Question

short summary on the poem,
song of the rain

Answer 1

This poem is a beautiful creation of personification of rain by Kahlil Gibran. In the first stanza the rain says it falls from heaven in the form of silver threads thrown down on earth to adorn fields and valleys.

In the second stanza the rain compares itself to the plucked pearls of Ishtar’s crown to be decorated the gardens on earth.

In the third stanza the rain says when it passes through hills screaming, they laugh. When it falls on flowers, they dance in joy. All things on earth are happy with its arrival.

In the fourth stanza the rain compares itself to a messenger between the lover cloud and the beloved earth. It is the only way of communication between them. When it falls, the cloud’s pain is relieved, and the earth’s thirst is slaked.

In the fifth stanza, the rain says its arrival is heralded by thunder. The rainbow announces its departure. The rain also compares its life to an earthly life that is born on the earth, but after death it rises heavenward guided by the angel of death.

In the sixth stanza, the rain explains how it is born. It rises from the sea in the vaporous form, and is transported heavenward by breeze. From the sky, it always waits and watches to fall back on earth according to the needs of fields. When, after a long time it falls, it hugs flowers and trees in a million ways, expressing its love for them.

In the eighth stanza, the rain says its droplets trickle down the window panes softly, and every being welcomes its arrival. It feels for common people it might be a seasonal phenomenon, but for sensitive people it is a messenger of pure love from heaven.

In the ninth stanza it says it is the sorrow of the sea; laughter of the fields, and tears of the sky.

In the last stanza the rain says it is a form of pure, unconditional love. It is like the sigh from a sea of deep emotions; laughter from the colourful field of the spirit; tears from the endless world of memories.