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

The Voice of the Rain

Think it out

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

Answer-

The two voices belong to the poet and the rain:

(a) The Poet's Voice: The poet initiates the dialogue by asking a question. This is indicated by the line: “And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower”.

(b) The Rain's Voice: The rain answers the poet's question. This is indicated by the line: “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 is surprising or unusual that the rain was able to reply to the poet’s question. The rain is usually an inanimate element, so its ability to provide an answer is remarkable and unexpected.

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

Answer-

The parallel between rain and music (song) is indicated by the final two lines, which are placed within brackets: “(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, wandering / reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns.)”.

The similarity is based on their cyclic journey and return:

(a) Origin and Fulfillment: The rain rises impalpable from the Earth and the sea (its birth-place) and descends to lave the Earth (its fulfilment). The song also issues from its birth-place (the heart or mind of the singer) and achieves fulfilment.

(b) Return: The rain gives back life to its own origin and makes it pure and beautify it, returning with love. Similarly, the song, whether appreciated or not (reck’d or unreck’d), duly with love returns to its source.

Question 4: How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science.

Answer-

The cyclic movement of rain is described as eternal:

(a) Ascension (Evaporation): It rises impalpable (invisible vapor) out of the land and the bottomless sea (the water source).

(b) Formation (Condensation): It goes Upward to heaven, where it becomes vaguely form’d, altogether changed, and yet the same (forming clouds).

(c) Descension (Precipitation): It descend[s] to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe, giving back life and making the Earth pure and beautify it.

This poetic description aligns closely with the scientific concept of the water cycle, which involves evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

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

Answer-

The last two lines are placed within brackets because they represent a poetic aside or an observation made by the poet, rather than being part of the direct voice or reply of the rain itself. They draw a universal parallel drawn between rain and music to explain the concept of return to the source.

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

Answer-

The pairs of opposites found in the poem include:

(a) rise and descend

(b) land and heaven

(c) day and night

(d) reck’d (regarded) and unreck’d (unregarded)

(e) latent (hidden) and unborn (Implied state before growth)