Summary of the poem, "Rain in Summer" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

   In the very 1st paragraph of the poem, the poet welcomes rain and describes how it is falling in every place. To the rain, there is no boundary and difference between a narrow Lane and a broad street. Actually it is not partial to any thing. It is giving pleasure to each and everyone of the universe. Because of the heat of the Summer, all the streets are become fiery and hot, and after a long time when rain come it becomes very "beautiful" and pleasant. That's why, the poet emphasizes on the line, "How beautiful is the rain!"

   In the second paragraph, the poet elaborates the sound of the rain. When it is falling down, it sounds like the hoofs of the horse. Not only that, as it is a heavy rain, it looks like that it is struggling to coming out from spout. In the next paragraph he is continuing describing the sound and the movement of the rain. He says, when it is falling across the window pane, it is quite "swift Swift and Wide" and the water is completely muddy and when it is flowing through the gutter, it looks like a stream:

   "With a muddy tide,

    Like a river down the gutter roars...."

   In the last paragraph, the poet describes how pleasant and comfortable this rain is to the sick people who are compelled to stay in their for their health. He can feel the pleasure of the rain, he can see the "twisted Brooks". Though he is ill from inside, he can feel the calmness of the rain inside out.

   The basic idea of the poem is that after a long, hot weather, rain is like a blessing. It can create a soothing effect even on a sick person. Everything is getting calm and everybody is feeling the pleasure of the rain.