THE VOICE OF THE RAIN

WALT WHITMAN

MADE BY: POOJA BK

May 31, 1819 March 26, 1892

Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819 - March 26, 1892) was an Whitman(May 1819American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. He was a part of the transition between Transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his work. Whitman is among the most influential poets in American canon, often called the father of the free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene. Born on Long Island, Whitman worked as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk, and a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War in addition to publishing his poetry. Whitmans major work, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855 with his own money. The work was an attempt at reaching out to the common person with an American epic. He continued expanding and revising it until his death in 1892.He died at the age of 72.

THE VOICE OF THE RAIN

And who art thou? said I to the soft - falling shower, softWhich, 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 dustof 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 birthfulfilment, wandering, Reck'd or unreck'd, duly with love returns.)

INTRODUCTION:
The poet asks the soft falling shower who she is. To his surprise she answers him in her voice. She tells him she is the Poem of Earth .Eternal and untouched she rises upward to heaven out of the land and the bottomless sea. There she becomes dim and changes altogether yet it is the same(water vapour). From there she descends down on earth to wash the dryness, the tiny particles and the dusty layers. Forever she gives back life to the hidden, unborn seed, for her own origin of land and sea. She makes her origin pure and beautifies it.

SUMMARY:
Who art thou: The poet asked the soft falling shower of rain Who are you? Strangely enough, she answered him in her voice which is translated by the poet. She answers. Poem of Earth: I am the poem of earth. I am eternal and untouched I rise out of the land and the bottomless sea. I go upward to heaven(sky), where my shape becomes dim and altogether changes, and yet I remain the same(water vapour).

I descend to wash: I come down to earth to wash the dryness, tiny particles, and the dust layers of the earth. I bathe all that in them which are seeds only, hidden and unborn without me. I give back life: forever, I give back life by day and night to my own origin of land and bottomless sea. I make my origin pure and beautify it; for the rain song that issues from its birth place after it is fulfilled by the wandering rain, heeded or unheeded returns again with love.

INTERPRETATION:
The poem gives a highly imaginative account of the poets inner universe. The dramatic opening through a question And who art thou is most effective from the viewpoint of the poetic craftsmanship. When the poet puts this question to the soft falling shower strangely enough he seems to get an answer from the rain. It excites him intensely and sets his imagination afire. A gentle process of personification results in giving a unique dimension to the poets thoughts. Now the rain has a voice. It becomes a living entity. Then a subtle communication between the rain and the poet starts. The rain gives the poet a clear cut idea about her origin and her activities all around. She lets on how she is a creative force and how she can bring about a new life to the world. Not only this she is also responsible for clearing away the globe of all pollution and making it more beautiful.

The whole poem is undoubtedly an extended metaphor. The poet seems to suggest that nothing can be greater than the beauty and power of nature. Thus, the rain being a natural phenomenon is equally capable of generating new life on the one hand and giving the greatest excitement and pleasure to a perceptive human being on the other hand. The parenthetic two lines at the end tell us the power and effectiveness of poetry. As the rain rises unnoticed from the land and the unfathomable sea and after creating new life gets back to its own origin.

WORD MEANINGS:
Thou=you Thou= you Eternal=everlasting Eternal= everlasting Impalpable=something Impalpable= something that cannot be touched Vaguely=dimly Vaguely= dimly Descend=bend Descend= bend below Lave=wash; Lave =wash; bathe Atomies=tiny Atomies =tiny particles Latent= Latent = hidden