Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

Night Rain (John Pepper Clark)

What time of night it is
I do not know
Except that like some fish
Doped out of the deep
I have bobbed up belly-wise
From stream of sleep
And no cock crow
It is drumming hard here
And I suppose everywhere
Droning with insistent ardor upon
Our roof thatch and shed
And through sheaves slit open
To lightning and rafters
I cannot quite make out over head
Great water drops are dribbling
Falling like orange and mango
Fruits showered forth in the wind
Or perhaps I should say so
Much like beads I could in prayer tell
Then on string as they break
In wooden bowls and earthenware
Mother is busy now deploying
About our room-let and floor
Although, it is so dark
I know her practiced step as
She moves her bins, bags and vats
Out of the run of water
That like ants filling out of the wood
Will scatter and gain possession
Of the floor. Do no tremble then
But, turn brothers, turn upon your side
Of your loosening mats
To where the others lie.
We have drunk tonight of a spell
Deeper than the owl’s or bat’s
That wet of wings may not fly
Bedraggled up on the iroko, they stand
Emptied of hearts, and
Therefore will not, stir, no, not
Even at dawn for then
They must scurry in to hide.
So let us roll over our back
And again roll to the beat
Of drumming all over the land
And under its ample soothing hand
Joined to that of the sea
We will settle to sleep of the innocent and free.
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

Meaning of Key Words/Expressions in the Poem

doped out line 4 to intoxicate someone or something with a hard drug
bobbed up line 5 to appear suddenly or unexpectedly
droning with insistent ardor upon line 10 to enthusiastically (ardor) make a continuous
(insistent) low humming sound

Thatch and shed line 11 to roof a house with dry straw so that the water runs away
(shed) without permeating the inner roof
sheaves line 12 a bundle of grain stalks used for roofing mud or local houses
rafters line 13 the sloping pieces of wood that support a roof.

dribbling line 15 to fall in drops or to run speedily

deploying line 22 to arrange for a deliberate purpose
vats line 26 large tanks used to hold liquid (the rain water)
spell line 34 a curse
Bedraggled up on the iroko, line 37 not being able to climb up a tree (iroko) because of
fatigue or tiredness.
scurry line 41 to move along swiftly or hurriedly

Meaning of the Poem

In this narrative poem, the speaker (persona) narrates the ordeal he and his family have had with
a heavy downpour that not only disrupted their peaceful sleep but also almost drowned them in
their humble home. Though the night rain is a natural phenomenon, its effects on the speaker and
his household make them vulnerable as compared to other creatures that have experienced the
rain at the same time.
In the first two lines, the speaker says he does not know the time the rain started in the night. All
he remembers is the fact that, he had had to wake up all of a sudden as if fish that is caught off
guard. His inability to tell the time that the rain came is as a result of the absence of the “cock
crow”. His ignorance of the time of the rain makes him compare himself to a fish that is caught
off guard. His inability to tell the time of the rain also indicates that it is difficult to predict the
occurrences of natural phenomenon. If he had known about the time the rain would come, he
probably would have prepared for it.
Again, the speaker describes how the rain falls. He says the rain comes hard on their roof and
falls continuously, giving their mother some work to do. The magnitude and continuous effect of
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

the rain on the speaker and his household is depicted in the use of the “-ing” words such as
drumming, droning, dribbling, deploying. With these words, the speaker tells how the rain has
evaded their room through some leakage (And through sheaves slit open/To lightning and
rafters), and occupying almost the entire floor where the speaker and his siblings sleep. Their
mother had to start collecting the incessant water drops with bins and large tanks so the rain does
not get to where the children sleep. Even that, the “water drops” from the leaking roof which are
described as “orange” and “mango” still cause havoc as they break the “bowls” and
“earthenware” the speaker’s mother owns. Probably, the leakage is so wide, that is why water
drops as big as “orange” and “mango” can pass through and soak the occupants of the shed.
These “water drops” that are further described as “beads” have occupied every part of the room
(shed) to the extent that the speaker finds it difficult to tell the amount of water to be collected
from the room (Much like beads I could in prayer tell). The more the speaker’s mother tries to
collect the water, the more the water rushes in like ants that coming together again after a brief
dispersion (That like ants filling out of the wood/Will scatter and gain possession/Of the floor).

Interestingly, the room is dark, but the speaker manages to tell how busy his mother is because it
is something she is used to. The expression “I know her practiced step” buttresses this idea. The
water is so much, that, as the speaker’s mother tries to collect them, they still gather as “ants” do,
making it tedious for the woman to collect them successfully. The following lines buttress this
idea:

The speaker further describes how vulnerable they are, citing that their situation is worse off than
nocturnal birds such as the owl and the bat who after heavy rainfall have nowhere to hide.
Analogically, he believes that just as these birds have their wings wet and cannot climb the
tallest tree (iroko) as they usual do, they too (the speaker and his household), have nowhere to
run to except to make do with the little space left uncovered with water. This is evident as the
speaker encourages his siblings to turn and keep on rolling until they get to “where the others
lie”. To the speaker, the drumming of the torrential rainfall should not in any way disrupt their
sleep; it should rather be seen as a lullaby (beat) as it performs a similar role of a mother who
lulls her children to sleep comfortably (And under its ample soothing hand). After all, nature can
only be cruel to adults and not children who are “…innocent and free”.

