A thunderstorm becomes a squabble between siblings. Lightning, a flighty and restless presence, flashes in the dark and imitates her brother Day. That annoys Night, who answers by calling on Thunder to scare the intruder off. It works, but only briefly. Lightning forgets her fear and returns, and the thunder rolls again.
The third stanza turns to Rain, who stays steady through the whole argument. She has seen these fights before, and although she has to remain in the middle of the bickering, she keeps calm. She reads almost like a patient parent or older sibling.
The speaker seems more amused than frightened, watching the storm with affection. Personifying the weather as a family gives the poem a playful, gentle mood. The loose, bouncing rhymes add to this feeling, making a loud storm feel familiar and almost cozy.