaporated air).
Then it is explained as laughter from
the colourful field. It hints at the fulfilment of the rain. Rain nourishes and
provides necessary air for agriculture and other plants turning these as
colourful. The word ‘spirit’ is used to mean the farmers who would be at the
peak of mirth (spirit) when there is good produce in the fields.
Then rain is said as tears of heaven
(already discussed) from endless heaven of memories. It is stated as memory
which is endless. It is the memory of the life cycle of the rain which never
ceases and is endless.