Tone

The tone of the poem is both emotional and optimistic.

Mood

The atmosphere of the poem is full of sadness as the speaker narrates their situation emotionally.
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

Some Major Themes in the Poem

1. The devastating effect of natural phenomenon (rain) on man (theme of vulnerability)

2. The poor standard of living or the degrading living conditions in Africa (theme of
poverty)
3. Man in conflict with nature
4. Theme of hope

Structure of the Poem

The poem consists of forty-seven uneven run-on lines. It is a free verse; it has no know metre
and rhyme. It is composed in run-on lines to depict the continuous effect of the rain on the
speaker and his household. Though it has no metre, its use of sound devices like alliteration,
assonance, onomatopoeia, etc gives it its rhythmic effect.

Language of the poem

The poem is written in simple vocabulary. Almost all the words are every day English
vocabulary. However, these words are used figuratively.

Literary Devices in the Poem

Symbolism

When something means more than what it is, symbolism sets in. symbolism occurs when an
object, a person, a situation or an action suggests other meanings in addition to its literal
meaning. The following words are therefore used symbolically in this poem:

In “night rain”, rain is a symbol of blessing but its association with night makes it gloom. As
such, the phrase symbolizes the poverty states of a people.

 “thatch and shed” symbolizes the humble home of the speaker and his household
 “cock crow” is a symbol that tells the time of an event in Africa.
 “the beads, wooden bowls, earthenware” all symbolize mother nature
 “the iroko tree” is dominant in Africa as mother nature and also as a symbol of growth. It
also represents the setting of the poem in Nigeria
 “fruits” symbolizes abundance (showered)
 “lantern light” symbolizes source of light.
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

Imagery

This involves interpreting the work of art using the five senses. There are a lot of images
employed in this poem but the dominant one is the visual imagery (mental pictures created in the
reader’s mind).

The following are some visual images in the poem:

 The image of some fish being caught with chemical as against the image of the speaker
waking up suddenly from sleep
 The drumming of the rain on the roof
 The sight of the thatch and shed
 The image of the owl and bat that are helpless because their wings are wet
 The turning and rolling of the speaker’s siblings on the loosening mats to where the
others lie.
 The image of the speaker’s mother busy deploying things out of the run of water
 The image of the great water drops dribbling
 The picture of wooden bowls and earthenware being crushed by the water drops that look
like “orange” and “mango”.

Simile

Except that like some fish

Doped out of the deep
I have bobbed up belly wise (line 3 – 5)

Falling like orange and mango (line 16)

Much like beads I could in prayer tell (line 19)

That like ants filling out of the wood

Will scatter and gain possession
Of the floor. (line 28 – 30)

We have drunk tonight of a spell

Deeper than the owl’s or bat’s (line 34 – 35)
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

Metaphor

A figure of speech in which an implicit or implied comparison is made between two things,
which are essentially unlike.

From stream of sleep (line 6)

It is drumming hard here

And I suppose everywhere (line 8 - 9).

Great water drops are dribbling (line 15)

Fruits showered forth in the wind (line 17)

Mother is busy now deploying

About our room let and floor (line 22 – 23)

We have drunk tonight of a spell (line 34)

Synecdoche

The use of “wings”, “hearts” and “hand” in these lines amount to using a part to represent a
whole.

 “That wet of wings may not fly” (line 36)

 “Emptied of hearts, and” (line 38)
 “And under its ample soothing hand” (line 45)

Contrast

In the midst of the heavy flooding, amidst the speaker’s mother busy deploying things, the
speaker encourages his siblings to disregard the effort of the rain to disrupt their sleep and turn to
the other side where the water had not yet occupied and sleep as if they care less about what is
happening. The following lines buttress that:

But, turn brothers, turn upon your side

Of your loosening mats
To where the others lie.

In these lines, the innocence of the speaker and his actions contrast sharply with the devastating
effect of nature on his family.

Another example of contrast is in the lines:

“Although, it is so dark
I know her practiced step as”
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

Personification

And under its ample soothing hand (line 45)

Repetition
The following words have been repeated in the poem for emphasis:
“night”, “turn” “not” “roll” “over” “like” “we”

Hyperbole
Great water drops are dribbling
Falling like orange and mango (line 15 – 16)

Much like beads I could in prayer tell

Then on string as they break
In wooden bowls and earthenware (line 19 – 21)

We have drunk tonight of a spell

Deeper than the owl’s or bat’s (line 34 – 35)

Of drumming all over the land (line 44)

Enjambment
The poem is dominated with run-on lines, which are meant to tell the extent to which man
conflict with nature and his poverty state intend to last.

