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Rain on The Roof Summary in English by Coates Kinney
Rain on The Roof by Coates Kinney About the Poet
Coates Kinney (1826-1904) was a man who had a full life. During the 19th century he was, at various times a wistful and skillful poet, a politician – filling the role of Senator in the State of Ohio for two years, a lawyer in Cincinnati and a journalist on several publications and newspapers. He served in the US Army during the American Civil War as a commissioned officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the appointment of Paymaster. Finally, he held several school teaching posts. Throughout all of this though he made the time to write poetry and he had two collections published: Keuka and Other Poems in 1855 and Lyrics of the Ideal and the Real in 1888. One of his most famous poems, written in 1849 was the lilting, and haunting, The Rain on the Roof. It could be said that this poem established the name of Coates Kinney as a popular poet.
| Poet Name | Coates Kinney |
| Born | 24 November 1826, Penn Yan, New York, United States |
| Died | 25 January 1904, Ohio, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Antioch College |
Rain on The Roof Introduction to the Chapter
Rain on the Roof by Coates Kinney is a poem lauding the healing power of rain, especially when heard from a cosy bed in a lovely cottage. It is a poem that is also about the poet’s 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 on the roof top of his house. He remembers his mother smiling down at him and his siblings which gave him immense solace and pleasure. The patter of rain stirs in him fond memories of his mother in all her gentle loveliness.
Rain on The Roof Summary in English
Describing a rainy night, the poet says that the stars of the sky have become invisible because they have been covered by clouds. Darkness usually has a negative connotation, and the poet makes no exception to this rule.
He says that the darkness is making him sad and reflective, and the rain also seems to mirror his emotions as it looks like tears falling softly from human eyes. At this point, the only thing that can bring joy to the poet is to curl up with a pillow in the bed of a country cottage. It is the sound of raindrops that help him recover from his melancholic mood. .
The poet describes how the raindrops make a tinkling sound as they fall on the shingles of the roof. Each sound that is made by the rain in this way is repeated the next instant by the beating of his heart. The things he has only been imagining now start to appear before his very eyes. As he is listening to the soft and continuous falling of the raindrops on his roof, all his memories come back to him, but they are not discrete and separated from each other. Instead all of his memories seem to have formed a patchwork by becoming entwined with one another.
He describes the first memory that he can actually identify among the patchwork that all his memories have formed by meshing together. 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.
Rain on The Roof Title
The poem has an apt title. The poet enjoys the sound of rain as it falls on the roof and creates a gentle melody, more so because he is lying snug in bed in the lovely cottage where he spent his childhood. The gentle tinkle of the rain on the shingles brings dreamy fancies with bright hues of recollection. It also arouses fond memories of his mother in all her gentle loveliness as she looks down on her sleeping children before leaving them to go to her room.
Rain on The Roof Setting
The poet is lying comfortably snug in his bed with his head pressed against the pillow, in a room in his cottage listening to the patter of the soft rain as it falls on the shingles of the roof.
Rain on The Roof Theme
The poem Rain on the Roof highlights the power of rain to heal the mind. The poet, who is in a melancholy mood, feels oppressed by the humidity of the atmosphere and the dark skies. He lies brooding, in his bed, when rain begins to fall. Its sound produces an echo in Kinney’s heart and starts a thousand fancies in his thoughts. As he listens to the patter of the rain on the roof, he remembers his mother in the early years when she observed all her off-springs in their sleep.
Rain on The Roof Tone
The poem begins on a reflective and solemn note as the poet talks about the gathering darkness. He is sad and thoughtful, and the rain also seems to mirror his emotions as it looks like tears falling softly from human eyes. However, soon the sound of raindrops helps him recover from his melancholic mood. The poet remembers his mother and the poet takes on a nostalgic tone.
Rain on The Roof Literary Devices
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the initial letter (generally a consonant) or first sound of several words, marking the stressed syllables in a line of poetry.
