Rain (Edward Thomas) Flashcards
CONTEXT: How did Thomas die? [2]
In 1915, Thomas enlisted in the British Army to fight in the First World War.
He was killed in action during the Battle of Arras, France,in 1917.
What is the main theme of the poem ‘Rain’? [2]
death and loneliness
CONTEXT: When did Thomas write the poem? [2]
Thomas wrote the poem in the trenches of WW1.
He died a year after writing it, making it feel more (arguably) tragic.
What are the 3 messages in the poem? [3]
Death is inevitable.
Acceptance of death - the speaker even embraces it.
The desire nobody should die tonight or be unable to sleep because of worry.
What is the effect of repeating rain on the first line three times? [1]
It conveys the relentlessness of the miserable conditions that the WW1 soldiers faced. The rain also symbolises death (which was also relentless and never ending in WW1.)
What is the effect of stating there is nothing but the rain? [2]
The soldiers have no relief, no respite. Neither do they have the love or warmth of family to help them through - they are alone with the elements.
If rain symbolises death, it’s also the idea that there’s nothing but death.
What tone do the adjectives: midnight and wild create? [1]
A sinister tone - the idea of waiting to be attacked/die is conveyed.
What is the effect of the word “again” in the following line: “Remembering again that I shall die?” [1]
It emphasises that the soldier can’t escape the thought of death. Death is omnipresent and so it’s hard to think of anything else.
What semantic field is the poet drawing on his use of the words “washing”, “cleaner”, “blessed” and “pray” [1]
Semantic field of religion
What might the following words suggest:
“washing”, “cleaner”,
“blessed”
“pray”
when thinking about death? [3]
Words like “washing” and “cleaner” suggest that in death, the pain of this world is washed away and erased. This sounds a lot like baptism and rebirth as if the soldier is expecting to transition from this life and be born into the afterlife.
The word “blessed” reveals that the speaker thinks that the dead are fortunate - especially compared to those who have to continue enduring the horror of war.
The word “pray” might also suggest that the speaker also longs to die to escape.
What does the speaker mean when he states that he is listening “in sympathy”? [1]
Perhaps it refers to having to listen to the sounds of injured or dying men in no man’s land. The poet can only feel sympathy - he is helpless to actually do anything.
“broken reeds all still and stiff” What is this a metaphor of? [1]
Broken reeds = soldiers broken/ wounded bodies. “Still and stiff” evokes the idea of death - rigor mortis.
How could the line “the love of death” be understood? [1]
It conveys that the soldiers in WW1 suffered so many horrors - physical, emotional and psychological that they almost longed for death to put an end to their suffering.
Why might Thomas use enjambment in this poem? [1]
To convey the way in which the threat of death is overwhelming and unceasing.
“rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain” [4]
‘rain’ - metaphorically cleanses, symbolising purity, juxtaposing meaning; cleansing yet also grieving - funereal imagery
‘midnight’ - sleeplessness, connotes the moon and lunacy, the madness of insomnia, ominous/spooky quality
‘nothing but’ - so overpowering that nothing else is noticed
‘wild’ - animalistic, uncontrolled, contrasts ‘bleak hut’, enjambment following reflects overwhelming sense of the lack of control
