Rain on the Roof Class 9 Questions and Answers
Textbook Questions
Thinking about the Poem
I.
1. What do the following phrases mean to you? Discuss in class.
निम्नलिखित वाक्यांशों का आपके अनुसार क्या अर्थ है? अपनी कक्षा में चर्चा करो।
(i) humid shadows
Answer:
humid shadows — dark clouds
(ii) starry spheres
Answer:
starry spheres — stars
(iii) What a bliss
Answer:
what a bliss — a great joy
(iv) a thousand dreamy fancies into busy being the start
Answer:
a thousand dreamy fancies Into busy being start — a man is lost in reveries
(v) a thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof
Answer:
a thousand recollections weave their air-threads into woof — old memories bring pictures in mind.
Question 2.
What does the poet like to do when it rains?
जब वर्षा आती है तो कवि क्या करना चाहता है?
Answer:
When rain comes the poet likes to lie on a cushioned bed in his cottage.
Question 3.
What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the “darling dreamers” he refers to?
वह कौन-सी एक मुख्य याद है जो कवि को आती है ‘darling dreamers’ किसके लिए कहा गया है?
Answer:
The poet thinks of his mother looking fondly on his face while he lay in bed. The darling dreamers are referred to the poet’s brothers and sisters when they were children.
Question 4.
Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?
क्या कवि अब बच्चा है? क्या उसकी माँ जीवित है?
Answer:
The poet is no longer a child. He is grown up. His mother is dead. He often recollects her face.
II.
Question 1.
When you were a young child, did your mother tuck you in, as the poet’s did?
जब तुम बच्चे थे तो क्या तुम्हारी माँ भी तुम्हें बिस्तर में लपेट कर सुलाती थी?
Answer:
Yes; my mother took care of me. She used to tuck me in.
Question 2.
Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as in the poem?
क्या आपको वर्षा अच्छी लगती है? जब लगातार या भारी वर्षा होती है तो आप क्या करते हो?
Answer:
Yes, I like the monsoons. When it rains during the day, I put on my raincoat and like to walk in the rain. If it rains at night I listen to its patter and the crack of lightning.
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 during rains; what they do when it rains.
क्या सबके पास सोने के लिए आरामदायक बिस्तर होता है? अपने चारों ओर दृष्टि डालो और वर्णन करो कि भिन्न-भिन्न प्रकार के लोग व पशु वर्षा के दिनों में कैसे समय व्यतीत करते हैं।
Answer:
Everyone doesn’t have a cottage and a cosy bed. There are people who live in small huts. During the monsoons their life is most miserable. Their huts are half sunk in water and look like boats. They have leaky roofs and oozing floors. They pend sleepless nights. They huddle in a ‘safe’ comer. And the stray animals have no place to go. They stand motionless in the pouring rain. Some unfortunate people don’t own huts either. They live in improvised tents. During the rains their lot is no better than that of the homeless animals.
Iv. Very Important Examination Questions
Short Answer type Questions
I. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words :
Question 1.
What type of imagination does the rain falling on the roof evoke?
छत पर गिरने वाली बारिश. की बूँदें किस प्रकार की कल्पनाओं को जन्म देती है?
Or
Or
What happened to the poet when it rained?
जब वर्षा होने लगी तो कवि को क्या हुआ?
Answer:
The falling rain evokes in the poet a thousand dreamy fancies and a thousand r collections—including the memory of his mother fondly looking at him.
Question 2.
What does the poet do when it rains?
बारिश होने पर कवि क्या करता है?
Answer:
When it rains, the poet lies in a cosy bed in his cottage. He thinks that it is a bliss to her the patter of the rain on the roof.
Question 3.
What pleasure does one gain from the rain falling on the roof?
छत पर बारिश होने से किसी को क्या खुशी मिलती है?
Answer:
The poet enjoys the rain very much. He calls it a bliss for the person when it rains and he/she lies in a cosy bed and listens to its patter on the roof overhead.
Question 4.
Whom does the poet remember most when it rains? Why is this memory important for him?
जब बारिश होती है कवि किसे सबसे अधिक याद करता है? ये यादें उसके लिए महत्त्वपूर्ण क्यों हैं?
Answer:
- The poet remembers his mother the most when it rains.
- This is because, this memory evokes the image of his mother tucking him, his brothers and sisters in the bed and looking fondly at them before leaving.
Question 5.
