Thinking about the Poem
1. What do the following phrases mean to you? Discuss in class.
(i) Humid shadows: They refer to the dark, heavy clouds that bring rain.
(ii) Starry spheres: They refer to the night sky filled with stars.
(iii) What a bliss: It expresses the great joy and happiness the poet feels when he lies in his cottage and listens to the rain.
(iv) A thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start: This means that many imaginative and dreamy thoughts begin to stir in the poet's mind.
(v) A thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof: This means that numerous memories come together and form a beautiful pattern in the poet's mind, like threads weaving a fabric.
2. What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Answer: When it rains, the poet likes to lie in his cottage chamber bed, press his head against the pillow, and listen to the soft patter of the rain on the roof.
3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the "darling dreamers" he refers to?
Answer: The single major memory that comes to the poet is that of his mother. The "darling dreamers" are the poet and his siblings when they were children, whom his mother would look at fondly before they went to sleep.
4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?
Answer: No, the poet is no longer a child; he is a grown man. The poem does not explicitly state whether his mother is still alive, but it suggests that she is a memory from his past, as he remembers her "in years agone" (long ago).
II. 1. When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet's did?
Answer: (Personal response) Yes, my mother used to tuck me in and kiss me goodnight when I was a child. It made me feel safe and loved.
2. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described in the poem?
Answer: (Personal response) Yes, I like rain. When it rains heavily, I like to sit near the window with a cup of tea and watch the rain. Sometimes I read a book or listen to music.
3. Does everybody have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains? Look around you and describe how different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter etc. during rain.
Answer: No, not everybody has a cosy bed. While some people enjoy the rain from comfortable homes, others are not so fortunate. Street vendors, homeless people, and daily wage workers often get wet and have to take shelter under bridges, in bus stops, or under shop awnings. Animals like dogs and cats seek shelter under parked cars or in building corridors. Birds hide in their nests or in dense trees. Many people have to continue working in the rain, such as farmers, traffic police, and delivery workers.
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