NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English Hornbill: The Voice of the Rain

Summary of the Poem

"The Voice of the Rain" is a short poem that captures a dialogue between the poet and the rain. The poet asks the "soft-falling shower," "And who art thou?" (Who are you?).

To the poet's surprise, the rain answers, which the poet finds "strange to tell." The rain describes itself as the "Poem of Earth." It explains its eternal, cyclical journey: it rises "impalpable" (in the form of water vapour) from the land and the "bottomless sea." It then ascends "Upward to heaven," where it changes form ("vaguely form'd") into clouds, yet remains the same in its essence.

The rain then "descends" to wash the "droughts, atomies, and dust-layers" of the earth. It gives life to the seeds, helping them grow from their "latent" (hidden) state.

In this way, the rain gives life back to its "own origin" (the Earth) and makes it pure and beautiful. The rain's process is perpetual, happening "forever, by day and night."

The poem concludes with the poet's own reflection, placed in parentheses. He draws a parallel between the rain's cycle and the life of a song. A song, like the rain, issues from its "birth-place" (the poet's soul), goes out into the world ("wandering"), and whether it is "reck'd or unreck'd" (cared for or not), it eventually returns to its creator "duly with love."

NCERT Textbook Questions and Answers

Think it Out (Page 24)

Question 1: There are two voices in the poem. Who do they belong to? Which lines indicate this?

Answer-
The two voices in the poem belong to the poet and the rain.

The following lines indicate the two voices:
1.The Poet's Voice: "And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,"
2.The Rain's Voice: "I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,"

Question 2: What does the phrase “strange to tell” mean?

Answer-
The phrase "strange to tell" means that it was a strange or surprising thing for the poet to hear. He was astonished because an inanimate natural phenomenon, the rain, had given him an answer. It is not normal for humans to have a conversation with the rain, so the poet found the experience extraordinary.

Question 3: There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two.

Answer-
The words that indicate the parallel between rain and music are the last two lines, which are in parentheses:
"(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, wandering,
Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns.)"

The similarity is explained as follows:
1.Origin: Both the rain and a song have a "birth-place." The rain is born from the Earth (land and sea), and a song is born from the poet's soul.

2.Journey: Both travel outwards. The rain rises to the sky and wanders as clouds, while a song wanders out into the world to be heard by listeners.

3.Purpose: Both fulfill a purpose. The rain nourishes the earth and gives life, while a song gives joy, inspiration, or a message to its listeners.

4.Return: Both return to their origin "with love." The rain returns to the Earth, making it pure and beautiful. A song, whether it is "reck’d or unreck’d" (cared for or not), eventually returns to the poet in the form of love, appreciation, or creative satisfaction.

Question 4: How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem?

Answer-
The cyclic movement of the rain is clearly explained by the rain itself:
1.Evaporation (Rises): The rain says, "Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea," (describing evaporation).

2.Condensation (Forms Clouds): It then moves "Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form'd, altogether chang'd, and yet the same," (describing the formation of clouds).

3.Precipitation (Descends): The rain then comes down: "I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe," (describing the act of raining).

4.Return (Gives Life): Finally, it gives "back life to my own origin," by watering the latent seeds and purifying the earth, thus completing its cycle.

Question 5: Why are the last two lines put within brackets?

Answer-
The last two lines are put within brackets (parentheses) because they represent the poet's personal observation and reflection, rather than being part of the dialogue between him and the rain. The main poem is the rain's answer to the poet's question. The bracketed lines are a parallel that the poet draws between the rain's life-cycle and the life-cycle of a song.

Question 6: List the pairs of opposites found in the poem.

Answer-
The pairs of opposites found in the poem are:

• Day / Night
• Reck’d / Unreck’d (cared for / uncared for)
• Rise / Descend

Important Keywords from the Poem

• Art thou: An old-fashioned way of saying "Are you?"
• Impalpable: Something that cannot be touched or felt; intangible.
• Eternal: Lasting or existing forever; without end.
• Whence: From what place or source.
• Vaguely: In a way that is unclear or indefinite.
• Lave: To wash or bathe.
• Droughts: Continuous periods of dry weather.
• Atomies: Tiny particles (like dust).
• Latent: Hidden or dormant; existing but not yet developed.
• Origin: The point or place where something begins.
• Issuing: Coming or flowing out from.
• Reck’d: Cared about; heeded.
• Unreck’d: Uncared for; unheeded.
• Duly: In accordance with what is required or appropriate; properly.