CBSE Class 9 English Literature Reader NCERT Solutions Chapter 12: Song For the Rain

To arrange the lines in a logical sequence that describes the journey and presence of rain, we can follow this order:

1. I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven: This line sets the visual imagery of rain falling.
2. The voice of thunder declares my arrival: This indicates the prelude to the rain, the sound that announces its coming.
3. I emerge from the heart of the Sea: This describes the origin of the water that forms the rain.
4. I descend and embrace the flowers: This shows the rain reaching the earth and its interaction with nature.
5. The rainbow announces my departure: This marks the end of the rain, often seen after it has passed.

Therefore, the developed version is: 'I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven. The voice of thunder declares my arrival. I emerge from the heart of the Sea. I descend and embrace the flowers. The rainbow announces my departure.'

In the context of the poem 'Song For the Rain', the pronoun 'I' refers to the rain. The poem personifies the rain, giving it a voice to describe its origins, its appearance, and its actions.

Here is a five-line description from the perspective of the rain:

1. Define yourself: I am the life-giving essence, a cascade of silver threads from the heavens, born from the vast oceans.
2. State what you do: I rise from the earth's waters, fall as gentle showers or mighty storms, nurturing life and cleansing the land.
3. Explain why people like/dislike you: Farmers rejoice in my touch for bountiful harvests, yet travelers curse my downpour, finding me an inconvenience.
4. Mention any other characteristic: My arrival is heralded by thunder, and my departure often leaves behind a vibrant rainbow, a promise of beauty.
5. My purpose: I quench the thirst of parched lands and bring forth the bloom in every flower, a divine messenger of renewal.

The correct option is (a) the shimmering drops fall one after the other. The phrase 'dotted silver threads' is a metaphor used by the rain to describe its appearance as it falls from the sky. The individual drops are like dots, and when they fall in succession, they resemble shimmering threads, creating a visual of delicate, continuous descent.

The correct option is (a) love for the earth. The poem personifies the rain as a benevolent entity that descends to embrace flowers, quench thirst, and bring life. The descriptions of its actions and its role as a 'messenger of mercy' clearly indicate a tone and mood reflecting affection and care for the earth.

The rain is considered divine in the poem because it is portrayed as a celestial gift, descending from heaven to nurture life on Earth. The poet uses elevated language to describe its origin and purpose, likening it to a divine messenger. It is seen as a source of life, quenching the thirst of the dry earth and making plants blossom, thereby performing a miraculous, life-giving function that is often associated with divinity. Its role in bringing renewal and sustenance to nature elevates it beyond a mere natural phenomenon to something sacred and god-like.

The rain performs numerous vital functions in the universe, contributing significantly to the ecosystem and life on Earth. These functions include:

1. Irrigation of Fields: It provides essential water for agriculture, enabling crops to grow and sustain human populations.
2. Nourishing Flora: It quenches the thirst of flowers, trees, and other plants, preventing them from wilting and promoting their growth.
3. Relief from Heat: Rain helps to cool down the atmosphere, providing relief from scorching heat and making the environment more pleasant.
4. Facilitating Growth: It aids in the growth of various herbs, bushes, and other vegetation, contributing to biodiversity.
5. Atmospheric Cleaning: By washing down dust, pollutants, and impurities from the air, rain helps to purify the atmosphere, making the air cleaner.

The words 'cry', 'humble', and 'bow' are used poetically to describe different intensities of rainfall and their corresponding effects on nature:

1. When I cry: This signifies the most intense form of rainfall, likely a heavy downpour accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. In this state, the rain is powerful and dramatic. The 'hills laugh' suggests that the force of this heavy rain causes streams and rivers to swell and rush down the hillsides, creating a joyous, energetic scene.
2. When I humble myself: This refers to a moderate rainfall, perhaps gentle showers. When the rain is less intense and more subdued ('humble'), it brings joy to delicate elements of nature like flowers. The 'flowers rejoice' indicates that these lighter rains are perfect for nurturing the flora, making them bloom and appear vibrant.
3. When I bow: This represents the lightest form of rainfall, such as a drizzle or mist. When the rain 'bows', it is very gentle and pervasive. In this state, 'all things are elated', suggesting that even the subtlest form of rain brings a sense of calm, refreshment, and happiness to the entire environment and its inhabitants.

The poem personifies the rain as a divine 'messenger of mercy' that fulfills the needs of both the fields and the clouds, suggesting a symbiotic relationship. The rain 'quenches the thirst of the fields' by providing the water that dry land desperately needs for plants to grow and survive. This is a direct, life-sustaining function. Simultaneously, the rain 'cures clouds' ailment' by implying that the process of condensation and precipitation is a release or fulfillment for the clouds, which are essentially water vapor waiting to return to the earth. The falling rain is the cloud's way of completing its cycle and serving its purpose, thus alleviating its 'ailment' of holding excess moisture. In essence, the rain acts as a vital link, satisfying the earth's need for water while completing the atmospheric cycle for the clouds.