FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH - KSEEB - CLASS 06 - COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - POEM - RAIN IN SUMMER

 

Poem-04

RAIN IN SUMMER

H.W. Longfellow

Exercises:

1)  Talk to your partner about these points in the poem. Give him / her, your reasons for what you say. Write down what you say.

a) The poet says it was dusty and hot. What was dusty and hot? What does the rain do?

Ans: The poet says that the narrow lane, the broad and fiery were dusty and hot. The rain cools the weather and drives away the dust and heat. Even it clatters along the roofs and gushes out though the spouts.

 

b) The poet is watching the rain from his portico. (true / not true)

Ans: True

 

c) When do raindrops clatter on the roof?

i) Whenever heavy raindrops fall.

ii) When it is drizzling steadily.

iii) When there is a heavy downpour.

Ans: iii) When there is a heavy downpour.

 

d) The clatter sounds like a tramp of hoofs. So we may say that the poet’s house has

i) a tiled roof

ii) a tin roof

iii) a reinforced concrete roof

iv) a thatched roof

Ans: ii) a tin roof

 

e) Where does the rainwater flow? How does it flow?

Ans: The rainwater flows into the gutter. It flows down like a roaring river with a muddy tide.

 

f) Why does the poet welcome the rain?

Ans: The rain cools the atmosphere and washes away all the dust in the surroundings and clean air. So, the poet welcomes the rain.

 

2)  Explain the meaning of the following phrases to your partner:

a) Fiery street: It was a hot summer day and the street seemed to flaming due to intense heat. 

b) Gush and struggle out: Rain water gushes out of the pipe and struggled out throwing the dust and garbage from the rooftop when it rains heavily. 

3) Imagine what Longfellow saw, heard, felt, smelt and thought. Tell that to your partner. Write down what you say. Begin like this:

The sun was hot. There was dust everywhere suddenly there was the sound of the raindrops. With that came the smell of the hot earth. It was raining heavily and followed gushing and struggling flow down throwing the dust and garbage from the rooftops. The water was brown in color when in flowed throw drainage pipe and it seemed like a river overflowing in the street.

 

4) The poet uses two similes. Tell your partner why you like them, or not like them.

i) Like the tramp of hoofs: The sound of the raindrops on the roof is compared to the footsteps of running horses.

 

ii) Like a river down the gutter roars: The rainwater started running like a river in the gutters with loud sound.

 

Writing:

 A long-phrase is given below. Some words are incomplete. Complete them.

The beautifully down pouring, roaring. flowing, cleaning, welcome rain!

 

Ask your partner what words go in the blanks in the passage given below, and write them down.

Imagine, for a moment, an Indian former, sitting in his farm and looking up at a cloud less sky. He would be shading his eyes from the bright sunlight with his hand and wondering where have all the clouds gone.

 

When it starts, it will water the parched and cracked earth and ready it for tilling. It gives life for the dying crops. The farmer will be happy.

 

But in this poem, you will see a different kind of person a city dweller, He is standing at the door of his study, watching the sky outside. He says rain is pouring down.