RAIN ON THE ROOF (Beehive)

By Coates Kinney (1826 - 1904)
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 to listen to the patter
Of the soft rain overhead!

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

3. Now in memory comes my mother
As she used in years a-gone
To regard the darling dreamers
Ere she left them till the dawn
Oh I see her leaning ‘o er me
As I list to the refrain
Which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.

4. Then my little seraph sister
with the wings and waving hair
And her star eyed cherub brother
A serene angelic pair!
Glide around my wakeful pillow
with their praise or mild reproof
And I listen to the murmur
of the soft rain on the roof.

5. And another comes to thrill me
with her eyes delicious blue
And I mind not musing on her
That her heart was all untrue
I remember but to love her
With the passion kin to pain
And my hearts quick pulses vibrate
To the patter of the rain.

6. Art hath naught of tone or cadence
that can work with such spell
In the soul’s mysterious fountains
whence the tears of rapture well
As the melody of nature
That subdued subduing strain
which is played upon the shingles
By the patter of the rain.

Stanza 1
It was a starry dark night,when the dark clouds appear over the stars. There is a sad darkness around, the poet describes the rain as an emotion of sorrow. The poet says it is a blessing to press the pillow, lying in this room while listening to the sound of rain drops falling on the roof top.
Hover - to stand / stay in one place.
Humid shadows - refers to dark clouds it is a metaphor.
Melancholy - sad

Stanza 2
Every drop of rain on the roof top creates an echo and thousand dreams comes to the mind of the poet. It also brings thousands of past memories weaving in his mind. So the poet says that he as he listens to the patter of the rain on the roof it brings back past memories to his mind.

Tinkle - light clear ringing sound.
Shingles - Roof shingles. Tin sheet used for roofing.
Woof - threads woven across the loom. { In the poem it refers to the memories of the poet}

Stanza 3
The poet recollects memories of his beloved mother .When he was a child she would put him and his siblings to bed and allowed them to sleep till late, having sweet dreams. Now the poet is an adult and his mother is no more, but when he listens to patter of the rain he feels her presence over him(I see her leaning ‘o er me).

‘E,re she left them ‘ refers to the premature death of his mother.
Darling dreamers - refers to the siblings of the poet (Alliteration).
Ere - preceding in time, early than expected.

Stanza 4
The poet remembers his younger brother and younger sister he calls his sister an angel. He says his brother is a divine innocent boy and calls them as angelic pairs. It reveals the love of the poet for his siblings. He remembers them running around his pillows when he is awake, chatting with him sometimes they praise him for some of his good actions or they may express disapproval over something the poet has said or done. He recollects his memories about his siblings as he listens to the low sounds of drizzle that is falling on the roof.
Seraph - angel
Cherub - divine, healthy , innocent.
Reproof - expression of disapproval.

Stanza 5
The poet remembers his lover who had attracted him with her blue eyes and aroused strong emotions in him. But his lover was not faithful to the poet however the poet chooses not to remember such unpleasant things and says his love for her was a strong mix of joy and pain.At this point his heart beats faster and at the same time the rain drops starts falling faster.
Musing - thinking, reflection of thought
Kin - relation
Stanza 6
There is a conflict with stanza 5 and stanza 6 .The speaker is assuaged by the patter of the rain . He says how soothing and happy it is to listen to the patter of the rain.He says nothing can affect us the way the rain can. The poet is pacified by the patter of the rain.
Art- I
Hath - have
Naught - nothing
Cadence - rhythm
Mysterious fountains - impossible to understand - flow of emotions.
Whence- where
Rapture - overwhelming expressions, mystical expressions
Theme - The theme of the poem is healing power of rain. The rain thus soothes and comforts an overworked mind by taking back to its lovely past.
Click for the chapter included in Unit 3 of Beehive