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SONG OF

THE

RAIN

About the poetKAHLIL GIBRAN was a Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer.

Born in the town of Bsharri in modern-day Lebanon, in the United States, he studied art and began his literary career.  He is chiefly known in the English-speaking

world for his 1923 book The Prophet . Gibran is the third best-

selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu.

Introduction:

Song of the rain

A profuse use of literary devices enhances the poem’sBeauty and lends it a divine touch

“songs of the rain” has got a unique grace, elegancy and delicacyAbout itself.

This autobiographical poem not only brings out the birth and death of rain but also highlights its characteristics.

Introduction:

Song of the rain

Song of the rain

I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn (decorate)Her fields and valleys.

• The rain is divine.• It falls from the sky it appears to be like

silver threads. • It calls itself silver threads as it connects

heaven and earth.• It is dropped by the god .• As it drops down on the earth it spreads all

over the fields and valleys.• It suggests that the rain is life giving.

Who sends rain to earth and from where? the gods send rain to earth from the heaven

above

How does nature make use of the rain? nature takes rain to beautify her fields and valleys

which literacy device has the poet used in the second line of the stanza?

in the second line, making use of personification, the poet has personified the nature.

I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn To embellish (decorate) the gardens.

• The rain says that it drops down early in the Morning like a pearl. The poet has compared the rain drops with the pearl.

• The Babylonian mother goddess wears the crown studded with pearls.

• The rain drops falling makes the poet feel as if the nature has plucked pearls from the crown to decorate the earth.

• The Babylonian mother goddess is the queen of heaven and goddess of love.

• Thus rain beautifies the earth.

• Who is the speaker in the above lines? rains is the speaker in the above line• What is being referred to as ‘pearls’ in the

above lines? raindrops which look delicate and sparkling

have been referred to as pearl• Which literacy device is used in ‘daughter of

Dawn’? alliteration, also daughter of dawn has been

treated as a person and given a human relationship. Thus there is personification

• Who is ishtar? ‘ishtar’ is the goddess of love and war.

When I cry the hills laugh; When I humble myself the

flowers rejoice; When I bow, all things are

elated. (to elevate)

• When the rain falls the hills are cheerful because the rain gives life.

• The word ‘cry’ here suggests that it rains heavily on hills. The echo of the rain sounds like the laughter of the hills.

• The rain ‘humbles’ means that it falls moderately i.e. neither heavy nor low. As a result the flowers feel happy.

• Everything that bestows on nature seems to be happy.

• The rain ‘bows’ means that it falls low and gives immense joy to everything on the earth. The rain is the source of rejuvenation and renewal.

• What does ‘when I cry’ means? ‘when I cry’ means when the rain falls heavily

• Why do hills laugh when ‘I’ cries? when ‘I’ cries, that is when rainfalls In torrents it

is very noisy. When its sound echoes in the hills the seems to be laughing. Moreover it seems that hills are happy.

• What sort of atmosphere is brought about when ‘I’ cries?

There is a atmosphere of joy and happiness all over when ‘I’ cry, ‘humble’ and ‘bows’ itself. That is when rainfalls all its humidity and grace, all hearts are gladdened.

The field and the cloud are lovers And between them I am a messenger of mercy. I quench (smother) the thirst of one; I cure the ailment of the other.

• The field and clouds have been called lover because fields love clouds bringing rain to them for their survival.

•The field wait for the rain like lovers. The rain is like a messenger of kindness between the two fields and cloud.

•If the clouds do not have rain water in them the fields do not get the message of kindness and relief. Rain satisfies the thirst of the field.

•Clouds without rain would be suffering and incomplete so rain cures and remove its sick suffering by being on the cloud

• Which two objects have been personified in the first line?Field and cloud

• What attributes of self are highlighted by ‘I’ in the stanza?‘I’ brings out its sense of compassion, understanding and

mercy

• In the third and fourth line who is ‘one’ and who is the ‘other’?

‘one’ stands for the thirsty field and the ‘other’ stands for the heavily vapour landen clouds

• How is the rain a “messenger of mercy” for the “lover”?Rain is the “messenger of mercy” as it quenches the thirst of

the fields by watering them and cures the ailment of the clouds by releasing droplet from heavily vapour laden clouds

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 (lifted) wings of death.

• The rain falls accompanied by thundering. Its sound appears as if it announces the arrival of rain.

