Name: Class:

There Will Come Soft Rains

By Sara Teasdale
1920

Sara Trevor Teasdale (1884-1933) was an American lyric poet born in St. Louis, Missouri. “There Will Come
Soft Rains” was published in her collection Flame and Shadow. When Teasdale wrote the poem in 1920, the
devastation of World War I was fresh in the minds of many American writers. As you read, take notes on the
setting of the poem and the poet’s use of language.

[1] There will come soft rains and the smell of the
ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pools singing at night,

And wild plum trees in tremulous white,

[5] Robins will wear their feathery fire

Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one

Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree

[10] If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,

Would scarcely know that we were gone.

"Untitled" by Aaron Burden is licensed under CC0.

“There Will Come Soft Rains” by Sara Teasdale (1920) is in the public domain.

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. Which of the following best describes the setting of the poem?

A. The poem is set after humans have destroyed the environment.
B. The poem is set after a deadly and destructive war between humans.
C. The poem is set during a time of conflict between humans and nature.
D. The poem is set during a time of peace and cooperation between humans and
nature.

2. How does the poet use language (diction, alliteration, figurative language, and imagery) to
characterize nature throughout the poem?

3. Which of the following best describes the structure of the poem?

A. The author describes the natural world before the existence of humans and
then after.
B. The author describes the natural world before war and then how it has been
changed by war.
C. The author describes the natural world and then how nature would be affected
if humans were gone.
D. The author describes how humans have damaged the natural world through
war and then how they plan to repair it.

4. PART A: Which of the following best states a theme of the poem?

A. War is pointless and destructive.
B. Time heals all wounds.
C. Humanity is cruel and violent at heart.
D. Nature is indifferent to humanity.

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5. PART B: Which detail from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground” (Line 1)
B. “Robins will wear their feathery fire / Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire”
(Lines 5-6)
C. “And not one will know of the war, not one” (Line 7)
D. “Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree / If mankind perished utterly” (Lines
9-10)

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to
share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. What seems to be the poet’s attitude about war? In your opinion, is war usually a worthy
endeavor for humankind?

2. What other themes are revealed in this poem?

3. In the context of this poem, how are people changed by war? In contrast, what is not
changed by war?

4. From your own experience, how are we changed by war?