The Voice Of the Rain - by Walt Whitson - DETAILED ANALYSIS

THE VOICE OF THE RAIN 

In "The Voice of the Rain," the rain is personified as having a voice and engaging in a dialogue with the speaker. The rain claims to be the "Poem of Earth," an eternal force that rises from the land and the sea, transforming as it ascends to the heavens and then descending to nourish and purify the Earth.

ABOUT THE POET -

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was a renowned American poet, known for his influential collection "Leaves of Grass." His innovative use of free verse and celebration of the individual and democracy set him apart. Whitman's poems addressed themes of nature, the human body, and the interconnectedness of all things. His work broke new ground and influenced generations of poets. Notable poems include "Song of Myself," "I Sing the Body Electric," and "O Captain! My Captain!" Whitman's contribution to American literature remains significant, and his visionary spirit inspires readers today.

ESSENCE OF THE POEM - 

‘The Voice of the Rain’ by Walt Whitman is a twelve-line poem contained within one stanza of text. The lines are free verse, meaning they do not use a specific rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. This style of writing is closely associated with Whitman. He is often referred to as the father of free verse poetry. 

Although there is no rhyme scheme, there are some examples of half-rhyme in ‘The Voice of the Rain’. For example “shower” and “answer” in lines one and two. It can appear at the ends of lines or mixed internally into the lines (internal rhyme)

DETAILED ANALYSIS -

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,

Word Meaning

Who art thou – Who are you

Eternal – never-ending

Impalpable – which cannot be described

Explanation of the Poem: In the above lines, the poet asked the soft-falling shower ‘Who are you?’ to which the rain replied in a strange to state manner. The rain said that it was the Poem of the Earth and it rose continuously from the land and bottomless ocean in the form of vapours.

Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely formed, altogether changed, and yet the same,

I descend to leave the droughts, atomizes, dust layers of the globe,

And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;

Word Meaning

Whence – where

Vaguely – not clearly

Descend – come down

Lave – wash; bathe

Atomics – small particles

Latent – hidden/buried

Explanation of the Poem: The rain tells the poet that it rises upwards towards the sky in the form of vapour where it changes its form (condenses into water droplets). It also says that although its form gets changed, it still remains the same.

The rain comes down to wash the drought and provide water. It also washes away the dust and small particles from the earth’s surface. And the seeds inside the earth grow into a plant because of the water provided by the rain. It gives life to the seeds.

And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my own origin,

And make pure and beautify it;

(For the song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, wandering

Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns.)

Word Meaning

Reck’d or unreck’d – it means whether cared for or not cared for. It doesn’t affect the rain nor the poet if someone listened to the rain or not.

Explanation of the Poem: The rain says that by day and night, it provides life, care, enrichment, and water to the place from where it originated. The rain keeps enhancing the beauty and purity of the earth by preparing a life-cycle for itself again.

(The Rain is like a song that originates from its birthplace, just like the heart of the singer, and travels to fulfil the earth’s needs and wanders. It finally comes back to the place from where it originated. Whether it is ruined or not, it returns to its original position, with a lot of love for its birthplace).