Reflect and Respond
I. Work in pairs. Discuss the memories from your childhood that you remember. List them and share with your classmates and teacher.
Ans :
Many childhood memories are built around the senses: the earthy scent of rain on dry ground, a grandmother’s gentle lullaby, the sweet taste of homemade treats, or the gritty feel of sand between your toes at a beach picnic. Bright kites flying during festivals, the mouthwatering smell of hot parathas in the morning, and the ringing of the school bell after a long day are moments that linger. These sensory details not only shape childhood but often outlast even the biggest events.
II. Discuss how children’s relationship with their mother can influence their emotions and memories.
Ans:
A mother is often a child’s first and most formative relationship, shaping the emotional foundation of early life. Her voice, touch, scent, and daily routines become linked to feelings of safety and comfort. Even in her absence, these sensory associations can involuntarily evoke emotions; for example, a familiar song, a flower’s scent, or a particular quality of light may suddenly elicit strong feelings. Tagore’s poem exemplifies this phenomenon: although he cannot consciously remember his mother, her presence endures through sensory impressions such as a tune, a scent, or a sense of stillness. This demonstrates that the mother–child bond is embedded within the senses as well as the mind.
III. Match the words given in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2.
Ans:
Check Your Understanding
I. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
Stanza 1
- The poet remembers his mother while he __________.
- The poet remembers the __________ but not the __________.
Setting: __________ (outdoor/indoor)
Stanza 2
- The poet remembers his mother in the __________ season.
- The poet remembers his mother by the smell of __________.
Setting: __________ (outdoor/indoor)
Stanza 3
- The poet feels that his mother __________ at him from the __________.
Setting: __________ (outdoor/indoor)
Ans:
Stanza 1
- …while he is playing / is in the midst of play.
- …the tune (of the song) but not the words of the song / the mother herself.
- Setting: Indoor
Stanza 2
- …in the early autumn season.
- …by the smell of shiuli flowers (and the morning temple service).
- Setting: Outdoor
Stanza 3
- …gazes / looks at him from the distant blue sky.
- Setting: Indoor
II. The senses of olfactory (smell), auditory (hearing), and visual (sight) are three of the five basic senses in humans. Give examples of references to senses from the poem. Complete the table.
Ans:
III. Read the poem silently once again and complete the following.
Ans:
1. Two examples of alliteration from the poem are:
- “sometimes … seems” — repetition of the ‘s’ sound in “sometimes in the midst” and “a tune seems.”
- “hover … hum” — repetition of the ‘h’ sound in “hover over” and “hum.”
2. An example of onomatopoeia is: “hum” — the word imitates the soft, low, closed-lips sound it describes, recreating the quiet, melodic sound of the mother humming at the cradle.
3. The poem uses imagery extensively. Explain.
- Auditory imagery (Stanza 1): The tune hovering over playthings — the mother’s half-remembered lullaby — creates a vivid sound picture, as if the soft melody drifts through the air of the playroom.
- Olfactory imagery (Stanza 2): The smell of shiuli flowers mingled with temple incense on an autumn morning builds a powerfully atmospheric picture. Scent is the sense most closely linked to involuntary memory, making this the most evocative stanza.
- Visual imagery (Stanza 3): The vast blue sky seen through the bedroom window, equated with the stillness of the mother’s gaze, creates a breathtaking visual metaphor — the sky becomes a canvas on which the poet projects his memory of his mother’s face.
4. Although the poem lacks a rhyme scheme, it remains engaging due to its evocative emotional imagery, inherent musical rhythm, and the universally relatable theme of fragmented childhood memory. The sensory details of sound, scent, and sight immerse the reader in the poet’s experience, rendering the absence of rhyme inconsequential.
5. What is the tone of the poet? Why do you say so?
Ans: The tone is wistful, tender, and gently melancholic. It is wistful as the poet strives for a memory that remains elusive; tender because the remembered fragments are deeply valued; and gently melancholic due to the subtle sadness of being unable to fully recall the person most significant in early life. The repeated phrase “I cannot remember my mother” conveys not despair, but a quiet, accepting sorrow.
6. What impact does the title of the poem have on the overall mood of the poem?
Ans: The title establishes a sense of loss and longing from the outset. The word “cannot” is definitive, indicating the poet’s inability to remember his mother as a complete person. This prepares the reader for an exploration of what persists at the margins of memory—sensory impressions rather than a complete recollection. Each vivid image, such as the tune, the scent, or the sky, gains poignancy as it serves as a substitute for, rather than a direct memory of, the mother.
