RAIN

Rain Poem by Edward Thomas Analysis

About the Poem

Edward Thomas wrote the poem Rain in 1916 (when was in training as a World War I soldier) which appeared in the collection Poems in 1917, shortly after the death of the poet at the Battle of Arras. It contemplates the loneliness of life as well as the inevitability of death.

  • Here, in the poem entitled Rain, the poet Edward Thomas introduces a speaker who lies awake as well as alone at night-time. He is listening to a “wild rain” outside
  • It is noteworthy that the speaker shows sympathy for all the living as well as the dead under the storm. But, he feels lonely as well as detached from human love
  • Contrary to that, the speaker feels “the love of death” or a peaceful acceptance of his own mortality

Rain Summary

The speaker of the poem Rain by Edward Thomas says that there is nothing here but (only) (I) stormy midnight rain which is falling on his drab hut, as well as (II) loneliness; simultaneously, he once again realizes that someday he will die. When he will die, he will not be capable of hearing the rain or even thanking it for rinsing him clearer than he has felt since he was born into his lonely life.

According to the speaker, dead people in the rain are fortunate. But, he is praying that none of them whom he used to love is dying right now; or: (I) lying sleepless, as well as (II) alone as they listen to the rainfall.

He hopes that they are not in difficulty or pain. Its reason is that they listen or feel the same kind of sympathy the speaker does among the living as well as the dead feeling similar to the cold water which flows among stiff, broken, motionless stalks.

Or, feeling as the speaker himself feels that the stormy rain has washed away all love except the love of death. In case, love is the right word for what one feels toward something unique or perfect as well as (as the storm reminds him) inevitable.

Rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain
On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me
Remembering again that I shall die
And neither hear the rain nor give it thanks
For washing me cleaner than I have been
Since I was born into this solitude.
Blessed are the dead that the rain rains upon:
But here I pray that none whom once I loved
Is dying tonight or lying still awake
Solitary, listening to the rain,
Either in pain or thus in sympathy
Helpless among the living and the dead,
Like a cold water among broken reeds,
Myriads of broken reeds all still and stiff,
Like me who have no love which this wild rain
Has not dissolved except the love of death,
If love it be towards what is perfect and
Cannot, the tempest tells me, disappoint.

Edward Thomas’ Poem Rain Analysis

The poem entitled Rain by Edward Thomas is a short poem of just 18 lines contained within one stanza of the text. This war poet chooses not to make use of a consistent rhyming pattern. But, there is not only a metrical pattern but a great deal of repetition as well. 

  • As far as the lines of Rain are concerned; they are known for mostly conforming to iambic pentameter, which is also the most popular of rhythmic schemes. In other words, they (lines) contain or include five sets of beats; the first is an unstressed one whereas the second is stressed
  • In this way, Edward Thomas’ choice to use the aforementioned pattern is helpful in emphasizing the sound of rain beating the roof of the hut the speaker is sheltering in. It provides the readers of this poem with a greater sense of their own
  • Apart from the meter, the readers are suggested to take note of the utilization of the word “rain” throughout the poem (whole 18 lines). Because it appears 8 times in this poetic piece
  • Moreover, a reader can easily trace the repetition at the endings of particular lines as well
  • The poet uses the words such as “death”, “dead”, as well as “die” in order to create a link to the major theme of the poem

There are moments as well. Here, individual lines rhyme with those not immediately preceding or following them which is seen in the end words (I) “sympathy”, as well as (II) “me”.

u003cstrongu003eQues:u003c/strongu003e When did Edward Thomas write the poem entitled u003cemu003eRainu003c/emu003e?

u003cstrongu003eAns:u003c/strongu003e Edward Thomas wrote the poem u003cemu003eRainu003c/emu003e early in 1916. He composed this poem in hit 51at the Hare Hall camp in Romford. It once again is based on a description in his notebooks, this time of a downpour in the year 1911 along the Icknield Way.

u003cstrongu003eQues:u003c/strongu003e What does the poem entitled u003cemu003eRainu003c/emu003e mean?

u003cstrongu003eAns:u003c/strongu003e The poem u003cemu003eRain u003c/emu003eby Edward Thomas is about his experience of:u003cbru003eSitting in a hut all night alone u003cbru003eListening to the rain fallingu003cbru003eMeditating on his death as well as on the fates of his fellow soldiers in World War I

u003cstrongu003eQues:u003c/strongu003e What are the themes of u003cemu003eRain u003c/emu003eby Edward Thomas?

u003cstrongu003eAns:u003c/strongu003e u0022The Inevitability as well as Relief of Deathu0022 and u0022Solitude, Sympathy, as well as Alienationu0022 are the themes of u003cemu003eRainu003c/emu003e.  u003cbru003e