How does the rain falling on the roof take one down the memory lane?
छत पर होती बारिश किस तरह किसी को यादों के गलियारे में ले जाती है?
Or
What does the poet recollect as he lay on his bed listening to the raindrops?
Answer:
As the poet lies on his bed listening to the music of rain drops on his roof overhead, thousands of fancies and recollections come to his mind. He remembers his mother and her fond look and the memories of those whom he loves.
Question 6.
Why is the starry sky unhappy (Rain on the Roof)
‘स्टारी स्काई’ (Starry sky) दुःखी क्यों हैं? ( रेन ऑन द रूफ)
Answer:
The starry sky is unhappy because the humid shadows i.e., the clouds are wandering in the starry sky in an uncertain state. The depressed clouds gently shed tears in the form of rain.
Long Answer Type Questions
III. Answer the following questions in about 100-150 words :
Question 1.
Why does the poet remember his mother ? What qualities of the mother he wishes to emulate ? (Rain on the Roof)
कवि अपनी माँ को किस प्रकार याद करता है? अपनी माँ के कौन से गुणों को वह स्वयं में उतारना चाहता है। (रेन ऑन द रूफ’।)
Answer:
- The poet remembers his mother because he loves her mother the most. Love, by itself, is ceaseless, and a ‘mother’s love is truly eternal. It lives on in her children’s hearts, and is passed down, in the form of love, from generation to generation. In the poem, the seemingly insignificant sound of rain falling on the roof reminds the poet of his mother. The way she tucked in the poet and his siblings come to his mind. The mother’s love, thus lives on in the child’s heart. An essential quality that I possess is a loving and caring nature. Truly, it makes life worth living. It enables me to be a pillar of strength to those around me, and also a source of trust for others.
- The poet wishes to emulate these qualities of her mother e.g., loving, caring, affectionate and responsible nature.
I. Summary In English
The poet considers it a rare happiness to lie on a cosy bed in the room of a cottage and listen to the patter of the’rain on the roof. At that time the mind is lost in dreams, thousands of memories come flooding in the mind. They weave strange pictures in the poet’s heart. One picture is most touching. It takes him to his childhood days. He pictures the face of his mother as it used to look at him as she tucked him in bed.
II. Complete Text With Hindi Translation And Extract Based Objective Type Questions
STANZA I
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 !
Vocabulary : humid (ह्युमिड) moist नम; humid shadows (ह्युमिड शेडोज) clouds मेघ; hover (होव्अर) remain in air aloft हवा में मंडराना; starry spheres (स्टारी स्फिअर्ज) stars तारागण; melancholy ( मेलन्कली) sad उदास, गमगीन; bliss (ब्लिस) great happiness परम सुख; chamber ( चेम्बर) room कमरा; patter ( पैटर) beat of the rain वर्षा का टपटपाना; overhead (ओवरैड) above ऊपर।
अनुवाद : जब तारागण पर मेघ मंडराते हैं, और उदास अंधकार धीरे-धीरे वर्षा के आँसू रोता है, तो कुटिया के कमरे में तकिये पर लेटने में, और लेटे हुए ऊपर (छत पर) हल्की-हल्की वर्षा की टप-टप सुनने में कितना आनन्द मिलता है।
(i) The sound made by the falling drops of rain is ______.
(a) melancholy
(b) hover
(c) patter
(d) overhead
Answer:
(c) patter
(ii) Humid shadows’ stand for ______.
(a) shadowy clouds
(b) waterless clouds
(c) water-laden clouds
(d) relief features
Answer:
(c) water-laden clouds
(iii) Which line shows that the poet is happy when it rains ______?
(a) ‘And the melancholy darkness’
(b) ‘Gently weeps in rainy tears’
(c) ‘What a bliss to press the pillow’
(d) ‘When the humid shadow hover’
Answer:
(c) ‘What a bliss to press the pillow’
(iv) The shadows’ are humid because ______.
Answer:
(a) they have taken bath
(b) they were weeping
(c) they are full of moisture
(d) they are playing with water
Answer:
(c) they are full of moisture
(v) The rhyming scheme of the poem is :
(a) aabb
(b) abcb
(c) abcabc
(d) ababab
Answer:
(b) abcb
(vi) The poet is lying in ______.
(a) his bedroom
(b) cottage chamber
(c) hotel room
(d) the pavement
Answer:
(b) cottage chamber
(vii) He is listening to ______.
