Rain Other Weather Poem

The poem “Rain, Snow, and Other Weather” by Lauren Stacks is about the weather, as the title may hint at. However, this is not all it is truly about. It follows the narrator of the poem, who is speaking to a friend about how they’re “like the weather” (1), through the usage of metaphors and vivid imagery. The most literal interpretation of this poem would then be, unquestionably, that the speaker has become part of the forecast. However, if one looks at the meaning in a more figurative way, it takes on a vastly different sense. For instance, written in the first stanza is “I’m like the weather, never really can predict/ when this rain cloud’s gonna burst” (1-2). The speaker is clearly highlighting the way their emotions can be altered easily,

They are in the first stanza of the poem as follows: “never really can predict/ when this rain cloud’s gonna/ burst; when it’s the high or it’s/ the low, when you might need a light jacket” (1-4). These lines are showcasing what the narrator is thinking, which is that their mood can change in an instant. For example, one minute they will be full of joy, but the next they’ll be feeling a little under the weather. The speaker doesn’t is not forever happy or glum, but they can feel both emotions. The next usage of a metaphor is from stanza 2, and the lines are as follows: “Sometimes I’m the slush that sticks/ to the bottom of your work pants,/but I can easily be the melting snowflakes/clinging to your long lashes” (5-8). This stanza shows the reader how the narrator feels like they’re dragging down their friend in their relationships and obligations - such as work - at times. However, the speaker can positively affect their friend too, because they can “easily be the melting snowflakes/clinging to your long lashes” (7-8). This confirms the notion that people should be judged by their good and bad moments both, as the narrator does not always act negatively as “the slush that sticks/ to the bottom of your work pants” (5-8), but is also capable of being a great friend. The final metaphor in this poem is in the very last line:

Here is an instance of vivid imagery that is written in the first stanza: “never really can predict/ when this rain cloud’s gonna/ burst; when it’s the high or it’s/ the low” (1-4). This represents the actuality of no one in the narrator’s life knowing when their temper will change, but the exquisite wording used is essential to producing the reader’s image of what the “rain cloud” bursting actually is: the speaker’s emotions. Following right afterwards, in the second stanza, the narrator tells their friend how “Sometimes I’m the slush that sticks/ to the bottom of your work pants,”. What they’re stating is that from time to time, they feel like a bother; an unwanted heavyweight to their friend. Imagery is tremendously helpful in deciphering these lines, as one can easily portray how slush is thought about in reality - which is to say, not too fondly. Thus, it is visible to the reader what the speaker is actually attempting to express: they occasionally think of themselves as undesirable and inferior friend to the person they’re communicating to. Lastly, the fourth stanza of the poem consists solely of repetition: “sunny and seventy-five,/ sunny and seventy-five,/ sunny and seventy-five” (10-12). When reasoning about what ‘sunny and seventy-five’ is literally viewed as, one may picture things that are bright and mood-enhancing. These interpretations