7. The poet uses ‘I cannot remember my mother’ as a refrain ,Why?
Ans: The refrain is the poem’s emotional and structural backbone. Repeating “I cannot remember my mother” at the start of each stanza highlights a deep sense of loss—but this loss is gently contradicted by the sensory memories that follow. With every return to the refrain, the poem moves from absence to presence: the mother is not remembered through facts or images, but through feelings, scents, and sounds that keep her close. This repeated journey from emptiness to quiet connection shows how a mother’s love endures in the heart, even when conscious memory fades.
8. The poet uses symbolism to indicate the memory of his mother’s presence. Identify the symbols used in the poem.
- The hovering tune — symbolises the mother’s invisible yet comforting presence, surrounding her child with love that is felt rather than seen.
- The cradle — represents the first, closest connection between mother and child, a time of total trust and unconditional affection.
- The shiuli flowers and temple scent — evoke the mother’s spirituality and her role in daily rituals. The shiuli’s brief beauty at dawn mirrors the fleeting but memorable presence of the mother.
- The blue of the distant sky — captures the infinite, eternal quality of a mother’s love. The sky’s vastness stands for her watchfulness that embraces everything.
- The stillness of the gaze — expresses the mother’s calm and patient love, always present and quietly reassuring, bringing peace and acceptance.
Critical Reflection
I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
Extract 1:
I cannot remember my mother
only sometimes in the midst of my play
a tune seems to hover over my playthings,
(i) Complete the following sentence appropriately: The poet is reminded of his mother during his ___________.
Ans: …during his playtime / while playing in the midst of his play.
(ii) What is the primary emotion conveyed by the line ‘a tune seems to hover over my playthings’?
A. It enhances the joy of play.
B. It disrupts the playtime atmosphere.
C. It activates memories of the mother.
D. It symbolises the carefree nature of childhood.
Ans: C. It activates memories of the mother. The hovering tune is the tune the mother used to hum — its primary function is the involuntary activation of her memory, not the enhancement or disruption of play.
(iii) In the context of the poem, what role does the hovering tune play during the speaker’s playtime?
Ans: The tune gently links the speaker’s playtime to his earliest, wordless memories. It drifts into his mind without warning, carrying the warmth and comfort of his mother’s lullaby. Rather than being a memory he chooses to recall, the music simply appears, like a soft echo from the past, quietly connecting the child he is now to the mother he longs for.
(iv) State whether the following sentence is true or false: The poet experiences the tune lingering over playthings only occasionally during playtime.
Ans: True. The poem says “only sometimes in the midst of my play” — confirming the experience is occasional and involuntary, not constant.
(v) How could the poet feel his mother’s presence, even though she isn’t there?
Ans: The poet senses his mother’s presence through deep-rooted sensory memories, which are among the most lasting forms of recollection. Experiences from early childhood—like his mother’s lullaby, the scent of shiuli flowers and temple incense, and the calmness of her gaze—are stored below conscious memory. When he encounters a familiar melody, a floral fragrance, or a still blue sky, these memories rise up without effort, bringing the mother close. She is not remembered through clear images, but through sensations that quietly shape his world and feelings.
Extract 2:
I feel that the stillness of
my mother’s gaze on my face
has spread all over the sky.
(i) What does the poet suggest about the stillness of his mother’s gaze spreading over the sky?
A. The mother’s gaze is physically present in the sky.
B. The sky is a symbolic extension of the mother’s presence.
C. The sky mirrors the mother’s emotions.
D. The stillness is fleeting and unrelated to the mother.
Ans: B. The sky represents the boundless and gentle presence of the mother. Its vastness and stillness reflect the calm, protective love of her gaze, spreading across everything the poet sees. In this way, the sky carries the feeling of her watchfulness and turns absence into a comforting presence all around.
(ii) What emotion does the poet associate with the ‘stillness’ of his mother’s gaze?
A. a sense of grief
B. a sense of anticipation
C. a sense of nostalgia
D. a sense of serenity
Ans: D. a sense of serenity. “Stillness” implies calm, peace, and tranquillity — not grief (active and painful), anticipation (tense), or even nostalgia (an ache of longing). The mother’s gaze was quiet, steady, and peaceful — an anchor of serenity in his early life.
