About the Author: Coates Kinney (1826-1904)
• Full Name: Coates Kinney
• Profession: American lawyer, journalist, poet, and politician.
• Fame: Best known for “Rain on the Roof,” a lyrical nostalgic poem.
• Style: Simple, musical, evocative of childhood memories and emotions.
• Significance: His poetry reflects deep emotional connect with nature,
family, and personal past.
Detailed Explanation (Stanza-wise)
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!
• Meaning: The poet describes dark, moist clouds (humid shadows) covering
the sky full of stars. The sad darkness seems to cry as it rains. He feels
immense happiness lying on his bed in his cottage and listening to the
soothing sound of raindrops falling on the roof.
• Imagery & Mood: Calm, melancholic yet blissful, evoking peace and
comfort under shelter.
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.
• Meaning: Each drop making a light sound on the roof tiles (shingles)
creates an emotional echo in the poet’s heart, filling his mind with countless
dreams and memories. His thoughts weave together like threads in a fabric
as he listens to the rain.
• Imagery & Mood: The rain evokes creativity, daydreaming, and a deep
connection with past memories.
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.
• Meaning: The poet remembers his mother who used to lovingly watch over
him and his siblings as they slept, before leaving them until morning. As he
listens to the rain, he feels her affectionate gaze upon him again.
• Imagery & Mood: Strong nostalgia, mother’s love, warmth, and the
bittersweet pain of her absence.
Complete Summary (Detailed)
“Rain on the Roof” describes how the sound of rain evokes in the poet a deep
sense of peace and nostalgia. As he lies on his bed in his cottage, listening to the
gentle rain falling on the roof, it triggers countless dreams and past memories. The
most vivid and precious memory is of his mother, who used to care for her “darling
dreamers” (the poet and his siblings) before leaving them asleep for the night. The
rain thus becomes not only a melody of nature but a bridge to his childhood and his
mother’s affectionate presence. The poem beautifully weaves nature’s music,
emotional reflections, and maternal love into a lyrical expression of comfort and
longing.
NCERT Question Answers
I.1. Meaning of Phrases
(i) Humid shadows: Dark, moist clouds that bring rain.
(ii) Starry spheres: The sky full of stars.
(iii) What a bliss: What a great joy or happiness.
(iv) A thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start: Many dreams and
imaginations fill the mind.
(v) A thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof: Numerous
memories come together in his mind like woven fabric.
I.2. What does the poet like to do when it rains?
The poet likes to lie on his bed in his cottage, listen to the soft sound of rain on the
roof, and indulge in his memories and dreams.
I.3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the “darling
dreamers” he refers to?
The major memory is of his mother looking at him and his siblings as they slept.
The “darling dreamers” are the poet and his siblings when they were children.
I.4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?
No, the poet is not a child now. His mother is no longer alive; he remembers her
from his childhood.
II.1. When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet’s did?
II.2. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as
described in the poem?
II.3. Does everybody have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains? Look around you and
describe how different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter etc.
during rain.
No, not everyone has a cosy bed. Some people without homes take shelter under
bridges or in temporary sheds. Animals like stray dogs hide under trees or vehicles.
Birds find shelter in dense trees or under rooftops.
Additional Ethical & Analytical Questions with Answers
1. Ethical Application:
Q. What does the poem teach us about caring for our loved ones?
Ans. The poem highlights the lasting impact of a mother’s affection. It teaches us
to value and express love towards our family members, as their warmth becomes
lifelong memories that comfort us in solitude.
2. Analytical:
Q. How does the poet use nature to connect with his personal memories?
Ans. The poet uses the rain as a medium to evoke his childhood memories. The
sounds of rain act as triggers that bring back images of his mother and his cosy
childhood moments, showing how nature and memory are interwoven.
3. Ethical Application:
Q. How can this poem inspire us to be more empathetic towards those without
shelter during rain?
Ans. While the poet enjoys the rain from the comfort of his bed, many people
suffer without shelter. This realisation can inspire us to help the needy by
providing them shelter, clothing, or food, especially during harsh weather.
4. Analytical:
Q. Identify the figure of speech in “melancholy darkness gently weeps in rainy
tears.” Explain.
Ans. It is Personification, as darkness is given the human quality of weeping,
implying that the dark sky is crying through raindrops.
