Question 1:
Explain the meaning of the following phrases :
1. humid shadows, 2. starry spheres 3. what a bliss 4. a thousand dreamy fancies into busy
being start
5. a thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof.
Answer:
- Humid shadows are the dark clouds that have in them a lot of water.
- Starry spheres are the endless skies that seem studded with stars.
- The poet calls it a bliss to lie snuggled in one’s bed on a rainy evening.
- When the poet is lying comfortably in his bed, numberless dreamy thoughts begin to come to his mind.
- When the poet hears the patter of rain on the roof, numberless recollections of the past begin to weave themselves in his mind.
Question 2:
What does the poet like to do when it rains ?
Answer:
When it rains, he loves to lie in his bed. He calls it a bliss. Then he can recall to his mind the sweet memories of the past. He can have the sweet memories of his mother.
Question 3:
What is the single major memory that comes to the poet ? Who are the ‘darling dreamers’ he refers to ?
Answer:
It is the memory of the poet’s mother. The poet remembers how the mother used to look lovingly at her children. The ‘darling dreamers’ he refers to are all the children the mother had.
Question 4:
Is the poet now a child ? Is his mother still alive ?
Answer:
The poet is no longer a child. He is now quite grown-up. It seems that his mother is not
alive now.
That is why he has fond memories of her.
Question 5:
When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet’s did ?
Answer:
Every mother wants to keep her child safe from all harm. My mother, too, used to tuck me in on cold nights.
Question 6:
Do you like rain ? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as in the poem ?
Answer:
Rain in the hot weather is always welcome. But rain in the cold winter is an unpleasant thing. When it rains, I usually stay indoors and read some book.
Question 7:
Does everybody have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains ? How do different kinds of people or animals spend time during rains ? What do they do when it rains ?
Answer:
Only the fortunate ones have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains. There are numberless poor
people who
have no bed to lie in. They have no roof over their head. They have to stay in the open in
sun or rain.
Like poor animals, they have to run for a place of shelter when it rains.
Question 8:
Give in your own words a brief summary of the poem, ‘Rain on the Roof ’.
Answer:
Sometimes on a dark evening, it starts raining. Then the poet goes to his room. He lies there comfortably in his bed. He calls it a bliss. As he lies there, he listens to soft patter of rain outside. The drops of rain produce a tinkling sound as they fall on the roof shingles. The poet hears their echo in his heart. As he listens to their patter, numberless memories of the past fill his mind. Many a time, he has the memories of his mother. He remembers how fondly she used to look at her children. She would leave them dreaming in their bed till the dawn. As the poet listens to the patter of rain, he feels the fond look of his mother on him. He feels as if his mother is standing there and looking fondly at him.
Question 9:
What pleasure does one gain from the rain falling on the roof ?
Answer:
The rain falling on the roof has the same effect as music has on the human soul. Its tinkling and musical sound creates an echo in one’s heart. Many fond memories of the past spring alive in the heart and fill it with joy.