(iii) State whether the following sentence is true or false: The poet suggests that the mother’s gaze has a tangible and visual effect on the sky.
Ans: False. The effect is not tangible but purely emotional and metaphorical. The poet uses the sky as a symbolic canvas onto which he projects the feeling of his mother’s still, watchful presence — it is felt rather than seen.
(iv) What is the purpose of likening the mother’s gaze to the sky?
Ans:
- It conveys the boundlessness of a mother’s love — like the sky, it has no edges and encompasses everything.
- It expresses the permanence of the memory — the sky is always there, as is the feeling of her presence.
- It elevates the personal experience to something cosmic and transcendent — the mother, though gone, has merged with the eternal.
- The sky suggests distance combined with closeness — she is far away but as omnipresent as the sky above.
(v) Complete the sentence appropriately: The tone of the poet in the given extract is _____________ because _____________.
Ans: The tone is serene and contemplative because the poet expresses not acute grief, but a quiet, philosophical peace. By gazing into the blue sky and finding in its stillness a reflection of his mother’s calm gaze, the poet evokes expansive and tranquil imagery. The prevailing emotion is gentle wonder rather than active sorrow.
II. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the emotional impact of the refrain, ‘I cannot remember my mother’?
Ans: The refrain “I cannot remember my mother” deepens the poem’s emotional effect, layering both sorrow and subtle hope. With each repetition at the start of a stanza, it signals loss and longing; yet, the vivid sensory memories that follow—of sound, scent, and sky—softly challenge that sense of absence. This interplay between what the mind cannot recall and what the heart still feels creates a poignant tension. As the poem unfolds, the refrain evolves: from gentle sadness in the beginning to quiet wonder by the end. Ultimately, it reveals that the poet’s true memory of his mother endures, not as clear pictures, but as living sensations.
2. Interpret the connection between the poet’s mother and the following: (i) shiuli flowers (ii) humming tune
Ans:
- (i) Shiuli flowers: The shiuli blooms at night and scatters its delicate petals at dawn, filling the air with a gentle, sweet fragrance in the early morning. This scent, blended with the aroma of temple incense, became part of the atmosphere that surrounded the mother. The poet links both the flower and the fragrance to his mother’s presence, implying she was spiritual and an essential part of daily rituals. The shiuli, with its short-lived beauty, also symbolizes the mother—her presence in the child’s life was brief but unforgettable, and her memory lingers like the flower’s scent.
- (ii) Humming tune: The mother’s soft humming as she rocked the cradle became a cherished and intimate part of the poet’s infancy. Even though the words have faded from memory, the melody itself is imprinted in his senses. When the tune reappears unexpectedly during play, it brings a sense of comfort and safety—recreating those earliest feelings of closeness and protection. This wordless music was the first way mother and child connected, communicating love and security without the need for language.
3. What role does nature play in the poet’s description of the memory of his mother?
Ans: Nature acts as a powerful channel through which the poet experiences memories of his mother. Each stanza links her presence to a unique aspect of the natural world: the living tune drifting in the air, the delicate scent of shiuli flowers on crisp autumn mornings, and the vast blue sky seen through a window. Nature becomes the medium that transforms absence into presence—sensory experiences like fragrance, sound, and stillness invoke the mother’s memory even without conscious thought. This reflects Tagore’s belief in the deep connection between nature and human emotion, using the natural world to give voice and shape to the most profound feelings of love and longing.
4. What can be inferred about the poet’s perception of the mother–child relationship?
Ans:
- The deepest and most enduring bond: Though the poet lost his mother too young to form conscious memories, her presence has never left him — embedded in the senses and the body below the level of memory.
- Felt rather than thought: The poet remembers through sound, scent, and sight — involuntary, sensory impressions — suggesting the mother–child relationship belongs to the realm of feeling, not thought.
- Sacred and spiritual: The connection of the mother’s presence to the temple’s morning service suggests she is not merely a domestic figure but something transcendent — as vast as the sky, as fragrant as temple flowers.
- Characterised by unconditional calm: The “stillness” of her gaze — peaceful, not anxious or demanding — suggests her love was calm, patient, and endlessly accepting.
Vocabulary in Context
I. Work in pairs to classify the sensory words given in the box. One example has been done for you.
Ans:
II. Fill in the blanks with sensory words from the box for the passage written by Sarojini Naidu. There are two extra words.
