Metanoia means the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self or way of life. This is collection of poems all around the world.
"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. An...
It’s raining women’s voices as if they had died even in memory And it’s raining you as well marvellous encounters of my life O little drops Those rearing clouds begin to neigh a whole universe of auricular cities Listen if it rains while regret and disdain weep to an ancient music Listen to the bonds fall off which hold you above and below
Original Poem:
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Form and Tone: The poem, ‘It’s Raining’, is in one stanza and is five lines long. The lines are all a similar length. Originally this poem was written in French and its presentation was rather unique at the time with each line being written vertically (but at a slight angle) down the page to represent the pouring of rain. The poem is written in free verse and is very melancholy in tone. It is filled with sadness. This may be as he experienced a lot of death as he fought in the First World War.
Originally, ‘It’s Raining’ was called Il Pleut before its translation. I think ‘It’s Raining’ is about depression caused by war and it uses the weather to help symbolize those feelings. That opinion is informed by Apollinaire’s life experiences. The poem draws heavily on the idea of sounds and different sounds are prevalent throughout the poem.
Analysis:
"It's raining women's voices as if they were dead even in memory"
This line almost uses synesthesia (the ability to experience one sense using an inappropriate sensory organ, i.e. to smell a colour, or see a sound) in describing the narrator’s feelings. You can see rain, but you cannot see women’s voices. But the fact that he describes the voices as being “as if dead” suggests, perhaps screaming or maybe an eerie silence? This line creates a real sense of misery but also a mystery. *Mystery because no one knows if they are dead or alive.
"It's raining you too marvelous encounters of my life oh droplets"
This line is slightly more positive and emphasizes how his mind is awash with different emotions. Depression sufferers often talk about their mind racing. I think this is what he is describing. The fact that he is thinking about torturous events and happy memories at the same time. *War is also destructive. We are lucky to not witness that.
"And those clouds rear and begin to whinny a universe of auricular cities"
The fact that he describes the clouds as rearing suggests that they are ready to pounce or jump. Or to unleash a torrent. Once again though the clouds produce a sound, the term whinny describes a high-pitched neigh, which ties in with the comment about rearing up, the way a horse would, and auricular is things pertaining to the ear. Could this mean a noisy cities? Invaded cities would certainly be noisy and France was invaded during the First World War. * So painful :(
"Listen to it rain while regret and disdain weep an ancient music"
Once again this line is filled with sorrow as the narrator implores the reader to listen to the rain and how their feelings of regret and disdain cause an ancient music. This is what suggests the narrator is referring to war. As wars have raged on our planet as long as history has been recorded. * Many students learn about wars in history books and thinks of it as a kind of burden to which would be asked in exams. I was also one of them. I liked history but still. Now I think about it, our 'pain' is nothing as compared to their. *We just learnt things for the sake of exam, imagine those text can no longer scream at you for help? Ignore this, I said too much maybe it doesn't make sense.
"Listen to the the fetters falling that bind you high and low"
The last line leaves us with hope as it talks of being released from chains. If the assertion that ‘It’s Raining’ is about the tortured feelings experienced during wartime perhaps this last line symbolizes the feelings felt when the war is over. *I'll say again, wars are always destructive. There might be hope but there is miesry too. They lost their family, friends, countrymen, home, got injured, mentally traumatized and many things.
*I have first time read something in this form. I love it how the poet wrote these five lines in raining form. Brilliant poet! This poem made me emotional. I can feel the misery. Earth has witnessed too much hate and despair, spread love everyone.
