Somebody’s Mother - Textual Notes

SOMEBODY’S MOTHER

Poet: Mary Dow Brine

LET US DO THESE ACTIVITIES BEFORE WE READ

I. Recall a time you helped someone.

1. What were your feelings after you did so?

I felt happy and satisfied.

2. What might have been the feelings of the person whom you helped?

The person might have felt happy, thankful and relieved.

II. Work in pairs. Read the words given below.

strong, worried, trembling, hastening, firm, bent, merry, grey, slow, guide, helpful

Words associated with an elderly person: worried, trembling, bent, grey, slow

Words associated with a school student: strong, hastening, firm, merry, helpful

III. Select the suitable meaning of ‘ragged’ as used in the lines.

“The woman was old and ragged and grey”

Of clothes, old and torn; shabby.

LET US DISCUSS

I. Arrange the events of the poem in the correct order of occurrence.

1. The old woman stood alone at the crossing, hesitant to move.

2. A group of schoolboys passed by, playing and laughing.

3. The children hurried past the old woman without offering help.

4. The boy offered to help the old woman cross the street.

5. The woman placed her hand on the boy’s arm, and he guided her safely across the street.

6. The boy returned to his friends, feeling proud of what he had done.

7. The boy thought about his own mother and hoped someone would help her one day.

8. The woman prayed for the boy who helped her.

II. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct answer.

1. The central theme of the poem is kindness and empathy.

2. The tone of the poem is sympathetic and hopeful.

3. The poem is written in couplets with two lines in each stanza.

4. The structure of the poem gives a rhythmic flow that reflects both the narrative and emotions.

5. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of AABB.

III. Pick examples from the poem for the following poetic devices.

1. Simile :“Came the boys like a flock of sheep.”

2. Alliteration : “Proud that his own were firm and strong.”

3. Repetition: “Somebody’s mother”

IV. Complete the following sentences appropriately explaining the imagery.

1. The poem uses imagery to describe scenes of a bustling street. We know this by the phrase “Down the street, with laughter and shout”.

2. The line “The street was wet with a recent snow” suggests a cold and slippery weather, emphasising the woman’s helplessness.

V. Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason.

The poet repeats the phrase Somebody’s mother because it shows that the old woman is also someone’s loved mother and deserves care and respect.

VI. Complete the analogy.

The old woman: vulnerable and neglected :: The young boy: kind and helpful.

LET US THINK AND REFLECT

I. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow.

1. “The woman was old and ragged and grey And bent with the chill of the Winter’s day. The street was wet with a recent snow And the woman’s feet were aged and slow.”

(i) What does the phrase ‘ragged and grey’ refer to?

B. The woman’s old and worn-out appearance.

(ii) Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason.

The woman was ‘bent’ with the chill of the Winter’s day because she was old and weak.

(iii) Identify the fact and opinion.

A. The street was wet with recent snow.

Fact.

B. The woman was too weak to cross the street on her own.

Opinion.

(iv) Why do you think the woman’s feet were described as ‘aged and slow’?

Her feet were weak because of her old age.

2. “He guided the trembling feet along, Proud that his own were firm and strong. Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content.”

(i) What does the contrast between the ‘trembling feet’ of the old woman and the ‘firm and strong’ feet of the boy emphasise?

It shows the woman’s weakness and the boy’s strength.

(ii) Fill in the blank.

The boy was grateful for his ability to help.

(iii) What is the boy most likely to tell his friends on getting back?

A. “I’m so glad I could help her.”

(iv) Rectify the false sentence.

The young boy’s actions were driven by a logical decision.

The young boy’s actions were driven by kindness and empathy.

II. Answer the following questions.

1. What might be the old woman’s fears as she waited for a long time at the crossing?

She feared falling on the slippery road or being hit by a carriage or horse.

2. How does the poet show the helplessness of the old woman? Support your answer with evidence from the poem.

She was old, poor and slow. She stood alone and waited for help. Her feet were “aged and slow”.

3. Why does the boy decide to help the old woman? What does this tell us about him?

He feels that she is somebody’s mother. This shows that he is kind, caring and thoughtful.

4. How was the boy’s approach towards the old woman different from that of the other boys in the group?

Other boys passed without helping her. The boy stopped and safely helped her cross the street.

5. Justify the appropriateness of the title of the poem.

The old woman is called “somebody’s mother”. The boy helps her because he thinks about his own mother. So the title is appropriate.

6. What does the poem suggest about the role of empathy and humanity in society?

It teaches us to understand others’ problems and help people who need our support.