Ans:
Come and share my exquisite March morning with me: this sumptuous blaze of gold and sapphire sky; these 1. scarlet lilies that adorn the sunshine; the voluptuous 2. perfumes of neem and champak and serisha that beat upon the languid air with their implacable 3. scents; the thousand little gold and blue and silver breasted birds bursting with the 4. sweetness ecstasy of life in nesting time. And, do you know that the scarlet lilies are woven petal by petal from my heart’s blood, these little quivering birds are my soul made incarnate music, these heavy 5. flaming are my emotions dissolved into aerial 6. essence, this 7. shrill blue and gold sky is the ‘very me’…
Extra words (not used): sizzle, smooth
III. Write numbers against each picture with the phrases that describe them with their sensorial associations.
- beats of music echo in air
- melody of soothing scent, dancing in the air
- fragrant breeze of blooming buds
- gentle lullaby, a soft melody
- colourful sky, painting a lively sight
- attractive canvas painting the horizon
Ans:
Speaking Activity
I. Work in pairs. Think of an object, song, or a place that is memorable for you. Take turns to speak about it using the prompts given below.
Ans:
Introduction: “As a child, one object stands out vividly in my memory — the old brass wind chime that dangled by my grandmother’s kitchen window. Its seven slender tubes, each a different length, would softly chime together whenever even the gentlest breeze passed by.”Sensory details: “I can still psee the mellow glowof the brass in the alate fternoon lsunlight. Its sound wasn’t loud at all, but rather delicate and layered, almost like a gentle whisper. When I close my eyes, the feeling of warm summer air mingles with that soft music — a combination that always signaled comfort to me.”
Specific memory: “One daywhen I was about seven., Iscraped my knee badly while playing . I remembersitting on the kitchen steps, cstifling tears My grandmother bhandedme a gcool lass of cater and sat beside me. in silence. As I tried to calm down, the wind chime began to ring quiely in the breeze, and somehow that gpeacefulsound made emy pain seem smaller and the moment feel safe.”Impact on life: “TEven now whenever I hear tind chimes — iwhether in a shop or outside someone’s window — it brings an immediate sens of calm. It ’ as if my grandmother’’s gentle presence returns with every note, reminding me that true comfort can exist withoutwords.”
Why it is meaningful: “This memory iremains significantbecause it reminds me that the most cpowerful comfort in life are often tfound in simple things: a soothing sound, a shared silence, or a quiet act of companionship. It connects me to a love that needed no explanation — steady, unspoken, and complete”
Writing Task
I. Imagine you had been on a school trip to a scenic place which appealed to all your senses. Write a diary entry describing the place and why it was a memorable experience.
Ans (Sample Diary Entry):
Saturday, 18 October | 9:30 p.m.
Today was a day I know I will remember for years to come. Our school trip took us to the Corbett foothills, a beautiful forest reserve nestled at the edge of a river valley. I don’t think I’ve ever had my senses engaged so completely all at once.
We arrived just as the morning mist was still draped over the treetops. The first thing that struck me was the scent—a rich, earthy aroma of wet soil and greenery that greeted me the moment I stepped off the bus. It was a blend of things growing and decaying together, one of the most alive and invigorating smells I’ve ever known. Ananya, my friend, described it perfectly: “like rain kept permanently in a bottle.”
As we set off along the trail, the sounds of the forest surrounded us. The woods were never truly silent. Somewhere high above, hidden birds sang in clear, liquid notes. Deeper in, our guide pointed out the sudden, sharp bark of a deer, which startled me. Underneath everything was the ever-present sound of the river—a low, steady hiss you could feel deep in your chest rather than just hear.
Late in the afternoon came the moment that defined the day. Our group sat quietly on a boulder beside the river while our teacher asked for five minutes of silence. I watched a heron stand motionless in the shallow water, its grey feathers glowing in the fading orange sunlight. I could feel the coldness of the stone beneath me, the final warmth of the sun on my face, and the cool, damp air that rose from the river. Every sense felt heightened, as if I was truly awake.
On the bus ride back, there was a thoughtful hush. It seemed everyone was lost in their own memories of the day. I realized how rarely I move through life with such awareness. For those few hours, I was completely present—seeing, smelling, hearing, and feeling each moment. I hope I can hold on to that sense of presence and carry it into my everyday life.
— [Your Name]