(a) the music
(b) the noises coming from outside
(c) sound of rain
(d) the sound of birds
Answer:
(c) sound of rain
(viii) The poet describes the falling of rain in this stanza as :
(a) tinkle on the shingles.
(b) patter of the rain.
(c) melancholy darkness gently weeping in rainy tears.
(d) humid shadows.
Answer:
(c) melancholy darkness gently weeping in rainy tears.
(ix) While it rains, the poet wants to :
(a) eat Pakoras and drink tea.
(b) have a bath in rain.
(c) lie down on a cosy bed and listen to the patter of rain.
(d) sit in front of the fire place and read a book.
Answer:
(c) lie down on a cosy bed and listen to the patter of rain.
(x) When it rains, what does the poet do?
Answer:
When it rains, the poet gets into the cosy bed and enjoys the tapping sound of the rain on the roof.
STANZA II
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.
Vocabulary : tinkle ( टिन्क्ल) tingling sound टन-टन; shingles (शिंग्ल्ज) thin strip of wood तखा; echo (इको) resounding गूँज; fancies (फेन्सीज) mental images तरंग; busy being (बिजी बींग) busy person व्यस्त व्यक्ति; recollections ( रिक्लेक्शन) recalling to mind स्मृतियाँ; woof (वूफ) threads that cross the loom ताना-बाना।
अनुवाद : छत के तख्लों पर हर टन-टन दिल में गूँजती है। और हजारों सपनों की कल्पनाएँ व्यस्त व्यक्ति के मन में उभरती हैं, और हजार यादे अपनी हवाई ताने-बाने बुनती हैं। जब मैं छता रर वर्षा की टप-टप सुनता हूं।
(i) When the poet listens to the patter upon the roof:
(a) he begins to sing
(b) he is lost in dreams
(c) he begins to recollect old memories
(d) he jumps with joy
Answer:
(b) he is lost in dreams
(ii) ‘Shingles’ stands for :
(a) the roof of the college
(b) the roof of the house
(c) sound of rain
(d) the rectangular wooden tiles used upon roofs
Answer:
(d) the rectangular wooden tiles used upon roofs
(iii) The words which qualify the sound created by the rain drops are :
(a) shingles and echo.
(b) tinkle and patter.
(c) woof and roof.
(d) heart and start.
Answer:
(b) tinkle and patter.
(iv) An echo in the poet’s heart is :
(a) he feels sorry for his life.
(b) the sound of the rain is produced due to raindrops falling on the wooden tiles of his roof.
(c) he is in pensive mood.
(d) he isn’t in worst mood.
Answer:
(b) the sound of the rain is produced due to raindrops falling on the wooden tiles of his roof.
(v) The effect of many recollections on the poet’s mind is :
(a) to weave their air threads into woof.
(b) to weave their carpets into woof.
(c) not to weave their memories into woof.
(d) to weave their velvets into woof.
Answer:
(a) to weave their air threads into woof.
(vi) ‘I’ listening to the patter is ______.
(a) poet
(b) poor person
(c) homeless person
(d) traveller
Answer:
(a) poet
(vii) He is enjoying the sound of rain falling
(a) road
(b) roof
(c) garden
(d) lake
Answer:
(b) roof
(viii) Rain brings to his mind _______.
(a) peace
(b) agony
(c) thousand recollections
(d) joy
Answer:
(c) thousand recollections
(ix) ‘a thousand dreamy fancies’ in the poet’s heart are started by :
(a) the tinkling sound of raindrops on the wooden planks on the roof.
(b) the hovering humid shadows over the stars.
(c) the blowing of humid air.
(d) lying on the cosy bed.
Answer:
(a) the tinkling sound of raindrops on the wooden planks on the roof.
(x) What do the old memories do?
(a) They make the poet sad.
(b) They make Wm happy.
(c) They create fanciful pictures.
(d) They make him romantic.
Answer:
(c) They create fanciful pictures.
(xi) ‘Deamy fancies’ implies :
(a) dreams that motivate imagination.
(b) imaginary dreams.
(c) mental images.
(d) dreams that are full of imaginations.
Answer:
(c) mental images.
(xii) What is the poet doing?
Answer:
He is lying on his bed and listening to the patter of the rain upon his roof.
