Answer the following questions. (a) Why is the rain divine? (b) In this universe, rain performs many functions. What are those?

Answer the following questions.
(a) Why is the rain divine?
(b) In this universe, rain performs many functions. What are those?
© “When 1 cry the hills laugh;
When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;
When I bow, all things are elated.”
Cry, humble and bow indicate different intensities with which the rain falls. Explain the three in context.
or
What are the different intensities with which the rain falls and what do all indicate?
(d) How do you think the rain quenches the
thirst of the fields and cures the cloud’s ailment?
(e) Think about a million little ways in which the rain embraces the trees. Mention a few of them.
(f) "… All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand"
What does the poet want to convey?
(g) (i) Notice the imagery built around ‘sigh of the sea’, ‘laughter of the field’ and ‘tears of heaven’. Explain the three expressions in the context of rain.
(ii) How would you express rain as

  • an agent of floods?
  • a source of water for dams?
    (h) “I am like earthly life…”
    Why does the poet call?
    or
    How is the rain like earthly life?
    (i) Explain the ending of the song.

(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 by God. Moreover, it is a life-giving force that elates all flowers, fields and valleys.
(b) Rain adorns the fields and valleys. It makes hills laugh and embraces the flowers and trees. It quenches the thirst of Earth and makes the land fertile. It relieves the clouds overloaded with water vapour. It produces sweet music as it beats against windows and the leaves of trees. It provides joy to everybody and everything in nature.
© The rain falls with different intensities and these What function does the rain perform in the are suggestive of its varying moods. Its cry world indicates heavy rainfall which makes the hills green .When the rain is humble, it falls down moderately making flowers rejoice. And when the rain bows ,it drizzles and makes everyone happy.
(d) The parched fields are waiting for the rain to fall, so naturally it quenches the thirst of the fields when it falls. The clouds become heavy with water vapour and want to burst. So, when it rains, they empty themselves into showers and become light again to float in the sky. Thus, the rain cures the ailment of the clouds.
(e) This is a hyperbolic expression. Rain covers the trees with water and washes away all dust, due to which the leaves glisten and look fresh. Moreover, rain makes the roots of the trees strong and enables the provision of nutrition to them. Thus, it becomes a source of life for the trees. Rainfall also promotes the growth of new trees which have grown as plants. It provides them water by which they get energy to grow faster.
(f) According to the poet, everyone can hear its sound. But very few can sense or understand its nature. Only a few sensitive persons like the poet are inspired by its every mood. Thus the poet appreciates its beauty and uses expressions like ‘the sigh of the sea’, ‘the laughter of the field’ and ‘the tears from heaven’ to describe the rain.
(g) (i) The poet has used vivid imagery throughout the poem to express the moods and nature of the rain. When the poet
calls the rain ‘sigh of the sea’, there is a sigh of relief expressed in the lines. The sea is relieved that some water has evaporated from it. Then the poet calls the rain ‘laughter of the field’ because when it rains, the fields are nourished and it is a sign that there will be fertility. So, it brings greenery and prosperity and raises the productivity. So, the fields are happy and they laugh. The rain is also called ‘tears of heaven’ as when those silver threads pour down from the sky, it feels as if the heaven is crying, and those drops are delivered to the nature on Earth by God.
(ii) An agent of floods When there are heavy rains, especially during the rainy season, the rivers overflow; there is waterlogging and low-lying areas are submerged, causing floods.
A source of water for dams Rains cause the gullies in the mountains to fill with water, which act as tributaries to rivers. Thus, the more tributaries a river has, the more water it will carry. Thus, the dams on rivers will have a large amount of water in their reservoirs.
(h) As on Earth we all take birth and die, similarly, rain also emerges from the sea and then falls back to Earth before death. Thus, rain is like ‘earthly life’.
(i) At the end of the poem, the rain declares affectionately that it is the sigh of the deep sea, the laughter of the colourful fields and the tears of the sky. When water evaporates from the sea, it (the sea) sighs. When the rain falls on the fields and quenches their thirst, the fields rejoice, become colourful and feel happy. When the cloud bursts, it becomes rain. The cloud becomes light and the drops of rain (tears of heaven) fall on the Earth.