Question

How does the rain describe itself to the poet 'the voice of rain'

Answer 1

Walt Whitman: Poems Summary and Analysis of "The Voice of the Rain"

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Summary:

In this poem, the speaker recounts a conversation he had with the falling raindrops. He asks the rain, "And who art thou?" and strangely, the rain answers, calling itself "the poem of the Earth." The rain goes on to describe how it rises intangibly (as vapor) out of the land and sea and floats up to heaven, where it changes form and becomes a cloud. Then it falls back to Earth to refresh the drought-filled land, allowing seeds to grow into something vital and beautiful. The speaker the equates the role of the rain to a poet's role in crafting this "song" (or poem, because Whitman refers to his poems as songs throughout Leaves of Grass). He goes on to write that the "song" is born in the poet's heart. It leaves the poet's soul and and changes form, but is always the same at its core and eventually returns to the poet as love from his readers.

Answer 2

The rain calls itself the poem of the earth because exactly like a beautiful poem, it gives joy and pleasure to everybody. It provides life, pleasure and aesthetics, beauty and happiness to the earth.