Working through Class 5 English Notes Chapter 3 The Rainbow Summary in English simplifies the understanding of long chapters.
The Rainbow Summary in English
Summary of The Rainbow Class 5
The Rainbow Summary
The poem talks about beautiful things that move or stand across water and sky. Boats sail on rivers and ships sail on seas, but the poet finds the clouds sailing in the sky even prettier. Similarly, there are lovely bridges over rivers, but the poet loves the rainbow the most. She calls it a bridge that connects the earth and the sky and says it is the most beautiful of all.

Through this, the poem suggests that nature is full of wonderful sights, but the rainbow is special because it brings beauty and joy to everyone.
The Rainbow Poem Class 5 Summary
The poem The Rainbow’ by Christina Rossetti is about the beauty of nature. It compares boats, ships and bridges with clouds and a rainbow. The poet concludes that the rainbow, a bridge from earth to sky, is the most beautiful of all.
The Rainbow Poem Stanza Wise Explanation
Stanza 1
Boats sail on the rivers,
And ships sail on the seas;
But clouds that sail across the sky
Are prettier far than these.
Exp.
The poet talks about boats and ships that move on rivers and seas. Then she tells us about clouds that move across the sky. She feels that the clouds are more beautiful than boats and ships. Through this, the poet helps us see how lovely nature is, especially the sky and the soft clouds. She wants us to notice how nature can be more beautiful than things made by people.
Stanza 2
There are bridges on the rivers,
As pretty as you please;
But the bow that bridges heaven,
And overtops the trees,
And builds a road from earth to sky,
Is prettier far than these.
Exp.
In the next part of the poem, the poet talks about bridges built over rivers. Then she tells us about the rainbow, which looks like a bow across the sky. She feels the rainbow is more beautiful than the real bridges we see. By saying this, the poet shows us that nature’s magic, like the rainbow, is more special and wonderful than anything people can build.
The Rainbow Poem Word Meanings
- Overtops – to rise above something;
- Bridges – a structure that is built over a river, road, or railroad to allow people and vehicles to cross from one side to the other;
- Bow – In the poem, ‘bow’ means a curved shape;
- Please – In the poem, ‘please’ means ‘as much as you like’ or ‘very much’
- Sail – To move smoothly on water or in the sky (like boats or clouds) – तैरना / बहना
- Seas – Large bodies of salty water, bigger than rivers – समुद्र
- Prettier – More beautiful or nicer to look at – अधिक सुंदर
- Bow – A beautiful curved band of colours that appears in the sky after rain (rainbow) – इंद्रधनुष
- Bridges – Structures built to connect two places over water or land – पुल
- Heaven – A peaceful, beautiful place high above in the sky – स्वर्ग/आकाश
- Overtops – To rise above or be higher than something else – ऊपर उठना / ऊँचा होना