Chapter the-rainbow: The Rainbow | Short Questions

The 'bow that bridges heaven' is a poetic description of a rainbow. The poet uses this phrase to describe how a rainbow arches across the sky, appearing like a massive bridge connecting the earth to the heavens. By calling it a bridge to heaven, she emphasizes its divine and celestial beauty. It is portrayed as a natural architectural wonder that is much more magnificent than any bridge built by people over rivers on the ground below.

In the poem, the rainbow is described as something that 'overtops the trees.' This means that the arch of the rainbow reaches higher than the very tops of the tallest trees. This detail helps the reader visualize the immense height and scale of the rainbow. It shows that the rainbow is a grand structure of nature that literally rises above the terrestrial world, making it a spectacular sight that dominates the landscape and reaches toward the sky.

The poet describes the rainbow as building a 'road from earth to sky.' This metaphorical road suggests a path or a link between our world and the heavens. Unlike a regular road made of tar or stone, this road is made of light and colour. It signifies a connection between the human realm and the celestial realm. This imagery makes the rainbow seem like a magical gateway, inviting us to look up and appreciate the vastness and beauty of the universe.

The poet prefers the rainbow, which she calls the 'bow that bridges heaven,' over the man-made bridges built on rivers. She prefers it because it is 'prettier far' than anything humans can create. While river bridges are useful and pretty, the rainbow is a work of nature that overtops trees and connects the earth to the sky. Its grand scale, vibrant colours, and heavenly nature make it superior in beauty and importance in the eyes of the poet.

VIBGYOR is an easy-to-remember acronym for the seven colours of the rainbow in their correct order. Each letter stands for a colour: V for Violet, I for Indigo, B for Blue, G for Green, Y for Yellow, O for Orange, and R for Red. The chapter explains that these colours appear when sunlight is split by rain droplets. Using this acronym helps students understand the scientific composition of white light and recognize the specific sequence of colours in nature.

Isaac Newton discovered that white light is actually made up of the seven colours of the rainbow. He proved this by creating a spinning disc painted with these seven colours. When the disc was spun very quickly, the individual colours blurred together, and the human eye saw only white. This discovery was revolutionary because it showed that colour is a fundamental property of light itself, providing a scientific basis for the beautiful rainbows we see after rain.

In the first stanza, 'these' refers to the boats sailing on rivers and the ships sailing on the seas. In the second stanza, 'these' refers to the man-made bridges that are built across rivers. In both cases, the word is used to group human-made structures together so the poet can compare them to natural wonders like clouds and rainbows. This helps emphasize her point that nature's creations are always 'prettier far' than the human versions.