Important Question and Answers
Q. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
When the humid shadows hover
Over all starry spheres
And the melancholy darkness
Gently weeps in rainy tears,
- What are the ‘humid shadows’ referred here?
- What is the effect they have on the sky?
- Why does the poet call darkness as a melancholy?
- Find a word from the passage whose meaning is same to ‘sadness’.
Answer
- The humid shadows are the dark clouds.
- They hide the stars and rain.
- It makes him sad
- melancholy
Q. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Every tinkle on the shingles
Has an echo in the heart;
And a thousand recollections
And a thousand dream fancies
Into busy being start,
Weave their air threads into woof,
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.
- How does the poet describe the falling rain?
- What does the mind of the poet fancy?
- Who is the poet?
- Trace a word from the extract that means ‘memories’.
Answer
- The poet says that the falling rain creates immense pleasure in his heart.
- Old thoughts and memories are recollected by the poet.
- Coates Kinney
- recollections
Q. How does the poet describe the sky before the rain falls?
Ans. There are dark clouds hovering around in the sky. They hide the stars with darkness all around. The poet compares the darkness with sadness, as these humid shadows gently weep which pours down as rainy tears.
Q. Is the poet, Coates Kinney, able to enjoy the rain or he reminisces at the lost time?
Ans. The general atmosphere of the poem is very somber. There is darkness around but rain compensates it with the spirit of peace for the lonely night. The poet realizes how much joy and pleasure of sleep he can attain when his head presses against his pillow to conclude the long day into a good night’s rest.
Q. Do you think that the poem, ‘Rain on the Roof’, is lauding the healing power of the rain?
Ans. The poet is appreciating rain, especially when he hears it from a cozy bed in a lovely cottage. The rain and its sound have resurrected the fondest memory of the poet’s mother in his mind. As the rain continues, the poet tries to recollect all that caused him pain, yet at the same time lifted his spirits.
Q. What does each sound of shingle create?
Ans. Every raindrop on the tiles of the roof creates a rhythm with the poet’s heartbeat. This evokes thousands of dreams making his thoughts busy. While he focuses on the listening to the pitter-patter on the roof, his mind starts weaving recollections of fond memories of yesteryears.
Q. Who all does the poet remember while listening to the rain?
Ans. The poet remembers his mother who used to put him to bed every night and then used to look at him lovingly while he sleeps. He also remembers his angelic sister who died early. He also remembers the young girl, whom the poet had admired at some point of time in his life.
Q. What happens when the poet listens to the patter of the rain? Do you think that rain is a narrative tool in the poet’s life?
Ans. The raindrops play music on the roof and create a sound of pitter-patter. To the poet, this music is blissful. At the beginning of the poem there is certain tinge of sadness around, which starts to weep away with the coming of raindrops. Every raindrop on the tiles of the roof creates a rhythm with the poet’s heartbeat. The poet tries to focus on listening to the pitter-patter on the roof whereas, his mind weaves the recollections of fond memories of yesteryears.
