How it clatters along the roofs,
Like the tramp of hoofs!
How it gushes and struggles out
From the throat of the overflowing spout!
Across the window pane 10
It pours and pours;
And swift and wide, With a muddy tide,
Like a river down the gutter roars
The rain, the welcome rain! 15
…. 18
In the country, on every side,
Where far and wide,
Like a leopard's tawny and spotted hide,
Stretches the plain,
To the dry grass and the drier grain
How welcome is the rain! 20
What is the effect of the simile in line 18 of the poem?
• 1. It portrays the rain as frightening.
• 2. It indicates that the storm is ending.
• 3. It presents a visual image of the plain.
• 4. It illustrates how fast the rain pours down.