Page 2 - RAIN ON THE ROOF- MODULE

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!

Humid: something which is full of moisture.
‘shadows’ refers to the moisture laden clouds which cast a shadow on the earth.
hover: Move around something
melancholy: sad
bliss: Happiness
patter: sound of raindrops falling on the roof.
Cottage chamber means the bedroom.

The poet is saying that when the humid shadows hover (here,‘humid shadows’ refers to dark
clouds which are full of water). The poet is saying that when the sky is full of these clouds
which are moisture – laden (are full of water and are about to bring rain) when such clouds
hover around in the sky, over all the starry spheres (‘starry spheres’ refers to the skyat night
time which is full of stars).At that time, huge clouds which are full of moisture, move around
in the sky and the sad darkness of the night is wiped off by the raindrops which seem like
tears falling from the sky. The poet is comparing rain drops to tears and he says that the
dark sky which seems to be very sad, appears as if it is crying and the raindropsare the tears
shedby it. He adds that it is a like ablessingto lie on the bed in his room(Cottage chamber
means bedroom) and listen tothe sound made by raindrops falling on the roof.

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