NCERT book Class 9 English Song of the Rain

 Page 1


93
P .6   Song of the Rain
                                  by  Kahlil Gibran
POETRY
Unit
1. (a) Given below are five lines from a poem but they are not in the right order.
Get into groups of four. Read the lines and put them in the right order.
Read the version that you develop to the whole class.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival.
I emerge from the heart of the sea.
I descend and embrace the flowers.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven.
The rainbow announces my departure.
(b) Who is ‘I’ in these lines?
(c) Imagining yourself as the subject of this poem, write five lines about
yourself in less than five minutes.
You may like to
- define yourself
- state what you do
- explain why people like/dislike you
- mention any other characteristic about yourself
2. Read the lines given in the boxes on the next page. They are in random  order.
Now listen  to the recording of the poem carefully. As you listen,  number  the
stanzas given in the boxes sequentially.
Page 2


93
P .6   Song of the Rain
                                  by  Kahlil Gibran
POETRY
Unit
1. (a) Given below are five lines from a poem but they are not in the right order.
Get into groups of four. Read the lines and put them in the right order.
Read the version that you develop to the whole class.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival.
I emerge from the heart of the sea.
I descend and embrace the flowers.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven.
The rainbow announces my departure.
(b) Who is ‘I’ in these lines?
(c) Imagining yourself as the subject of this poem, write five lines about
yourself in less than five minutes.
You may like to
- define yourself
- state what you do
- explain why people like/dislike you
- mention any other characteristic about yourself
2. Read the lines given in the boxes on the next page. They are in random  order.
Now listen  to the recording of the poem carefully. As you listen,  number  the
stanzas given in the boxes sequentially.
94
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens
I emerge from the heart of the Sea and
Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways
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 wings of death
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
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 field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one,
I cure the ailment of the other.
I am the sigh of the sea, the laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated
So, with love-
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter
from the colourful field of the spirit; Tears from
the endless heaven of memories.
Poetry
Page 3


93
P .6   Song of the Rain
                                  by  Kahlil Gibran
POETRY
Unit
1. (a) Given below are five lines from a poem but they are not in the right order.
Get into groups of four. Read the lines and put them in the right order.
Read the version that you develop to the whole class.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival.
I emerge from the heart of the sea.
I descend and embrace the flowers.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven.
The rainbow announces my departure.
(b) Who is ‘I’ in these lines?
(c) Imagining yourself as the subject of this poem, write five lines about
yourself in less than five minutes.
You may like to
- define yourself
- state what you do
- explain why people like/dislike you
- mention any other characteristic about yourself
2. Read the lines given in the boxes on the next page. They are in random  order.
Now listen  to the recording of the poem carefully. As you listen,  number  the
stanzas given in the boxes sequentially.
94
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens
I emerge from the heart of the Sea and
Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways
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 wings of death
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
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 field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one,
I cure the ailment of the other.
I am the sigh of the sea, the laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated
So, with love-
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter
from the colourful field of the spirit; Tears from
the endless heaven of memories.
Poetry
95
3. Read the song once again.
1 I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
5 I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.
10 The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one;
I cure the ailment of the other.
15 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 wings of death.
20 I emerge from the heart of the sea and
Soar  with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways.
I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
25 Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
I am the sigh of the sea;
The laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
adorn :  to decorate or add beauty to.
Ishtar : goddess of fertility, love, war and sex, in the Babylonian Pantheon, she “was the divine personification
of the planet Venus”.
embellish : decorate.
elated : very happy and excited.
quench : satisfy thirst.
upraised  :  lifted or moved upwards.
Poetry
Page 4


93
P .6   Song of the Rain
                                  by  Kahlil Gibran
POETRY
Unit
1. (a) Given below are five lines from a poem but they are not in the right order.
Get into groups of four. Read the lines and put them in the right order.
Read the version that you develop to the whole class.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival.
I emerge from the heart of the sea.
I descend and embrace the flowers.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven.
The rainbow announces my departure.
(b) Who is ‘I’ in these lines?
(c) Imagining yourself as the subject of this poem, write five lines about
yourself in less than five minutes.
You may like to
- define yourself
- state what you do
- explain why people like/dislike you
- mention any other characteristic about yourself
2. Read the lines given in the boxes on the next page. They are in random  order.
Now listen  to the recording of the poem carefully. As you listen,  number  the
stanzas given in the boxes sequentially.
94
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens
I emerge from the heart of the Sea and
Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways
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 wings of death
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
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 field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one,
I cure the ailment of the other.
I am the sigh of the sea, the laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated
So, with love-
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter
from the colourful field of the spirit; Tears from
the endless heaven of memories.
Poetry
95
3. Read the song once again.
1 I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
5 I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.
10 The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one;
I cure the ailment of the other.
15 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 wings of death.
20 I emerge from the heart of the sea and
Soar  with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways.
I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
25 Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
I am the sigh of the sea;
The laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
adorn :  to decorate or add beauty to.
Ishtar : goddess of fertility, love, war and sex, in the Babylonian Pantheon, she “was the divine personification
of the planet Venus”.
embellish : decorate.
elated : very happy and excited.
quench : satisfy thirst.
upraised  :  lifted or moved upwards.
Poetry
96
30 So with love -
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter
from the colourful field of the spirit; Tears from
the endless heaven of memories.
About the Poet
Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer. His
poetry is notable for its use of formal language as well as insights on topics of life
using spiritual terms. One of his most notable lines of poetry in the English-speaking
world is from Sand and Foam (1926) which reads ‘Half of what I say is meaningless,
but I say it so that the other half may reach you.’
4.A. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions
by selecting the correct option.
(a) The rain calls itself the ‘dotted silver threads’ as ________.
(i) the shimmering drops fall one after the other
(ii) it ties heaven and earth
(iii) it dots the earth with shimmering water
(iv) it decorates the fields
(b) The tone and mood of the rain in the poem reflects its  ________ .
(i) love for the earth
(ii) desire to take revenge
(iii) merriment as it destroys
(iv) desire to look beautiful
(c) Choose the option that lists the examples of ‘elated’.
1. Asmi is convalescing from her ailment.
2. Gurdeep and Sanvi met each other after a decade.
3. Damehi heard the news that he had been nominated for an award.
4. Sohrab has witnessed a burglar in the dark.
(i) 1, 3 (ii) 2, 3
(iii) 3, 4 (iv) 1, 4
Poetry
Page 5


