Comparative Commentary - There will come soft rains.

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Comparative Commentary – There will come soft rains

“There will come soft rains” is both the title for the short story by Ray Bradbury and the poem by Sara Teasdale and the poem is embedded in the short story. The poem and short story were written in 1920 and 1950 respectively, shortly after WWI and WWII. Thus it is not surprising that both works actually share similar theme, that is to warn the public of the inevitable result towards perish of mankind if war is continued to be adopted as the tool to solve disputes and to show the dominant of nature over humans. However, the theme is expressed in totally different ways as the two pieces of work are aimed at different audience. The short story is aimed at science fiction lovers as the story is set in an environment with highly-developed technology in the distant future which involves more imagination. The story itself is presented in an ironic way. On the other hand, the tone of the poem is gentler and the theme is brought out in a less sarcastic way. In this case, Bradbury had included the poem inside his story so the audience of the poem is the same as those of the story. However, the poem is originally targeted at the wide public of all ages as the words used are simple and easily understood.

The poem makes use of a wide range of figurative language. For example alliteration is adopted in the first stanza. The words “soft”, “smell”, “swallows” and “shimmering sound” combine together to give a musical rhythm to the poem, which help to bring out the harmony of nature. Personification of wildlife and even nature itself is also found in the poem, such as frogs singing, robins wearing and whistling and spring waking up. This is to illustrate that nature has taken over humans’ place in the world and become dominant.

“Shimmering sound” in the first stanza is also a demonstration of onomatopoeia, the imitation of the sound concretes the abstract scenery rolled up before readers. The poem is composed of six couplets with regular rhyming scheme (aa, bb, cc, dd, ee, ff), which gives a harmonious feeling to the readers as they read along.

Lots of figurative languages are used in the short story as well. Alliteration is used widely in the seventh and eighth paragraph, where the breakfast leftovers are cleared and the house Is cleaned. Examples are “scraped into the sink”, “water whirled”, “dirty dishes”, “warrens in the wall”. This brings a fast and melodious rhythm to the story, adding to the effect of total automatic mechanism in the house. Personification is also used so as to give the readers the image that the house is functioning in such a sophisticated way that it actually seems to be a living being all by itself. This is shown in the singing of the clock, scraping of aluminum wedge, digestion of food in metal throat, sighing vent of an incinerator, sprouting of bridge tables, etc. Onomatopoeia can be found in the paragraph describing the nursery, the words “bumble”, “purring”, “patter” and “murmur” closely resemble the sound described, which helps to reader to develop a clear image of the nursery. Rhyme is also used in some parts of the story to give a harmonious and fast flow, as in “rain, rain, go away; rubbers, raincoats for today” and “scurrying water rats squeaked from the walls, pistoled their water, and ran for more”

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The poem is set in the nature at late evening. The time is hinted by “frogs singing at night” and “feathery fire”, which is a metaphor for the setting sun and the reddish evening sky. The dusk is chosen because this is the time when human activities cease, it is the end of the day for men but the time when nature becomes dominant, which is exactly fits the theme of men being destroyed while nature persists on. Character is absent which again symbolize the perish of mankind. The poem is told by a third person narrator, this is ...

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