Example: Over all the starry spheres
Imagery
Imagery is a poetic device wherein the author uses words or phrases that appeal to any of the senses or any combination of senses to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings. Imagery is not limited to only visual sensations, but also refers to igniting kinesthetic, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, thermal and auditory sensations as well.
Example: When the humid shadows hover
Over all the starry spheres (visual imagery)
And lie listening to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead! (sound imagery)
Onomatopoeia
It is the use of words which imitate sound.
Examples: 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 bright hues into woof,
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.
Refrain
A refrain is the repetition of lines or whole phrases in a poem, usually at the end of a stanza. It creates a musical effect, emphasizes a point, draws attention to a point, or lends unity to a piece.
Example: And to listen to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!
As I listen to the patter
Of the rain upon the roof.
Which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.
Rhyme Scheme
The rhyme scheme is an unusual one, but was once used by Mozart in his opera Cosi fan tutte. The rhyme scheme is ABCBDE, FG, with the FG lines (“And to listen to the patter / Of the soft rain overhead!”) repeated at the end of each stanza in different variations.
Rain on The Roof Summary Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What is the setting of the poem?
Answer:
The poet is lying comfortably snug in his bed with his head pressed against the pillow, in a room in his cottage listening to the patter of the soft rain as it falls on the shingles of the roof.
Question 2.
How old do you think the poet is? Justify your answer.
Answer:
The poet is a young man. He remembers his mother looking down at him and his siblings, who are sleeping in their room, long ago. The poet’s mother also is no longer alive as he says she lives on in his memories.
Question 3.
How does the sky look before the rain falls?
Answer:
Before the rain falls, the weather turns humid and great dark clouds gather in the sky. They cover the stars and spread darkness. The poet feels these dark clouds are gloomy and melancholic. To the poet the darkness spells despondence and gloom as the clouds – humid shadows – weep gentle tears that fall as rain.
Question 4.
‘And the melancholy darkness gently weeps in rainy tears.’ Explain the phrase ‘melancholy darkness’. What does it do?
Answer:
“Melancholy darkness” refers to the dark rain bearing clouds. The poet imagines that the clouds covering the sky are gloomy and depressed because they are heavy and grey. The poet further imagines that the clouds are weeping and their tears are falling down as rain drops.
Question 5.
What is a ‘bliss’ for the poet in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The poet thinks it is blissful to lie in his cozy bed with his head on the pillow and listen to the sound of rain falling on the shingles of the roof. He enjoys the music of nature which arouses fantasies and memories in his mind.
Question 6.
What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Answer:
The poet likes to lie in his room in his cottage, snug in bed with his head on a pillow when it rains. It gives him the greatest pleasure.
Question 7.
What feelings does the falling rain arouse in the poet in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof?
Answer:
The poet first describes the falling rain as the tears of the dark, gloomy clouds. However, as he lies snug in his bed, listening to the patter of rain on the shingles, the sound provides him immense pleasure and he is lost in fantasies and memories.
Question 8.
What are the poet’s feelings as the rain falls on the shingles?
Answer:
As the rain falls on the shingles, its tinkling sound creates an echo in the poet’s heart. As he listens to the patter of the raindrops on the roof, his gloom is lifted and his heart is filled with a thousand fantasies and fond memories of his mother.
Question 9.
When do the ‘thousand dreamy fancies’ begin to weave in the poet’s mind? What are these fancies?
Answer:
When the poet is in his cottage and lies in his cosy bed listening to the soft music of rain on the roof, his mind is flooded with various thoughts and imaginations. These fancies or imaginary thoughts and ideas spin threads of bright fanciful colours in his mind.
Question 10.
“And a thousand dreamy fancies into busy heart.” When do the ‘thousand dreamy fancies’ begin in the poet’s heart?
Answer:
When the poet is in his cottage and lies in his cosy bed listening to the soft music of rain on the roof, his mind is flooded with various thoughts and imaginations. The soothing sound of the gentle rain on the shingles fires his imagination.