Winter Rain-Christina Rossetti

WINTER RAIN

Every valley drinks,

Every dell and hollow;

Where the kind rain sinks and sinks,

Green of Spring will follow.

Yet a lapse of weeks-

Buds will burst their edges,

Strip their wool-coats, glue-coats, streaks,

In the woods and hedges;

But for fattening rain

We should have no flowers,

Never a bud or leaf again

But for soaking showers:

We should find no moss

In the shadiest places,

Find no waving meadow grass

Pied with broad-eyed daisies:

But miles of barren sand,

With never a son or daughter;

Not a lily on the land,

Or lily on the water.

CHRISTINA ROSSETTI

Summary: 'Winter Rain' by Christina Rossetti celebrates the life-giving and rejuvenating power of rain. The poem acknowledges that every valley, dell, and hollow drinks in the rain, and where the rain sinks deep into the earth, green growth and the beauty of Spring will follow. The poet also recognizes that without the fattening rain, there would be no flowers, buds or leaves. The poem reminds us that the soaking showers are essential for the growth of moss, waving meadow grass and broad-eyed daisies. In the absence of rain, the land would be barren sand with no lilies, whether on the land or on the water. The poem concludes by acknowledging the vital roles of winter rain in sustaining life and beauty in the natural world.