Exploring the Nostalgic Charm of Coates Kinney's CBSE Class 9 English Poem - Rain on the Roof
The wonderful poem, Rain on the Roof is written by Coates Kinney. The poem tells us about a fondness for rain that reminds the recollection of childhood. We are going to learn about poems in a detailed manner including some questions and answers, word meaning activities, and mind maps so that you get vivid knowledge of the poem.
About the Author
Coates Kinney was an American poet, journalist, lawyer, and politician who lived from 1826 to 1904. He is profoundly known for his poem Rain on the Roof. The poem was first printed in 1849. Apart from writing he is most engaged with political and social issues, for instance, abolitionism, asceticism, and women’s suffrage. During his lifetime he assisted as a state senator in Ohio and as a diplomat at the Republican National Convention.
Background of the Poem
When the poem"Rain on the Roof" was written, Coates's skinny was just at the age of 23 years old. At that time, he resided in a boarding house in Cincinnati. He used to be introverted and homesick. One day he was alone he heard the patter of rain on the roof at his father's cottage. The pattern of the rain brought him back to childhood through imagination. Listening to the patter of the rain, he felt so comfortable and nostalgic and that was the reason behind creating the Masterpiece Rain on the Roof.
Summary
The poem comprises four stanzas of eight lines each. The rhyme scheme is ababcdcd. The poet interprets that he is fond of listening to the pattern of the rain on the roof while lying on the bed. Moreover, he says, the gentle sound of rain can't help sleep after listening to the raindrops and the sound of rain reminds him of her mother (who made him sleep) and his wonderful memory of childhood. At the time he was a child and it also connects him to the memory of his childhood. He confesses that the rain compels him to feel pleased and relaxed, and he desires that everyone could celebrate the rain as he does.
A line-by-line explanation of the Poem
Stanza 1
When the humid shadows hover
Over the starry spheres
And the melancholy darkness
Gently weeps in rainy tears,
What a bliss to press the pillow
Of a cottage-chamber bed
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!
- In this line, the poet creates the background scene where the dark and cloudy sky, and hidden star inside the cloud are presented.
- Darkness cloudy scene is personified as melancholy that represents sadness. It cries and begins to rain like how we weep after being sad.
- He compares the cloudy atmosphere with his joyful state of lying in bed in a convenient cottage room.
- He feels so good listening to the rain that is being softly hit on the roof.
Stanza 2
Every tinkle on the shingles
Has an echo in the heart;
And a thousand dreamy fancies
Into busy being start,
And a thousand recollections
Weave their air threads into woof,
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.
- The poet tells that every dropping sound of rain on the roof of the cottage has touched his heart.
- He signifies that the sound of rain on the roof arouses his emotions and imagination.
- Thousand dreamy ideas(they are impulsive or imaginary thought)begins to run or active in his mind.
- He also says that a thousand recollections, which are memories or remembrances, weave their air threads into woof.
- Woof is another word for weft, which is the horizontal thread that is woven through the vertical thread (warp) to make cloth. It means many ideas and imagination come together and start giving shape to thoughts in the poet's mind.
- They cannot be seen with open eyes, the air threads are tiny or unseen threads that are made of air.
- The poet uses this metaphor to indicate that his rememberings are like tricky ropes that are sewn together by the sound of rain into a fabric of his past.
- This is the last line of the initial stanza to emphasize his liking for listening to the rain on the roof.
Stanza 3
Now in memory comes my mother,
As she used to years agone,
To regard the darling dreamer's
Ere, she left them till the dawn:
O! I feel her fond look on me
As I listen to this refrain
Which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.
- Poet imagines the memory of his mother when she used to call him or his siblings "darling dreams" and she departed with them till the morning.
- Agone is an old word for ago, which means before or earlier.
- To regard means to look at or examine.
- (Ere)is an old word for before or until.
- The poet says that he feels her fond look on him as he listens to this refrain, which is a repeated line or phrase in a song or poem.
- The poet is comparing the sound of the rain that is being played on the shingles to the repetition of the poetical line or musical repetition.
- He exhibits his profound zeal and gratitude for his mother, who is passed away, and how the rain made him recall her mommy.
Stanza 4
Then my little Seraph sister,
With her wings and waving hair,
And her star-eyed cherub brother-
A serene, angelic pair-
Glide around my wakeful pillow,
With their praise or mild reproof,
As I listen to the murmur
Of the soft rain on the roof.
- Now, in this line, the poet says that Seraph, his little sister, and Cherub, his star-eyed brother, both of them appear in the poet's fantasy though they are dead now.
- A seraph looks like an angel with six wings and a fiery appearance.
- A cherub looks like an angel with a childlike face and wings.
- The poet portrays his sister as having wings and waving hair, and his brother as having celestial eyes.
- He says that they are a serene, angelic pair. They are looking for peace and calm in a heavenly appearance. They both appear together in the poet's fantasy.
- He says that they climb around his wakeful pillow, which means that they move gently and smoothly around his pillow while he is awake.
- He says that they either praise him or mildly rebuke him, which means that they either compliment him or gently scold him for his actions or thoughts.
- He says that he listens to the murmur, which means a low or soft sound, of the soft rain on the roof.
- He shows his love and yearning for his dead siblings, who visit him in his dreams.
Rain on the Roof Mind Map
Here is a mind map that summarizes the main ideas and themes of the poem:
[Rain on the Roof Mind Map]Poem.
Here is the full text of the poem:
Rain on the Roof- By Coates Kinney.
When the humid shadows hover
Over the starry spheres
And the melancholy darkness
Gently weeps in rainy tears,
What a bliss to press the pillow
Of a cottage-chamber bed
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!
Every tinkle on the shingles
Has an echo in the heart;
And a thousand dreamy fancies
Into busy being start,
And a thousand recollections
Weave their air threads into woof,
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.
Now in memory comes my mother,
As she used to years agone,
To regard the darling dreamer's
Ere, she left them till the dawn:
O! I feel her fond look on me
As listens to this refrain
Which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.
Then my little Seraph sister,
With her wings and waving hair,
And her star-eyed cherub brother-
A serene, angelic pair-
Glide around my wakeful pillow,
With their praise or mild reproof,
As I listen to the murmur
Of the soft rain on the roof.
Extra Questions
Here are some extra questions that you can answer to test your understanding of the poem:
Stanza Wise Explanation
What does the poet mean by “humid shadows” in stanza 1?
The poet means by “humid shadows” the dark clouds that are filled with moisture and cover the sky during rain.
What does the poet compare the sound of rain to in stanza 2?
The poet compares the sound of rain to a musical refrain that is played on the shingles by the rain.
What does the poet remember about his mother in stanza 3?
The poet remembers how his mother used to look at him and his siblings with love and care before she left them till dawn.
How does the poet describe his sister and brother in stanza 4?
The poet describes his sister as a seraph with wings and waving hair, and his brother as a cherub with starry eyes. He says that they are a serene, angelic pair.
Word Meanings from the poem.
What does melancholy mean?
Melancholy means sad.
What does bliss mean?
Bliss means happiness or joy.
What does tinkle mean?
Tinkle means a high-pitched ringing sound.
What does woof mean?
Woof means weft, which is the horizontal thread that is woven through the vertical thread (warp) to make fabric.
Activity
- Write your poem about rain using rhyme, imagery, and personification.
- Draw or paint a picture of how you imagine the scene of the poem.
- Listen to some songs or music that have rain sounds or themes, and write down how they make you feel.
FAQs
What is the poem about rain on the roof?
The poem is written about the nostalgic feeling when the poet listens to the raindrop on the roof that reminds him about his childhood, his dead mother, and his siblings.
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