93
P .6   Song of the Rain
                                  by  Kahlil Gibran
POETRY
Unit
1. (a) Given below are five lines from a poem but they are not in the right order.
Get into groups of four. Read the lines and put them in the right order.
Read the version that you develop to the whole class.
The voice of thunder declares my arrival.
I emerge from the heart of the sea.
I descend and embrace the flowers.
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven.
The rainbow announces my departure.
(b) Who is ‘I’ in these lines?
(c) Imagining yourself as the subject of this poem, write five lines about
yourself in less than five minutes.
You may like to
- define yourself
- state what you do
- explain why people like/dislike you
- mention any other characteristic about yourself
2. Read the lines given in the boxes on the next page. They are in random  order.
Now listen  to the recording of the poem carefully. As you listen,  number  the
stanzas given in the boxes sequentially.
94
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens
I emerge from the heart of the Sea and
Soar with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways
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 wings of death
I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
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 field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one,
I cure the ailment of the other.
I am the sigh of the sea, the laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated
So, with love-
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter
from the colourful field of the spirit; Tears from
the endless heaven of memories.
Poetry
95
3. Read the song once again.
1 I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
5 I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
When I cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.
10 The field and the cloud are lovers
And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
I quench the thirst of the one;
I cure the ailment of the other.
15 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 wings of death.
20 I emerge from the heart of the sea and
Soar  with the breeze. When I see a field in
Need, I descend and embrace the flowers and
The trees in a million little ways.
I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
25 Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
I am the sigh of the sea;
The laughter of the field;
The tears of heaven.
adorn :  to decorate or add beauty to.
Ishtar : goddess of fertility, love, war and sex, in the Babylonian Pantheon, she “was the divine personification
of the planet Venus”.
embellish : decorate.
elated : very happy and excited.
quench : satisfy thirst.
upraised  :  lifted or moved upwards.
Poetry
96
30 So with love -
Sighs from the deep sea of affection; Laughter
from the colourful field of the spirit; Tears from
the endless heaven of memories.
About the Poet
Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer. His
poetry is notable for its use of formal language as well as insights on topics of life
using spiritual terms. One of his most notable lines of poetry in the English-speaking
world is from Sand and Foam (1926) which reads ‘Half of what I say is meaningless,
but I say it so that the other half may reach you.’
4.A. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions
by selecting the correct option.
(a) The rain calls itself the ‘dotted silver threads’ as ________.
(i) the shimmering drops fall one after the other
(ii) it ties heaven and earth
(iii) it dots the earth with shimmering water
(iv) it decorates the fields
(b) The tone and mood of the rain in the poem reflects its  ________ .
(i) love for the earth
(ii) desire to take revenge
(iii) merriment as it destroys
(iv) desire to look beautiful
(c) Choose the option that lists the examples of ‘elated’.
1. Asmi is convalescing from her ailment.
2. Gurdeep and Sanvi met each other after a decade.
3. Damehi heard the news that he had been nominated for an award.
4. Sohrab has witnessed a burglar in the dark.
(i) 1, 3 (ii) 2, 3
(iii) 3, 4 (iv) 1, 4
Poetry
97
(d) Antithesis is a figure of speech which brings out a contrast in the ideas by placing
opposing words, clauses or sentences within a parallel grammatical structure.
For example:
? “To err is human; to forgive divine.” - Alexander Pope
? Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.
? Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.
From the following phrases in the poem, select the option that correctly lists the
examples of Antithesis.
1. When I cry the hills laugh; When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
2. And between them I am a messenger of mercy.
3. When I bow, all things are elated.
4. The voice of thunder declares my arrival; The rainbow announces my departure.
5. I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
6. I touch gently at the windows with my Soft fingers
(i) 1, 3, 4, 6 (ii) 1, 3, 4
(iii) 1, 3, 4, 5 (iv) 1, 3, 5
4.B. Read the given extracts and answer the following questions by selecting the
correct option.
(a) I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven
By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn
Her fields and valleys.
I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the
Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn
To embellish the gardens.
i) Select the option that DOES NOT include a visual connected to the given lines.
Poetry