Naomi Shihab Nye's "Rain"

[egnorth]

'Rain'

A teacher asked Paul
what he would remember
from third grade, and he sat
a long time before writing
"this year somebody tutched me
on the sholder"
and turned his paper in.
Later she showed it to me
as an example of her wasted life.
The words he wrote were large
as houses in a landscape.
He wanted to go inside them
and live, he could fill in
the windows of "o" and "d"
and be safe while outside
birds building nests in drainpipes
knew nothing of the coming rain.

-- Naomi Shihab Nye

I'm taking a college English class and we have a research assignment this semester. My research paper is to be a new historicist piece over "Rain" by Naomi Shihab Nye. Some of the topics I've been researching so far are child abuse, [parental] touch deprivation, and child neglect. I feel I'm getting more and more lost as time goes on and would be extremely grateful for any sort of assistance of any kind (annotations, topic recommendations, ect) any of you may offer.

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone by coming to the forum for what I'm sure appears to be purely homework help, but I plan to stay around as I write lyrics and am always looking for critiques. I'm glad I've found this place!

[Yog]

There are some interesting elements to the poem. It incorporates heavy enjambment and could be read as a short paragraph. Is there a specific reason for the author's choice of seemingly odd line-breaks?

The brief bit of dialogue shows a realist interpretation of diction. What does the diction and syntax say about the author's—the boy's—education level?

As you have already touched on: what defines child abuse and how do we recognize it? Does the principle actor in the poem?

How do the letters o and d resemble houses? What is the tragedy of the birds in drainpipes in the face of an onsetting storm?

[egnorth]

There are some interesting elements to the poem. It incorporates heavy enjambment and could be read as a short paragraph. Is there a specific reason for the author's choice of seemingly odd line-breaks?

This is very true, it is as if it could all be written in one line and read exactly the same, I think. I've been unable to find anything explaining the line-breaks, though they do seem quite randomly placed.
The brief bit of dialogue shows a realist interpretation of diction. What does the diction and syntax say about the author's—the boy's—education level?
From what I can tell, the boy's education level is probably quite average of a boy his age. Apparently he has learned something at school.
As you have already touched on: what defines child abuse and how do we recognize it? Does the principle actor in the poem??
I would define child abuse as any purposeful harm to child's health by anyone responsible for maintaining it. The boy may have been neglected (touch deprived) by his parents, which could make a touch on the shoulder more monumental. The touch could have also been from a stranger, which would have frightened the boy and in turn could have become a big deal to him. Can you reword the question I have set in bold?

Thanks for the help.

[Yog]

Does the teacher recognize child abuse?

Later she showed it to me
as an example of her wasted life.

She seems focused on the childs spelling and grammar and not what the child was trying to say.

"this year somebody tutched me
on the sholder"

For her the "T" in this isn't capitalized, touched is spelled incorrectly, shoulder is spelled incorrectly, and there is no period at the end. The teacher seems to see how the boy wrote and not what he wrote. Is this failure like a bird living in a drainpipe? Future abuse is often rooted in present ignorance. Who is the more ignorant, the teacher who doesn't see the abuse or the student who cannot write with proper diction?

What if the child recoils from the touch on the shoulder because he recoils from all physical contact? Cannot repeated child abuse cause a child to completely recoil from all human touch? It could be the touch isn't magnified because of neglect but because of abuse.

[egnorth]

Does the teacher recognize child abuse?



She seems focused on the childs spelling and grammar and not what the child was trying to say.



For her the "T" in this isn't capitalized, touched is spelled incorrectly, shoulder is spelled incorrectly, and there is no period at the end. The teacher seems to see how the boy wrote and not what he wrote. Is this failure like a bird living in a drainpipe? Future abuse is often rooted in present ignorance. Who is the more ignorant, the teacher who doesn't see the abuse or the student who cannot write with proper diction?

What if the child recoils from the touch on the shoulder because he recoils from all physical contact? Cannot repeated child abuse cause a child to completely recoil from all human touch? It could be the touch isn't magnified because of neglect but because of abuse.
Ah, very interesting. I've always looked at it like the teacher felt her life was wasted because the boy didn't write something she taught him, rather something that, to her, seemed miniscule. Your interpretation seems to make all of the pieces fit together better. It's just what I've been looking to do for weeks. Thanks!!!

[Yog]

I'm not saying this is the only valid interpretation. There is a lot to the notion that she is dissappointed he didn't write what she had taught him. We really don't know what kind of teacher she is. Still the problem exists: why doesn't he see the boy's problem? The teacher turned a critical eye inwards. The teacher feels failure as a teacher because the boy didn't learn but never asks why the boy didn't learn. He just assumes the failure was his. In effect it was, but not for the reason suspected.

If you assume neglect then the neglect is complete. The parents ignore the child, the teacher ignores the needs of the child. The child cries for help but no one sees it. The result is a child completely disconnected from society.

I think you could work an analysis very successfully along these lines as well.