Walt Whiteman writes in his poem "Voice of the Rain" that rain calls itself "the poem of the land" because of the various sorts of delights and happiness it offers to the globe. This refers to the fact that rain has the power to give life to the earth by nourishing everything with its water. It can also lead to disasters if it falls in large quantities or without stopping. Some people believe that when it rains a voice is heard saying "Om". This is because in Hinduism when you say the name of God (or any other prayer) while praying, it is called "shouting into heaven". So according to this theory when it rains someone is shouting "Om" to tell God about their love and request him/her to listen to their prayer. In Japan, when it rains on a full moon people think that it means that something lucky will happen to them. They also believe that if you hear this mysterious voice when it is raining you should not open the door to anyone else but only to the angel who spoke to you. In Africa, when it storms cats begin to howl and dogs start to bark out of fear. This is because animals know that when it rains there's a chance that lightning will strike near them so they hide under beds or anywhere else they can find protection from this danger.