Class 10 2nd Poem The Voice of the Rain By Walt Whiteman

The Voice of the Rain

By Walt Whiteman

And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated:
I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,
Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,
Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form'd, altogether changed, and yet the same,
I descend to lave the drouths, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,
And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;
And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my own origin,
and make pure and beautify it;
(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, Wandering,
Reck'd or unreck'd, duly with love returns.)

Difficult Words, Synonyms & Nepali Meanings

1.      Art thou → are you (archaic) → तिमी हौ / तपाईँ हौ

2.      Soft-falling → gentle, mild → नरम रूपमा झर्ने

3.      Impalpable → intangible, invisible, untouchable → नछुने, अमूर्त

4.      Bottomless → endless, unfathomable, immeasurable → अथाह, असीम

5.      Whence → from where → जहाँबाट

6.      Vaguely → unclearly, dimly, hazily → अस्पष्ट रूपमा

7.      Lave → wash, bathe, cleanse → धुने, शुद्ध पार्ने

8.      Drouths → droughts, dryness, lack of rain → अनावृष्टि, सुख्खा

9.      Atomies → tiny particles, minute specks → अत्यन्तै साना कणहरू

10. Latent → hidden, dormant, concealed → लुकेको, सुप्त

11. Unborn → not yet born, potential, future → अजन्मिएको

12. Beautify → adorn, embellish, decorate → सजाउने, सुशोभित गर्ने

13. Issuing → emerging, coming out, flowing → निस्कने, उत्पन्न हुने

14. Fulfilment → completion, accomplishment, realization → पूरा हुनु, सिद्धि

15. Reck’d (recked) → cared for, heeded, considered → ध्यान दिएको

16. Unreck’d (unrecked) → uncared for, neglected, ignored → उपेक्षित, बेवास्ता गरिएको

17. Duly → properly, appropriately, suitably → ठिक तरिकाले, विधिपूर्वक

About the Poet (Walt Whitman)
Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was a famous American poet, often called the “Father of Free Verse.” He is best known for his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which celebrates nature, democracy, freedom, and human spirit. His poem “The Voice of the Rain” shows his love for nature and his belief in the continuous cycle of life.

Summary (in short)

In this poem, the poet asks the falling rain who it is. Surprisingly, the rain replies that it is the “Poem of the Earth.” It rises invisibly from the land and sea, goes up to the sky, changes its form into clouds, and then falls back to the earth. By doing so, the rain washes away dust, quenches the drought, and gives life to seeds that are hidden and unborn. In the end, the rain purifies and beautifies nature, just as a poem, after being created, returns to its origin with love, whether it is valued or not.

D. Answer the following questions.

a. What are the two voices in the poem? Who do they belong to?

The two voices in the poem are the speaker and the rain. They belong to the earth.

b. How is the cyclical movement of the rain shown in the poem?

The cycling movement of the rain is shown in the poem by describing how it rises from the land and sea as water vapour, ascends into the sky, takes the form of clouds, and then descends back to the earth as rain to wash away dust and quench the thirst of the dry earth.

c. Why are the showers necessary for the Earth?

The showers are necessary for the earth because they provide moisture to plants and animals, wash away dust and pollutants, and help in the purification and beautification of the earth.

d. How are the rain and music similar?

The rain and music are similar as they both have a rhythm and the power to calm, heal, transform, and thrill.

e. How are the clouds formed?

The clouds are formed when water vapor rises from the earth and then cools and condenses into tiny droplets, which then accumulate and form larger droplets that eventually fall to the earth as rain.

f. List the pairs of opposite words in the poem.

rise/descend

rain/draught

day/night

reck'd/unreck'd (recked/unrecked)

 

Reading II

A. Match the words with their meanings.

a. eternal → vii. never-ending

b. impalpable → v. not easily understood

c. vaguely → ii. unclearly

d. descend → i. come down

e. lave → vi. to pour out as water

f. atomizes → iii. indivisible particles

g. reck → iv. to take care of

B. Fill in the blanks by choosing the words given below.

[impalpable, recks, globe, drought, beautify, latent]

a. The river ran dry during the drought.

b. It is still impalpable to understand how the earth originated.

c. The company produces a wide variety of make-up and skin care products designed to gently and effectively beautify human skin.

d. His greatest ambition is to sail around the globe.

e. Without training, his musical talent remained latent.

f. What recks it whether they win or lose?