• Soon after the rain falls the beautiful rainbow appears in the sky as if it is informing the earth about the departure of the Rain.

• The rain is as short lived as is the man’s life on earth.

• It comes and goes just as the man is born and he dies.

• Both the rain and the earthly life are similar as both of them are born out of elements of nature and they both meet their death.

What announces ‘my’ arrival? Clouds echoing the sky with the sound of thunder announces

‘my’ arrival

• What announces the departure of rain? A rainbow announces the departure of the rain

• Why has the poet used the word ‘voice’ rather than ‘noise’ for the thundering of clouds?

The poet has personified the clouds. The usage ‘voice’ rather then ‘noise’ brings the clouds closer to the living objects rather than the non-living.

• Quote the line where the poet has used onomatopoeia? “The voice of thunder declares my arrival.” ‘Thunder’ is an

onomatopoeic word

I emerge from the heart of the sea Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in Need, I descend and embrace (hold tightly in ones arm) the flowers and The trees in a million little ways.

• The poet has described the rain here in a scientific way.

• The water evaporates from the sea to the great heights of the sky and the water vapors accumulate in the clouds. These fall down on the earth in the form of rain droplets.

• Thus rain falls in millions of droplets , It falls in different forms i.e.. snow, hail etc. It refreshes the trees, adds to more the plants, helps in their healthy growth and waters them.

• What meant by ‘a field in need’? ‘A field in need’ means a field badly in need of

being watered• Explain “embrace the flowers and the tree in a

million little ways”. As numerous raindrops trickle down the flowers

and trees, the poet imagines them to be washing them in a million little ways

• How does the stanza cover I’s entire life-cycle? The stanza begins with the rain emerging from

the womb of the sea. It is then taken high up by the winds. Last of all it drops down in the field and thus, its life-cycle is completed

• 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

• The rain falls gently and its sound is a proclamation of its arrival on the earth.

• At the same time its sound echoes which makes the rain feel that it is being welcomed.

• Every one hears the sound of rain but those who are sensitive really recognize its significance. They understand how important rain is for earth.

• Why does ‘I’ touches the window panes softly? Since ‘I’, that is, rain falls in the form of water drops, it

strikes the window panes and flows down. No jarring noise is created in the process. Hence it ‘touches’ the window panes gently

• How is I’s arrival taken by everyone I’s arrival brings joy to every heart. Hence it is welcomed by

one and all.

• Why can ‘all hear’ I’s arrival? Though gentle, but the sound created by the fall of the rain

is loud enough for everyone to hear. Thus it is audible to everyone.

I am the sigh of the sea; The laughter of the field; The tears of heaven.

• The water evaporating from the sea has been referred as the sigh of the sea.

• When the rain falls on the earth it spreads joy as it is a blessing particularly for the farmers in the field. So the laughter is referred to happiness due to rain.

• The rain drops falling on the earth are referred as tears of the sky as they fall from the sky.

• Why does ‘I’ call itself ‘sigh of the sea’?As rain rises as vapor from the sea, it creates

as though the sea is breathing heavily and slinging. Hence, it calls itself ‘sigh of the sea’

• Why does ‘I’ call itself the ‘laughter of the field’?

‘I’ calls it self the laughter of the field because it refreshes the field and make them happy

• What does ‘tears of heaven’ refer to?“tears of heaven” refer to rain drops that fall

from the sky and look like tear drops

So with love - Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter from the colorful field of the spirit; Tears from the endless heaven of memories.

• The poet highlights qualities of the rain.

• The rain is the sigh of the sea when the water vapours rise from the sea into the sky.

• It spreads the laughter through the colourful fields. It means the freshness in restored due to the rain.

• The crops which are the spirit of the field flourish. Therefore the fields appear to the poet as if they are laughing.

• The rain drops fall like tears from the heaven to the earth and give new life to it.

• The rain bridges a link between the earth and heaven.

• What emotion of rain is depicted in the above stanza?

The above depicts the rain’s love for the earth.

• What does the rain offers from the “colorful field of the spirit”?

The rains offers laughter and joy

• What does the rain brings out from he store house of sweet memories?

The rain brings out delightful recollections from the storehouse of sweet memories

THANK YOUFOR

WATHCHING

BY:Ahideep TripathyAbhijeet Tripathy