I.
Question.1. What do the following phrases mean to you? Discuss in class.
(i) humid shadows
Ans. The dark clouds that produce rain.

(ii) starry spheres
Ans. The night sky abounding in stars

(iii) what a bliss
Ans. Utmost joy felt by the poet.

(iv) a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being start
Ans. This refers to the various imaginary thoughts and fantasies that are aroused in the poet’s mind.

(v) a thousand recollections weave their air – threads into woof
Ans. This means that numerous (many) memories intermingle to form a beautiful picture that the poet recollects.

Question.2. What does the poet like to do when it rains?
Ans. When it rains, the poet feels delighted to lie down with his head pressed against the pillow of his bed in a room of rural cottage and listen to the patter of the soft rain on the tiles of the cottage roof.

Question.3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the “darling dreamers” he refers to?
Ans. The single major memory that comes to the poet is that of his mother and her fond look. The “darling dreamers” are the poet and his siblings in their childhood when they were lovingly put to sleep by their mother and later on their mother used to look at them while they were asleep.

Question.4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?
Ans. No, the poet is not a child now. He is a grown up man. He remembers her mother when he is inside his cosy cottage and enjoying the patter of rain on the roof. His mother is probably not alive, as he says in lines 17-18 that she comes in his memories just like in his childhood when she used to tuck him in his bed to sleep.

II.
Question.1. When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet’s did?
Ans. Yes, my mother used to tuck me in when I was a young child, just like the poet’s mother did.

Question.2. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described in the poem?
Ans. Yes, I like the rain. When it rains steadily I get into my house and enjoy the weather with family. We enjoy tea. It is a wonderful experience to enjoy rainfall.

Question.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.

All that I am or ever hope it be, I owe to my angel Mother. – Abraham Lincoln

Ans. No, everybody is not fortunate enough to have a cosy bed to lie in when it rains. Not everybody gets to enjoy the comfort of cosy homes during rain. I have seen animals seeking shelter under trees and under the tin roofs of the small roadside tea stalls. The people passing by chase away these animals and try to shrink themselves under the limited space of these shops. The poor animals are left shivering and drenching on the roads. The shopkeepers of such stalls are delighted as the people waiting for the rain to subside often end up buying tea and snacks.
(Answer may vary)