
While attempting to research metaphorical properties of rain and water I became very overwhelmed. It seems that water can have hundreds of metaphorical properties and rain can have another hundred properties. Rain/water had a biblical presence that was all across the map. In some instances water meant truth and knowledge and in others it meant cleansing and judgment. One of my favorite biblically related rain references I came across during my search was (Job 36:27-31); “for he (God) maketh small the drops of water:
They pour down rain according to the vapor thereof;
Which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly.
For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.” I like how in this verse there is this clash of ideas with judgment from a bigger force/presence and how something so small such as rain can have a big impact. Although I probably could have written an entire paper on biblical verses relating to water and rain, I didn’t want my focus to be only based on the bible.
Although biblically speaking water is or can be “cleansing,” in my opinion it can also be used to hide or conceal. When I think of water being used to hide something, my first thought is of old school New York gangsters using the phrase “sleeping with the fishes,” which meant hiding a body in a lake or in some sort of water. It’s a little creepy but still an interesting thought. Water also has things/animals that hide in it. Animals such as crocodiles, sharks, jellyfish, various types of bacteria, etc, are in or under water and are able to be concealed by it. Not being able to see what lies beneath the surface of various bodies of water is what masks various animals’ presents an added element of fear.
Another classic perspective about rain is that it has negative emotional effects. Words associated with rain can be cold, or sadness, misery and isolation. There are not a lot of positive associations with rain, except for rainbows, but that is a totally different ball of wax. People can even sufferer from depression during long bouts of cold weather. SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, is short term depression brought on mostly during winter because of a lack of sunlight that hinders the bodies production of vitamin D (Board). Some of the symptoms noted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine include, “sluggish movements, hopelessness, less energy, the inability to concentrate and social withdrawal.” Wow, that’s a little sad that there is a disorder that is brought out from cold weather/ rain and that it is called SAD.
From this research I think that I want to work into my piece on something comprised of various elements to make a whole; still work in something that hides, and something that is actually has a little bit of fun in it in hopes of stamping out SAD.
Citations:
The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York: Oxford Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2008. Web. 2 Oct. 2013. http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/.
Board, Adam. Editorial. “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” Seasonal Affective Disorder. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 03 Aug. 2013. Web. 2 Oct. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002499/>.