POETRY ANALYSIS Page 2

The Voice of The Rain

by Walt Whitman

Rain has always inspired sensitive hearts. From being veils of pearls to tears of heaven; or even messenger of the two lovers,i.e., heaven and earth, rain is the elixir of life. It reflects myriad of moods and emotions. The poem ‘Voice of Rain’ represents the water cycle from the perspective of a poet.

The poet, Walt Whitman writes of a conversation he once had with the rain as it showered gently from the sky. ‘Who are you?’, the poet asked. Quite strangely the raindrops answered and the poet through his immense sensitivity understood. The poet translates the words of the raindrops for the understanding of the readers.

The rain says that it is the poem of the earth and goes on describing its origin as well as its journey through the course of its life. It adds that it is born or originated in the forn of invisible, intangible vapours that eternally rise from the different terrains of the earth, the various water sources as well as the land itself. It rises to reach the firmament or heaven and changes its appearance to take the abstract shape of the clouds. And though it has transformed its shape and look, but its essence remains the same,i.e., water.

After its course through the various places with the help of wind, it returns to its birthplace,earth in the form of minute water droplets we call rain. In this form ,it washes away the dust and rejuvenates the drought-ridden, dry, parched land. New saplings find life which were hidden in their dormant state, unborn beneath the dry land as seeds. Thus, this perpetual cyclic lifestyle ensures that the elixir of life returns to its origin , giving it life, and purifying it, adorning it and adding greatly to its existence.

The poet draws a parallel between the rain’s life cycle and any song. A song’s or poem’s birthplace is the poet’s heart. After it is successfully shaped and formed, it goes on a journey amongst various listeners who perceive it, enjoy it and value it in different ways. During its course it may also undergo various transformations,however its core or soul remains the same. Eventually, it returns home, to the poet with all the love that has been showered upon it by its listeners.

The poem is written from the viewpoint of someone who questioned the rain about its identity and was answered back by the words, “ I am the poem of the Earth”, then elaborating about its journey from the Earth to the sky and back to the Earth . However , during this journey the rain seems to acquire a mysterious rejuvenating and life supporting quality which acts as a source of life to the dormant, latent seeds and the whole Earth at large.

The metaphorical comparison between the song or poem and the rain beautifully describes the journey of the rain and its transformation. The rain is personified in the very first line and the use of imagery throughout the poem is worth analysing. Though the poet uses very scientific and logical concept of the water-cycle as the theme of the poem but the artistic quality through which it is presented establishes the poetic prowess of Walt Whitman.