Poetry: Song of the Rain by Kahlil Gibran

Summary:
The rain defines as the dotted silver thread dropped from heaven by
the gods. Nature sends it to adorn her fields and valleys. It is a
messenger of mercy between the two lovers the field and the
cloud. It quenches the thirst of parched fields embracing the flowers
and trees in a million little ways. The arrival of the rain is like a
welcome song which all can hear but only the sensitive can
understand and feel it. The rain is the sigh of the sea, the laughter of
the field and the tears of heaven.
a) The rain appears to be divine because it comes down from
heaven. The shimmering drops of rain look like silver threads
dropped from heaven from the gods. Moreover, it is a lifegiving force that elates and smiles all flowers, fields and
valleys.
b) In the universe the rain performs many functions. It is sent by
Nature to adorn its fields and valleys and gardens. Hills laugh,
flowers rejoice and all are elated when it rains. The rain
quenches the thirst of fields and relieves the clouds of their
heaviness of vapours. It embraces flowers and trees in a million
little ways.
c) Certainly, cry, humble and bow indicate different intensities
with which the rain falls. Cry means full blast of the rain that
make hills laugh as they receive a lot of water. Humble
stands for mild intensity of the rain that makes flowers dance
and rejoice themselves. Bow here means a general rainfall
that elates all.
d) Naturally, when the rain falls it quenches the thirst of fields.
The parched fields only wait for the rain. The rain cures the
ailment of clouds. It means the clouds become heavy and want
to burst. But when it rains, they empty themselves into
showers and become light again to float in the sky.

e) The poet says that the rain embraces the trees in about million
little ways. It is just a hyperbolic expression. The rain embraces
the trees when the showers or drops of rain fall on them. The
showers fall on the trees and go deep into their roots. Even
rivers, lakes and drains carry rain water that reaches plants and
trees.
f) The rain has its own music. Everyone can hear the music and
song of the rain. But not all can understand and feel it deeply.
Only those with sensitive and delicate hearts can feel and
understand the song of the rain.
g) i) The poet has built a very suggestive imagery of rain. He uses
the alliteration sigh of the sea to express the way seawater
evaporates in the form of water vapours. The rain becomes the
laughter of the field when it helps the growing crops to smile
and laugh in joy. As it drops from the sky, it appears as if
heaven (sky) is shedding tears from above.
ii) Tears of sorrow
Water of life
h) There is a similarity between earthly life and life cycle of rain.
Rains arrival and departure is just like birth and death of
earthly life. In both the cases, the end is inevitable.
i) Khalil Gibran ends the poem with philosophical overtones. The
rain has been termed as a sigh rising from the deep love of
affection. It is like a laughter that colours the soul. It is like
tears that fall from the endless heaven of memories.
Value Based Question:
1. Describe the various images, movements and sounds of the
rain. How is the rain associated with the various objects of
the earth and the emotions of human beings?
Ans) Kahlil Gibran presents the rain in all its glory,
movements, sounds and colours. The very first image gives a
divine touch to the rain. Its shimmering dotted silver threads

are dropped from the heaven by the gods themselves. In the

next image, Gibran compares the rain to beautiful white
pearls plucked from the crown of Ishtar. Then in three
images, the poet expresses in different intensity,
movements and sounds of the rain. When it cries, the hills
laugh. When it falls down in humble and soft drops, the
flowers rejoice. When it bows and spreads showers all
around, everyone is elated. The voice of thunder declares
its arrival. The rainbow announces its departure. It emerges
from the heart of the sea and soars with the breeze. It
embraces flowers and trees in a million little ways. It is a
sigh of the sea. It is the laughter of the field. It is the tears
of heaven.
The rain has its own music and song. It can be heard by all.
But only a few can understand and feel its music or song.
Only the sensitive and delicate souls and hearts can feel and
understand the melodies of the rain.