(xiii) What does the poet recollect as he listens to the sound? ‘
Answer:
He recollects a thousand things; his mother comes in his memory, and he feels her fond look on him as he listens to the raindrops.
(xiv) What is the effect of many recollections on the poet’s mind?
Answer:
This is to weave their air threads into woof.
(xv) What do you mean by ‘a thousand recollection weave into woof?
Answer:
The poet recollects’ lots of memories of his mother which are knitting around him like a woof.
(xvi) What happens when the poet listens to the patter upon the roof?
Answer:
The poet is lost in dreams.
STANZA III
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.
Vocabulary : agone (अगॉन) past बीते हुए; regard ( रिगार्ड) look at निहारना; ere (एरं ivefore इससे पहले; list ( लिस्ट) listen सुनना; refrain (रिफ्रेन) repeated part of a song गीत का दोहराता हुआ भाग।
अनुवाद : अब मुझे अपनी माँ की याद आती है जैसे कि वह अतीत में अपने सोते हुए प्यारे बच्चों को सवेरे तक अकेला छोड़ कर जाने से पहले देखा करती थी। और जब मैं लकड़ी के तख्ते पर छत पर वर्षा की टप-टप सुन रहा हूँ तो मुझे लगता है कि मेरी माँ प्यार से मुझे निहार रही है।
(i) Who comes in the poet’s memory .?
(a) his father
(b) his brother
(c) his mother
(d) his sister
Answer:
(c) his mother
(ii) The poet feels that:
(a) his mother is looking at him with love and affection.
(b) his mother is looking at him in anger.
(c) his mother did not look at him at all.
(d) his mother was not fond of him.
Answer:
(a) his mother is looking at him with love and affection.
(iii) Find a word from the extract which means the same as ‘early morning’:
(a) years
(b) dreamers
(c) dawn
(d) fond
Answer:
(c) dawn
(iv) The mother is not with the poet because :
(a) she is in the poet’s memory
(b) she is dead
(c) she lives somewhere else
(d) she has gone to sleep
Answer:
(a) she is in the poet’s memory
(v) ‘1 feel her fond look on me’ means :
(a) the mother disliked her children
(b) the mother loved her children
(c) the mother did not care for her children
(d) the mother looked at her children
Answer:
(b) the mother loved her children
(vi) The refrain that the poet is listening to refers to ______
(a) the repeated line of the poet’s poem
(b) the music of the rain
(c) the music of the poet’s song
(d) the music of the‘clouds
Answer:
(b) the music of the rain
(vii) ‘darling dreamers’ here are :
(а) the brothers and sisters of the poet.
(b) the friends of the poet.
(c) the children who dream.
(d) children who love dreaming.
Answer:
(а) the brothers and sisters of the poet.
(viii) ‘this refrain’ refers to the recurring :
(a) music of a song.
(b) music of rain falling on the roof.
(c) sound of thunder.
(d) imaginary voice of poet’s mother.
Answer:
(b) music of rain falling on the roof.
(ix) The memory that comes to the poet’s mind is :
(a) the company of his brothers and sisters.
(b) his mother’s face as she used to look at him while putting him to bed.
(c) his childhood days with his mother.
(d) time which he spent with his friends.
Answer:
(b) his mother’s face as she used to look at him while putting him to bed.
(x) Whom does the poet recall?
Answer:
He recollects the old memories about his mother and feels her fond
(xi) Name the poem and the poet of the extract.
Answer:
‘Rain on the Roof’ by ‘Coates Kinney’.
(xii) Which memory of his mother the poet remembers fondly?
Answer:
The poet fondly remembers the face of his mother as it used to look on him as he listens to the raindrops.
(xiii) Find the word from the extract which means ‘wooden pieces’.
Answer:
Shingles.
(xiv) Who comes in the poet’s memory?
Answer:
Poet’s mother comes in his memory and he feels her fond look on him as he listens to the raindrops patter on the wooden tiles of his cottage.
(xv) Who are ‘the darling dreamers’?
Answer:
(xv) The poet calls ‘the children of his mother’- he and his siblings ‘the darling dreamers’. He says so as they are loved by their mother and starts dreaming how she tucked them in the bed.
(xvi) What is played upon the shingles?
Answer:
‘Rain’ is played upon the shingles.
(xvii) What is that refrain the poet talks about?
Answer:
The refrain that the poet talks about is the falling of the rain on the rectangular wooden tiles on the roof.