Contemporary Indian writer Nalini Sharma's poem 'First Showers
1.
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4. Nalini Sharma is a contemporary bilingual Indian writer
(Hindi & English). Her poems, articles, essays, short stories,
novels, etc. have been published in reputed journals like Naya
Gyanodya, Sarita, Grihashova, Suman Saurabh, Chattisgarh
Today, Women’s Era, Alive, Poet, Metverse Muse, Free
Expression etc. She has been Women’s Era, Free Expression
etc. She has been honoured with awards like Sahithya Sree,
Bharath Bhasa Bhusan, Shresht Sadhana Samman, Vishist
Sadhana Samman, Rashtra Bhasa Sewak Samman, Tulika
Samman, Best Poet of the year 2003 by Poets International,
Metverse Muse Awards, Sarojini Naidu Award and Shweta
Patil Award etc.
6. As I returned from my workplace
Cool drops kissed my parched face.
Soon the first showers caught me unawares
And soaked me, soothing my frayed nerves.
The weary lines did it promptly erase
Of daylong heat and fatigue from my visage.
Wet clothes clung to my body like an infant
To its mother’s bosom; unsteady my gain
7. The dusty trees stood bathed in an instant
Dressed in washed green looked magnificent.
The scented earth resplendent in dampened glory
Sucked in dust giving respite to the travelers weary.
To thank the Rain God I looked up in the sky
More drops drenched me on the sly.
Marveling at this wonderful gift of nature
I hurried home wading through the gurgling water.
22. Cool drops kissed my parched face.
Dressed in washed green looked magnificent.
Marveling at this wonderful gift of nature.
I hurried home through the gurgling water.
23. 1) Who is the author of the poem?
2) What is the title of the poem?
3) How does the rain soothe the poet’s
nerves?
4) Why do the trees look magnificent?
5) What do the travelers feel when it rains?
6) Comment on the expression ‘drenched me
on the sly’?
25. The poet tells about how the cool raindrops
embraced her face when she was returning from
her work. She explains how she was soaked and
though it was surprising she felt very comforted. It
wiped out the lines of a daylong tiredness from her
face. The rain held tightly to her like a baby clinging
on its mother’s breast. Then she describes how her
steps became unsteady.
26. The rain washed off all the dust on the trees
making them look beautiful in their green colour.
The smell of the earth was very appealing and it
sucked all the dust in, giving a calm surroundings
for travelers who are tired. Then she looked up in
the sky to thank God when more raindrops kept
falling on her. Very amazed at this wonderful gift of
nature she quickly walked back home.
