Class 11th English ( Poem ) The voice of The Rain- Important question- Term- 2

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

• Ans. The poem, ‘The Voice of the Rain’, presents a dialogue  between the poet and the rain itself. In this poem, the poet  asks rain who it is. The poet gets an answer as the rain itself  gives its introduction.  Hence, the two voices in the poem are those of rain and the  poet. These are  (i) In the poet’s voice and who art thou? said I to the  soft-falling shower.  (ii) In the voice of the rain and I am the poem of the  Earth, said the voice of the rain. 

2- How does the rain justify its claim ‘I am the Poem of Earth’?  

• Ans. The rain calls itself the poem of the Earth because the poem  rendered by the poet has the task of bringing joy, happiness,  life to its readers.  Similarly when the rain falls down over Earth, a rhythm or  music is created. That’s why the rain calls itself the ‘Poem of  Earth’. 

3- Describe the never ending cycle of rain.

• Ans. Water rises unperceived in the form of vapour from land and  water bodies on the Earth. It goes up, takes the form of a  cloud, changes its shape and falls down on Earth in the form  of water drops to bathe the small dust particles, land and sea.  The water returns through rivers to oceans and seas after it  rains on Earth. 

4- Why does the rain call itself ‘impalpable’? 

• Ans. ‘Impalpable’ means something that cannot be felt by  touching or seeing. When water takes the form of vapour, it  is not visible to the human eye and nor can we feel its touch.  The vapour rises to the sky, condenses and forms clouds  which cause rain. Though we are aware of its presence, the  process remains invisible to us. Hence, the rain has rightly  called itself ‘impalpable’. 

5- How does the rain become the voice of Earth?

• Ans. In the poem, ‘The Voice of the Rain’, the poet describes how  the rain falls on Earth. He also asks a question to the rain  about it. He calls the showers of the rain as ‘Poem of Earth’ as  the rain gives a new lease of life to the scorched and parched  Earth and falls on Earth in a rhythmic manner.  Actually, it is the voice of Earth as the slowly falling showers  produce a very soft music and Earth finds its expression only  through the showers falling on it. 

6- Justify the title ‘The Voice of the Rain’.  

• Ans. The whole poem is about the eternal process of rain and its  benefits. Through the words of the rain, the poet has tried to  bring out the importance of rain for Earth, for plants and for  man. As the poet is translating what the rain is speaking  through its own language (the sounds it makes when it falls),  the whole poem is about the rain talking to the poet. Thus, the  title is justified. 

7- Why do you think the poet says the phrase ‘reck’d or  unreck’d’?  

• Ans. The words have been poetically drafted. ‘Reck’d and unreck’d’  stand for reckoned and unreckoned. The words literally mean  cared and uncared for respectively. The poet says these words  to emphasise the fact that when it falls on the Earth, we  sometimes take notice of it or sometimes completely ignore it.  But even if it is left uncared for, it completes its destiny and  returns to absorbed where it started from. 

8- There is a parallel drawn between rain and music. Which words indicate this? Explain the similarity between the two.

• Answer: The following words/phrases indicate the parallel between rain and music: ‘Poem of Earth’, ‘eternal I rise impalpable out of land and the bottomless sea’. ‘For song duly with love returns.’ Both originate from a source, rise up, reach fulfilment, wander about whether cared about or not and finally return to source of origin with love.

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