Introduction
The poet Coates Kinney attempted to capture nature’s calming and soothing aspect in the poem “Rain on the roof” He was fond of nature and has always written profoundly about nature. To illustrate the poem’s true meaning, he has used literary elements like personification and alliteration. This poem starts with a rainy day when the poet starts recalling the past days after the rain. He begins to remember the instances and phases of his childhood when things were easy and simpler. In this poetry, the rain comforts the poet. He thinks back fondly on his happy childhood and all the wonderful times that he enjoyed. His heart is filled with passionate music as the rain fell, and he thought fondly of his mother. He associated the rain with his mother’s love and affection, which is why it always made him happy. The poet misses his mother, who isn’t with him right now and recalls the feeling of being at home. He feels the hurt, clings to the pillow, and drifts off to sleep recalling his past. The pain he experienced throughout his life is described in the poem.
Summary
This poem expresses the poet’s feelings toward rain. The poem’s opening line describes the clouds that cause rain. Humid, black, and loaded with water, the clouds are on the verge of bursting. Like a blanket, clouds have covered the entire city. The clouds have covered the stars, making the sky appear gloomy while the rain represents the clouds’ weeping. The poet’s mood was depressed as a result of the weather, and the only thing that makes him happy is to lie in his bed, hear the raindrops tinkling and remember his joyful past. The poet is feeling lucky to be home.
In the second stanza of this poem, the poet hears the sound of rain on the roof which is resonating in his heart. He recalls his childhood when he hears the music. The poet is trying to see fresh dreams while still thinking back on his past memories. He portrays his view as a dreamy fantasy in the second stanza. He is seeing his childhood memories and forming a beautiful picture. He also recalls the beautiful memories of his ceased mother and feels both happiness and grief.
The poet is recalling his mother’s lovely memories in the third stanza. He recalls his mother’s warm embrace as he listens to the rain’s glittering. He can still feel her love for him and his siblings. He was warmed by the nice memories, but he was also filled with regret because his mother had passed away a few years earlier. The poet is making a connection between the sound of rain and feeling her mother’s love. The author is reflecting on his own childhood days which were the “golden years” of his life. Even though his mother was no longer alive, whenever he heard the rain, he went back and thought of those happy moments and simply lies on his bed, cuddles his pillow, and drifts off to sleep.
Conclusion
The poem is about the poet’s calming and joyous recollection that emerges after a rainfall. The poet is making a connection between the rain and his childhood memories.
He is remembering the good old days when he was a child and had his mother by his side. He gets emotional as he thinks of his mother. He recalls the affection and embraces she used to shower on him and his siblings.
Question
1. What do the following phrases:-Humid Shadows, Stary spheres, What a Bliss, A thousand dreamy fancies into busy being the start, A thousand recollections weave their air threads into woof mean?
Ans: The given phrases mean-
- Humid shadows-It refers to the dark clouds that bring rain
- Stary spheres- This refers to a star-filled sky.
- What a Bliss- The poet fills the blissfulness when it rains.
- A thousand dreamy fancies into busy being the start- It alludes to the poet’s many thoughts that he is imagining.
- A thousand recollections weave their air threads into woof-It stands for various loving memories that the poet has reconciled.
2. What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Ans: The poet enjoys lying on his pillow in bed during the rainfall and remembering happy childhood moments.
He makes an effort to recall his mother’s warm embrace and the loving golden years.
3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet’s mind? Who are the “darling dreamers” he refers to?
Ans: The one single memory that the poet can recall is of his mother’s unconditional love. The poet’s siblings are referred to as darling dreamers.
4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?
Ans: The poet isn’t a child, and his mother is not alive
5. When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet’s mother did?
Ans: Yes, my mother used to tuck me in at night when it rained.
6. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described in the poem?
Ans: Yes, I enjoy the rain. Usually, I notice the rain and experience the chilly breeze. I also enjoy listening to the sound of the rain when I sleep.
7. Does everybody have a cozy bed to lie in when it rains? Look around you and describe how different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter, etc. during rain.
Ans: Not everyone has access to a warm bed during rain. Not everyone can afford the convenience of sleeping in a comfortable bed while it rains. Because their homes can flood, some people are terrified of the rain. Animals are likewise afraid of the rain and seek shelter.
Rain on the Roof Extra Questions
1. What does the roof symbolize?
Ans: We are referring to a metaphorical roof. It serves as the mental roof we place over our heads to protect us from potentially harmful things. Each of us has one of these “roofs,” while some have stronger ones than others.
2. What figure of speech is represented in the roof’s rain?
Ans: In the poem “Rain on the Roof,” the principal figures of speech include personification, hyperbole, alliteration, and visual imagery.
3. What is onomatopoeia in the poem rain on the roof?
Ans: The use of sound words to create a dramatic effect and auditory imagery is known as onomatopoeia. The employment of sound words such as “patter.” which represents the sound of raindrops hitting the roof’s surface is an example of onomatopoeia.