Connations
Line 2: "Heavy" - diction "Or were,/ this morning,/ until" - Ceasura
Line 4-5: "From full of rain; through the water and glass" Visual Imagery, alliteration, assonance, symbol
Line 6: "I saw....it seemed to stream" - Sibilance "crushed grass"- symbol
Line 7-8: "Away in lines like seaweed on the tide" "Or blades of wheat leaning under the wind" - simile, assonance, visual imagery
Line 9: "ripple and splash" Auditory Imagery
Line 10: "It briefly said" - Personification "Seemed that it briefly said, as I walked by" -Inversion
Line 11: "Something...should...say" alliteration
Line 12-13: "Something...Something" repetition
Line 15: "lonely" diction
Line 16-18: "wintry rain runs" personification, pun
- Such a word illustrates the rain as burdensome and even a weight on a person during a sad day. This use of "heavy" makes the rain seem more lugubrious, and it evokes a sense of regret already on the speaker walking home. The use of ceasura is evident in this stanza by the pauses created by the commas in "or were...this morning." This ceasura breaks the continous flow of the first stanza "people are putting up storm windows now" to show a shift in climate as well as the actions of the people. The climate changes from good weather to the "heavy weather" just as the people who are putting up storm windows go from responsible to cowardly as they go "indoors" when the storm comes. Thus, the breaks and the change in verb tense aids the readers to see the speaker's ill respond of the day and the people.
- The rain's domination over the people is seen as the rain "drove them indoors." This conveys the controlling and forceful behavior of the rain as it puts the subordinate and meek "them" indoors. The use of the pronoun "them" asserts the speaker's disregard over the people who left the "storm windows lying on the ground" because he sees them as cowardly for abandoning the storm windows. Through the use of "them", the speaker makes the people into a collective pronoun instead of brave individuals with personal titles. There is another ceasura that transfers the narration specifically to first person when the speaker begins, "so I come home." This displays the difference between the people who hid behind doors and the speaker who walks openly in the rain. This contrast of the people and the speaker, however, will not stay for long since even the speaker will confide his "missed desires" which causes him to be cowardly as "them". The "o" sound of "drove...indoors...home" marks a moaning and the "oh, man" sighing as both the speaker and people will regret their life decisions. It is also quite ironic how the people left the storm windows unused when the storm actually came.
Line 4-5: "From full of rain; through the water and glass" Visual Imagery, alliteration, assonance, symbol
- This visual imagery of the rain pounding on the storm windows is reinforced by the "f" sound that imitates the blowing wind that strikes water onto the window panes. The "a" sound from "rain...water and glass" shows a common bond between these objects. The rain water will play a key role later in the poem as it will symbolize the constant troubles raining down on humanity, while the glass will show how protection will only make one look through life instead of actually live it.
Line 6: "I saw....it seemed to stream" - Sibilance "crushed grass"- symbol
- The "s" sound depicts the dripping rain as it hits the storm windows and slides away. It is used to show the striking effects the rain has on the storm windows. This furthermore clarifies the rain as life's troubles and fears. Symbolizing the fainted hearted beings who are protected from troubles, the "crushed grass" is protected from the rain by the storm windows. Though it may seem nice to be hided from perlious events, the "crushed" implies the oppression one can feel when protected too much. This grass therefore exemplifies how safeguared human beings are in reality oppressed to achieve life's "desires"
Line 7-8: "Away in lines like seaweed on the tide" "Or blades of wheat leaning under the wind" - simile, assonance, visual imagery
- This simile of the grass indeed contrasts the "crushed" way the lays under the storm windows since it embraces free movement like the "seaweed" and the "wheat." This refutes how even though one will missed life's desires, one will feel purity's freedom through protection. The gentle, subtle"i" sound "in lines like" enhances the moving water in the tide and the peaceful wind when observed under the storm windows. This imagery of the grass is seen only through the storm windows. Since the grass sees the water streaming down the panes, it is peacefully dry without any dampness.
Line 9: "ripple and splash" Auditory Imagery
- This creates the sound of rain as it "ripples and splashes" onto the storm windows. The speaker addresses this to convey the inevitable of how no one can actually be protected from life's troubles or in this case, the rain. Even though the grass will be hidden from the rain physically, mentally the grass will constantly hear the sound of the rain.
Line 10: "It briefly said" - Personification "Seemed that it briefly said, as I walked by" -Inversion
- The speaker personifies the rain as if speaking. The use of this personification enhances the role of the rain as not only as life's troubles, but as a constant remainder of missing life's goodness. Inversion is used to show the twisted thought that rain can actually speak, while the speaker is just observing and analyzing the rain and its effects. This then on clarifies how even the speaker has become subordinate just as the people to the "brimful" voice of the rain.
Line 11: "Something...should...say" alliteration
- The "s" sound creates the speaker's sorrowful sighing as he regrets over his "memories and missed desires." It also "shhh" the voice of the speaker and suggests how the rain has dominated the words and voice of the speaker. It once more signifies how the speaker though walking in the open rain is not as courageous as some perceive. Instead, the speaker is ultimately a lonesome person defeated by his failures he tried to endure.
Line 12-13: "Something...Something" repetition
- The unknown words of the rain as "something" demonstrates how the speaker doesn't even know how life could have been if one lived life to the fullest in a successful way. This repetition again perceives the rain as a looming force that will always haunt the speaker over his past.
Line 15: "lonely" diction
- Being "lonely" addresses the tone as remorseful and filled with regret. It makes the speaker seem defeated and worthless in the pouring rain.
Line 16-18: "wintry rain runs" personification, pun
- The poem ends with the rain "run [ing]" like a person persevering through life's hardships. This human characteristic of rain is contrasted to the speaker who only remembers and observes life. This contrast of the speaker and the rain's actions maintains the theme of how some human beings will not live life and will regret over the things they haven't done.