Short Answer Questions (with Solutions) - Song of the Rain

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow :

Q1. I am beautiful pearls plucked from the crown of Ishter by the daughter of Dawn to embellish the gardens

(a) Who does 'I' refer to in these lines?

Ans. 'I' is referred to as the rain.

(b) What does 'I' compare itself to?

Ans. I (the rain) compares itself to the beautiful pearls plucked from the crown of Ishter (goddess of fertility)

(a) What is meant by the phrase 'to embellish the garden'?

Ans. It means to decorate the garden.

Q2. 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
 (a) Why are the field and the cloud called lovers ?

Ans. They are called lovers as they are far away from each other and desperately want to meet.

(b) How does the rain help the field and the cloud ?

Ans. The rain helps them by acting as a messenger of mercy. It quenches the thirst of one and cures the ailment of the other.

(c) In these lines 'messenger of mercy' refers to whom?

Ans. It refers to 'the rain'.

Q3. 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.

(a) What declares the arrival of the rain?

Ans. The thunder announces the arrival of rain.

(b) How is the departure of the rain announced?

Ans. The departure of the rain is announced by the rainbow.

(c) How does the poet compare the rain to the earthly life?

Ans. Just like everything on the earth takes birth and dies, so does the rain. It has a beginning and comes to an end.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. What are the various comparisons that have been made for rain? Discuss

Ans. The comparison made for rain is - dotted silver threads - beautiful pearls - earthly life - sigh of the sea - laughter of the field, the tears of heaven.

Q2. Discuss the theme of the poem 'Song of the Rain'.

Ans. It is a song of rain. The poet has described in various beautiful ways calling it silver threads, a messenger of mercy, beautiful pearl drops, a sigh of the sea, laughter of the fields. The voice of thunder announces its arrival and the rainbow announces its departure. It satisfies the thirst of the field, it decorates the gardens. It makes the hills happy. It is a divine gift of God.

Q3. Describe the cyclic nature of rain as described by the poet. How does it differ from its scientific version?

Ans. The poet describes the cyclic nature of rain through - 'Sigh of the sea' refers to the process of evaporation of seawater-forming clouds, 'a tear of rain' refers to falling of raindrops from the sky, Thunder is the cry of the sky. The poet endows the rain with divine attributes, earthly beauty, human emotions. The scientific version is simply of evaporation, condensation and precipitation.

Q4. Why does the rain call itself 'a messenger of mercy'?

Ans.  The poet says that rain is a messenger of mercy for the fields and the clouds which are lovers. The fields are thirsty, the rain quenches their thirst the clouds are overburdened and it relieves them of the excess water.

Q5. How is the arrival and the departure of rain announced?     [CBSE 2011 (Term II)]

Ans. The rain is a divine gift of God and it proves very blessed for the parched fields. It beautifies, adorns and rejuvenates fields, trees, flowers and spreads vitality everywhere. Since it spreads joy and freshness all around the thunder announces its arrival and the rainbow in the sky announces the departure of the rain.

Q6. What does the poet say about the field and the cloud in the poem?
 Or
 In the poem 'Song of the Rain,' how does rain help in establishing a bond between the field and the cloud?    [CBSE 2011 (Term II)]

Ans. The poet says that fields and the clouds are lovers. The fields are needy and the clouds are bursting with moisture, the rain acts as a messenger of mercy for them. It quenches the thirst of the fields and cures the ailment of the clouds by relieving them of the moisture.

Q7. How is the falling of rain like a 'welcome song'? [CBSE 2011 (Term II)]

Ans. Falling of rain is like a welcome song. It proves very blessed for the parched and needy earth. It spreads joy and freshness all around. It beautifies, adorns and rejuvenates fields, trees and flowers, and spreads vitality everywhere. It cements relationship of love between fields and the clouds. It ties the earth and the heaven in a spiritual bond.