Alliteration
Doped out of the deep (line 4)
I have bobbed up belly-wise (line 5)

From stream of sleep (line 6

And no cock crow (line 7)
It is drumming hard here (line 8)

Great water drops are dribbling (line 15)

She moves her bins, bags and vats (line 26)

That wet of wings may not fly (line 36)

We will settle to sleep of the innocent and free. (line 47)

 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

Assonance
From stream of sleep (line 6)

And no cock crow (line 7)

Falling like orange and mango (line 16)

We will settle to sleep of the innocent and free. (line 47)

Onomatopoeia
And no cock crow
It is drumming hard here (line 7 – 8)
Droning with insistent ardor upon (line 10)

Great water drops are dribbling (line 15)

Sample Questions
1. The main theme of this poem is ………..
A. the role of mothers in Africa B. the destruction of Africa a peaceful home
C. the power of a night rain D. the effect of poverty
2. The tone of the poem is that of …. A. emotional B. joy C. bitterness D. regret
3. The expression “I know her practiced step” indicates that the speaker’s mother …
A. is well known B. has been doing this all the time
C. sometimes does the work D. the role of mothers
4. The expression further highlights …
A. the perpetual poverty that bedevils the household
B. the extent to which the woman has been doing the practice
C. the trouble of a single parent
D. the role of mothers
5. The word “rain” is metaphorically used to imply …
A. a rain of blessing B. a rain of poverty C. a rain of fortune D. a rain of destruction
6. In the expression “mother is busy now deploying…”, the speaker’s mother can be seen
as …
A. hardworking and caring B. a busy person
C. responsible and dutiful D. a careful person
7. The device used in the creation of the line “mother is busy deploying…” is …
A. simile B. metaphor C. personification D. contrast
8. Which of the following words best describes the intensity of the rainfall?
A. drumming B. dribbling C. droning D. deploying
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

9. Which of the following lines best describes the setting of the poem as rural?
A. Of your loosening mats B. To where the others lie.
C. We have drunk tonight of a spell D. Deeper than the owl’s or bat’s

We have drunk tonight of a spell

Deeper than the owl’s or bat’s

10. ‘We’ here represent ….

A. the boys B. the birds C. the Africans D. the speaker and his household
11. In comparing their situation to the owl’s or bat’s, the speaker mean to say they are
A. cursed B. hopeless C. better D. useless
12. The dominant device used in creating these lines is ….
A. metaphor B. metonymy C. contrast D. simile
13. The tone of this extract is that of ……..
A. nostalgia B. indifference C. melancholy D. enthusiasm
14. The use of words such as “sheaves”, “shed”, “rafters”, “wooden bowls”, “earthenware”
and “mats” amount to the use of ….
A. imagery B. figurative C. synecdoche D. metaphor
15. Such words, as mentioned above, paint the picture of ….
A. a family whose needs outweigh their income
B. solid condition of a household in Africa
C. a household that live in an abject poverty
D. a family who live in isolation
16. The fact that the rain comes unannounced indicates that natural phenomena occur …
A. with the permission of man. B. without any provision for man.
C. as environmental destructions. D. as man wills it.
17. In using the first person narrative point of view, the speaker makes the plight of Africa as
a poverty-driven continent …
A. real as he excludes himself B. real as he includes himself
C. ideal as he excludes his father D. ideal as he uses rural setting
18. The continuity of the economic situation of Africans is presented in the use of …
A. metaphor B. simile C. alliteration D. run-on lines

But, turn brothers, turn upon your side

Of your loosening mats
To where the others lie.

19. The word “turn” is used …..in this extract.

A. figuratively B. repetitively C. solely D. metaphorically
20. It is clear from the extract that man is in conflict with …….
A. his fellow man B. poverty C. nature D. hard economics
 Explication by Sir Tizee: (0243259737)

21. The conspicuous theme in this extract is that of …..

A. despair B. hope C. enthusiasm D. encouragement

About our roomlet and floor

22. The use of “room-let” in the expression implies that …

A. the woman is busy B. the roof is leaking C. the room is dark D. the floor is soaked

“Falling like orange and mango”

23. What do the fruits in the line represent?

A. night rain B. water drops C. the drums D. the roof
24. The figure of speech in the device above is…
A. onomatopoeia B. simile C. metaphor D. synecdoche
25. The sound device noticeable in the line is ……
A. pun B. assonance C. onomatopoeia D. alliteration

And under its ample soothing hand

Joined to that of the sea
We will settle to sleep of the innocent and free.

26. The use of “hand” in the first line is an example of …….

A. synecdoche B. metonymy C. metaphor D. imagery
27. In ascribing human quality to the natural phenomenon, the speaker makes use of …
A. exaggeration B. metaphor C. personification D. simile
28. Apart from alliteration, the other sound device in the last line is…….
A. pun B. repetition C. onomatopoeia D. assonance
29. The last two lines is an example of….
A. anaphora B. alternate rhyme C. rhyming couplet D. flashback
30. Which of the following words is not an example of synecdoche in this poem?
A. hand B. heart C. wings D. shed

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