Night Rain

by
John Pepper Clark
 John Pepper Clark
John Pepper Clark is a renowned Nigerian poet and
playwright. He was born on 6th April, 1935 at
Kiagbodo, Warri province in the now defunct Western
Region of Nigeria. Between 1940 and 1953, he
received his primary and secondary education after
which, he continued his studies at the University
College, Ibada (UCI) in 1955. In 1960, he graduated
with honors from the Department of English. In 1962,
his first collection of poems, was published by Mbari
Publications, Ibadan. In 1965, he published A Reed in
the Tide, followed by Casualties in 1970. In the 1980s,
State of the Union(1985) made its debut, while
Mandela and other poems was published in 1988.
 SUMMARY
• Night Rain is a forty seven line poem which talks about
effects of nature on man and man’s reaction towards the
forces of nature.
• The persona narrates his ordeal and that of his family during
a night downpour.
• The poem also describes the environment which depicts the
Niger-Delta region of Nigeria where the writer comes from.
• The poem can be divided into two parts, the first part talks
about the hardship brought about by the rain. The persona
narrates the trouble his family go through when ever there
is a downpour. But the second part which is the last six lines
talks about hope and encouragement that all will be well
after the rain.
 ANALYSIS OF THE POEM
Line 1-7
• The persona describes his sudden awakening
in the middle of the night. The atmosphere
was one of confusion because he did not even
know the time .
• He compares how he is wakened to a fish
caught with poison. Therefore his awakening
was not a pleasant one.
 Cont…
Line 8-17
• The persona tells what is happening that hour
of the night that has distracted him and his
family’s sleep. He compares the sound of the
rain to that of a drum to show the intensity of
the rain.
• The persona describes the poor condition of his
family through the activities of the mother
during the downpour.
 Cont…
Line 18-29
• The speaker is very familiar with the rain – and
compares it to the ritual of prayer
• Members of the household understand this ritual –
mother places her vessels to collect water – children
know that it is their mother without turning round
• No complains or recriminations – they treat what is
happening in a matter of fact manner
• Humorously compares water droplets to ants – rain is
treated like an old friend
 Cont…
Line 30-33
• Reassurance of an elder sibling . The elder sibling
urges the little ones to go back to sleep – sleep is
taken as a form of refuge.
• They cannot cover in the face of adversity, they
have to search for better options in times of
difficulties.
• Image of poverty – the loosening mats where all
the children lie huddled.
 Cont…
Line 34-41
• Owls and bats symbols of the dark, but according to the
persona, the spell of the downpour is deeper than that
of the owl’s or the bat’s.
• These symbols suggest the potency of nature –
relentless rain
• Even the owls and bats have no spirit left to fight the
rain so they are resigned to their fate
• There is a strange sense of harmony as the human
world and the animal world nestle from the rain.
 Cont…
Line42-47
• The persona and his siblings draw sustenance
from the rejuvenating powers of the rain – a
state of serenity. And as the rain joins the sea,
it implies a sense of completion and thus
everything will come to an end.
 THEMES
There are two major themes in the poem, which
are first; poverty which is represented with
images of a roomlet, and loosening mat.
And also man’s helplessness in the face of
natural disasters. This is evident in how the rain
storm deprived the persona’s family of sleep
and comfort.
 POETIC TECHNIQUES - DICTION
• Diction refers to the choice of words of the
writer. The writer’s intention to depict the
continuous downpour of the rain is seen in his
choice of words. He uses words with ‘ing’
suffixes such as drumming, droning, dribbling
and deploying to show the continuous and
devastating nature of the rain.
 Cont…
IMAGES
• Image of a fruit rain
• Images of poverty – the shed, leaking roof and the loosening mats where
all the children lie huddled.

SIMILE
• “Except that like some fish Doped out of the deep” the persona compares
his sudden awake to that of a fish caught with poison.

METAPHOR
“It is drumming hard here” – compares the sound of the rain to that of a
drum.
 CONT…

ALITERATION
• “I have bobbed up belly-wise”
• “From stream of sleep”
• “And no cock crow”

ONOMATOPOEA
“Great water drops are dribbling”
“It is drumming hard here”

• Run-on-lines are used in the poem to depict the continuous downpour.

 NIGHT RAIN
What time of night it is
I do not know
Except that like some fish
Doped out of the deep
I have bobbed up belly wise
From stream of sleep
And no cock crow
It is drumming hard here
And I suppose every where
Droning with insistent ardour upon
Our roof thatch and shed
And through sheaves slit open
To light and rafters
I cannot quite make over head
Great water drops are dribbling
Falling like orange and mango
Fruits showered forth in the wind
Or perhaps I should say so
Much like beads I could in prayer tell
Then on string as they break
In wooden bawls and earthenware
Mother is busy now deploying
About our roomlet and floor
Although, it is so bad
I know her practiced step as
She moves her bins, bags and vats
Out of the run of water
That like ants filing out of the wood
Will scatter and gain possession
Of the floor. Do no tremble then
But, turn brothers, turn upon your side
Of your loosening mats
To where the others lie.
We have drunk tonight of a spell
Deeper than the owl’s or the bat’s
That wet of wings may not fly
Bedraggled up on the iroko, they stand
Emptied of hearts, and
Therefore will not, stir, no not
Even at dawn for then
They must scurry in to hide.
So let us roll over our back
And again roll to the beat
Of drumming all over the land
And under its ample soothing hand
Joined to that of the sea
We will settle to sleep of the innocent and free.