Rain - Hone Tuwhare - comprehension and analysis worksheet

New Zealand Maori writer Hone Tuwhare’s poem Rain is a fantastic exploration of how a poet can evoke a sense of feeling in poetry, rather than relying heavily on sight in writing. The poem avoids visual descriptions, instead highlighting the sound, touch and smell of rain.

This worksheet particularly emphasises comprehension of this poem and makes a great starting point for a class study. Questions help students to dig into the use of senses as well as the meaning of some more unusual phrases. Questions then begin to focus on language techniques such as the use of second person pronouns and metaphorical language. A framing activity (at the start and end of the worksheet) asks students to imagine non-tangible ideas like morning or love, and what these would sound, smell or feel like, turning this into a poem of their own.