LET US LEARN

I. Antonyms

1. firm – fragile

2. meek – arrogant

3. merry – sad

4. kind – cruel

5. anxious – peaceful

6. bent – straight

II. Match the words from the text with the underlined phrases.

1. hastened – iii

2. heeded – vi

3. stir – i

4. lend – ii

5. piled – iv

6. offered – v

III. Match the idioms using ‘hand’ with their meanings.

1. get out of hand – iv. become difficult to control

2. try your hand at something – i. do something new

3. give somebody a free hand – vi. allow somebody to do something with full freedom

4. give somebody a big hand – ii. applaud somebody

5. work hand in hand – iii. work together

6. have your hands full – v. be very busy

IV. Complete the following analogy.

1. cold : winter :: heat : summer

2. hurt : harm :: old : aged

3. whispered : shouted :: humble : proud

4. eyes : see :: legs : walk

5. having a lot of money : wealthy :: densely packed people : throng

‘Lest’ – Meaning and Use

“Lest” means “to prevent something bad from happening” or “just in case”.

Example:

She carried an umbrella lest it rain.

Meaning: She carried an umbrella just in case it rained.

LET US LISTEN

I. Arrange the pictures in the correct sequence of events.

1. A woman fell into the Domri River while washing clothes.

2. The woman struggled in the strong currents.

3. Rohan saw the woman in danger.

4. Rohan jumped into the river without hesitation.

5. Rohan rescued the woman and brought her to safety.

6. Rohan was honoured for his bravery.

(The textbook transcript describes Rohan Ramchandra Bahir, a 15-year-old student who rescued a woman from the Domri River. )

II. Complete the following sentences.

1. The woman was having a difficult time staying afloat due to the strong currents.

2. Rohan leapt into the river to save the woman without any moment’s hesitation.

3. Rohan’s act of bravery was witnessed by onlookers.

4. Rohan was honoured at the Vigyan Bhawan for his incredible courage and selfless act.

5. Rohan proved that when it comes to saving lives, age is no barrier.

The listening answers are based on the transcript given in the textbook. 

LET US SPEAK

I. Read aloud the words ending in ‘-ed’.

Words from the poem:

ragged aged waited heeded offered paused guided whispered

/id/ sound: ragged aged waited heeded

/d/ sound: offered paused guided

/t/ sound: whispered

II. Work in pairs. Narrate an incident where you helped someone in the past.

It all started when I saw an elderly man carrying heavy bags at the market. He was walking slowly and looked tired. I went to him and offered to carry one of his bags. He thanked me with a smile. I felt very happy because I could help him. This experience taught me the value of kindness.

LET US WRITE

I. Write a diary entry of a day you helped someone in need.

26 April 20xx

Saturday 

8:00 p.m.

Dear Diary,

Today was a special day. I helped an elderly woman near the market. She was carrying heavy bags and was finding it difficult to walk. I carried her bags and helped her reach the bus stop safely. She thanked me with a warm smile. I felt very happy and satisfied. I realised that even a small act of kindness can make someone happy. I would gladly help people again whenever I can.

LET US EXPLORE

I. Earth as Mother

The Atharva Veda refers to Earth as our mother and human beings as her children.

“Earth is my mother and I am her child.” 

This idea teaches us to respect and protect the Earth as we respect our mother.

II. Countries that use ‘motherland’ and ‘fatherland’

Motherland: India, Russia, France

Fatherland: Germany, Switzerland, Vietnam

Different countries use different expressions for their homeland. The words show a strong emotional connection with the country.

III. Read the poem and enjoy.  A Nation’s Strength

What is the main idea of the poem?

The strength of a nation comes from brave, honest and hardworking people, not from gold or wealth.

What qualities make a nation strong?

Truth, honour, courage, hard work and sacrifice make a nation strong.

IV. Gratitude Card

Message:

Dear Mother/Grandmother,

Thank you for taking care of me every day.

Thank you for preparing food for me.

Thank you for helping me with my studies.

Thank you for encouraging me when I feel sad.

Thank you for loving and supporting me always.

I will help you regularly with household work.

I will also take care of you and respect you always.

With love and gratitude, Your loving child

KEY THEMES OF THE POEM

Kindness : The boy helps the old woman when others ignore her.

Empathy : The boy understands the woman’s helplessness.

Humanity : The poem teaches us to help people in need.

Respect for elders : The old woman deserves care and respect.

Love for mother : The boy thinks about his own mother while helping the old woman.

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS

The Old Woman

She is old, poor, weak and helpless. She is afraid to cross the slippery street.

The Young Boy

He is kind, helpful, caring and thoughtful. He helps the old woman safely cross the street.

The Other Boys

They are happy and playful, but they do not notice the woman’s difficulty.

IMPORTANT WORDS AND MEANINGS

ragged – old and torn

grey – having grey hair

bent – unable to stand straight

aged – old

throng – a large crowd

heeded – paid attention to

hastened – moved quickly

meek – gentle and quiet

timid – shy and afraid

stir – move slightly

slippery – difficult to walk on

trembling – shaking slightly

laddie – boy

guide – lead someone safely

proud – pleased with oneself

content – happy and satisfied

noble – good and admirable

lend a hand – help someone

CENTRAL MESSAGE

The poem teaches us to be kind and helpful to people, especially the old and helpless. We should not ignore someone who needs help. A small act of kindness can bring happiness to another person. The young boy helps the old woman because he understands that she is somebody’s mother.