Summary of Rain on the Roof by Coates Kinney Beehive Class 9
Introduction of Rain on the Roof
When the sky is covered with dark clouds and it starts raining, everybody feels thrilled. One wishes to lie in a cosy bed and thousands of fancies rush through his mind. It is most joyful to enjoy listening to the music of the pattering sound of the rain-drops on the shingles of the roof. The poet expresses his love for nature and its beauty.
Summary of Rain on the Roof
It is a poem that tells us about the poet's sweet memories of his childhood. At night, when dark clouds cover the sky and it rains gently then the poet lies in his cosy bed listening to the sound of the gentle rain droplets on the rooftop of his house. He remembers that his mother used to tell him stories which gave him immense solace and pleasure.
Stanza 1
When the humid shadows hover
over all the starry spheres
And the melancholy darkness
Gently weeps in rainy tears,
What a bliss to press the pillow
Of a cottage-chamber bed
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!
Poet is describing a dark rainy night. The humid shadows are appearing over the stars. Here the clouds have been described as humid shadows. There is a sad darkness around. The rain is describing an emotion as it looks like tears falling softly from human eyes. The feeling of lying while pressing pillow, and listening to sound of raindrops falling on roof top, is awesome, as explained by poet.
Stanza 2
Every tinkle on the shingles
Has an echo in the heart;
And a thousand dreamy fancies
Into busy being start,
And a thousand recollections
Weave their air-threads into woof,
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.
Every drop of water on the rooftop has an echo in heart of poet, and it start thousands dreams starts in heart. Thousands recollections of previous memoires is coming in mind of poet. The memories are weaving like air threads in poet‘s mind, when he is listing to the sound of rainwater.
Stanza 3
Now in memory comes my mother,
As she used in years agone,
To regard the darling dreamers
Ere she left them till the dawn:
O! I feel her fond look on me
As I list to this refrain
Which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.
In this stanza, mother come in memory of poet‘s mind. He remembers, how many years ago, in his childhood, his mother used to look down at him and his siblings as they were sleeping and having pleasant dreams. His mother would make a point to look at them every night, for she knew she would not see them again till the next morning. What the poet remembers more than anything is how his mother would bend down and watch over him in particular. These memories are evoked as he listens to the repetitive rhythm of the raindrops as they are falling on his roof.