diff --git a/src/Parser.cc b/src/Parser.cc
index 259d1d4..7dd1b76 100644
--- a/src/Parser.cc
+++ b/src/Parser.cc
@@ -71,9 +71,13 @@ Geometry *Parser::getGeometry(const nlohmann::json &j) {
   return g;
 }
 
-// TODO: return four corners for rectangles and area lights
+// helper function to get four corners of a rectangle
 const Matrix<float, 3, 4> getCorners(const nlohmann::json &j) {
-  return Matrix<float, 3, 4>();
+  Matrix<float, 3, 4> corners;
+  for (int i = 0; i < 4; ++i) {
+    corners.col(i) = getVector3f(j["p" + std::to_string(i + 1)]);
+  }
+  return corners;
 }
 
 Sphere *Parser::getSphere(const nlohmann::json &j, float ka, float kd, float ks,
diff --git a/src/RayTracer.cc b/src/RayTracer.cc
index 3f04ca6..b130c70 100644
--- a/src/RayTracer.cc
+++ b/src/RayTracer.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ using std::vector;
 void RayTracer::parse() {
   for (auto i = json["output"].begin(); i != json["output"].end(); ++i)
     scenes.push_back(Parser::getScene(*i));
+
+  for (auto i = json["geometry"].begin(); i != json["geometry"].end(); ++i)
+    geometries.push_back(Parser::getGeometry(*i));
 }
 
 void RayTracer::render() {}
diff --git a/src/RayTracer.h b/src/RayTracer.h
index 427a469..1c18f19 100644
--- a/src/RayTracer.h
+++ b/src/RayTracer.h
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 #define RAY_TRACER_H_
 
 #include "../external/json.hpp"
+#include "Geometry.h"
+#include "Light.h"
 #include "Scene.h"
 
 #include <vector>
@@ -14,6 +16,8 @@ public:
 private:
   nlohmann::json json;
   std::vector<Scene *> scenes;
+  std::vector<Light *> lights;
+  std::vector<Geometry *> geometries;
 
   void parse();
   void render();