W. H. Davies’s “Heigh Ho, the Rain” is a short lyric about finding music and energy in rainy weather. In each stanza the speaker watches a bird meet the downpour in its own way: a lark high in the dim sky answers the rain with a shower of song, a nightingale pours out its soul while thunder rolls, and a sparrow presses its warm breast against wet green leaves, trying to rest. These small scenes make the speaker want to sing too, and the repeated “Heigh ho! The rain!” becomes a cheerful, easy acceptance of weather that might otherwise feel grey. The mood is light and resilient. Rain is not treated as an inconvenience but as part of the birds’ world, and the speaker seems to catch their spirit. The poem reads like a brief, tuneful reminder that a grey day can be met with a song.
Heigh Ho, the Rain — Summary
The Lark that in heaven dim Can match a rainy hour With his own music's shower, Can make me sing like him-- Heigh ho! The rain! Sing--when a Nightingale Pours forth her own sweet soul To hear dread thunder roll Into a tearful tale-- Heigh ho! The rain! Sing--when a Sparrow's seen Trying to lie at rest By pressing his warm breast To leaves so wet and green-- Heigh ho! The rain!