After Long Drought Poem by Mark Van Doren
After Long Drought
After long drought, commotion in the sky;
After dead silence, thunder. Then it comes,
The rain. It slashes leaves, and doubly drums
On tin and shingle; beats and bends awry
The flower heads; puddles dust, and with a sigh
Like love sinks into grasses, where it hums
As bees did once, among chrysanthemums
And asters when the summer thought to die.
The whole world dreamed of this, and has it now.
Nor was the waking easy. The dull root
Is jealous of its death; the sleepy brow
Smiles in its slumber; and a heart can fear
The very flood it longed for, roaring near.
The spirit best remembers being mute.
Amazing narration of plight during drought and sigh of relief and awe due to thunder storm and heavy rains at the end of it's lengthy spell. Thanks for sharing.
This is amazing, did they really have droughts before global warming?
Through Drought, poet painted the agony of life and post happiness as thunder, rain and......
B) The rain breaking the silence, cutting away leaves and drumming on surfaces give a sense of relief and renewal. The arrival of the rain disturbs the silence and rejuvenates the parched earth. The reference to bees among chrysanthemums and asters brings back memories of vibrant summers.
The poem revolves around the anticipation and arrival of rain after a prolonged period of drought. The poem beautifully depicts the transformation from barren silence to life-giving precipitation.
Once again CONGRATS being chosen as The Modern Poem Of The Day. I repeat my own response now:
CONGRATS being chosen by PoemHunter and Team as the Modern Poem Of The Day.5 Stars!
D) Most deserving poem as The Modern Poem Of The Day! TOP Marks 5 Stars
C) However, the poem also recognizes the complexity of desire: how even desired things can evoke fear. The last lines suggest that the mind remembers moments of silence and contemplation best.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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12/4/2025 10:13:00 PM # 1.0.0
i had to recite this at school...i fell in love with it...j.i.