NCERT Solutions For Class 8 English Chapter 5 Somebody’S Mother
"Somebody's Mother" is a deeply touching poem written by Mary Dow Brine. The poem revolves around a central theme of empathy, kindness, and human connection. It paints a vivid picture of a cold, snowy winter evening where an old, frail woman is trying to cross a busy street. While the rushing crowd completely ignores her plight, a young, cheerful schoolboy stops to help her.
The poem beautifully highlights the "Golden Rule" of life: treating others the way you want your own loved ones to be treated. The boy helps the stranger because he hopes that someday, if his own mother is old and in need, a stranger will extend a helping hand to her. It is a timeless lesson in compassion and respect for the elderly.
Important Questions & Answers
Q1. Describe the old woman's physical condition and the setting of the poem.
Answer: The setting of the poem is a bleak, freezing winter day. The streets are covered in snow, making them wet and dangerously slippery. The old woman is described as aged, frail, and ragged. She is bent with the chill of the winter day, her hair is grey, and her steps are slow and trembling. She stands at the crossing, fearful of being trampled by the rushing horses and carriages.
Q2. How did the general crowd react to the old woman waiting at the crossing?
Answer: The general crowd was completely indifferent and insensitive to the old woman's struggles. People rushed past her, busy with their own lives, paying no attention to her anxious face. No one offered her a helping hand or paused to see if she needed assistance to cross the slippery street safely.
Q3. Who finally came to the old woman's rescue, and how is his arrival described?
Answer: A young schoolboy finally came to her rescue. He is described as part of a noisy, cheerful group of boys who had just been let out of school. They came down the street like a "flock of sheep," laughing and shouting, glad to be free from their classes. Amidst this energetic crowd, one boy noticed the woman and paused to help her.
Q4. How did the young boy help the old woman cross the street?
Answer: The young boy separated himself from his playful friends and approached the old woman. He spoke gently to her, offering his help. He took her trembling hand, placed it on his strong arm, and carefully guided her across the slippery, snowy street. He made sure she reached the other side safely without rushing or making her feel like a burden.
Q5. Why did the young boy decide to help the old woman?
Answer: After helping the woman, the boy explained his reasons to his friends. He said that she was "somebody's mother," aged, poor, and slow. He helped her because he imagined his own mother in the future. He hoped that if he were ever far away and unable to help his own mother when she grew old, another kind stranger would step in and help her just as he had helped this woman.
Q6. Explain the significance of the lines: "He guided the trembling feet along; Proud that his own were firm and strong."
Answer: These lines create a beautiful contrast between the frailty of old age and the vitality of youth. The old woman's feet were trembling due to age, fear, and the slippery snow. The boy, on the other hand, was young, energetic, and physically strong. However, instead of using his strength to carelessly rush past her like the others, he used his firm and strong feet to provide stability and support to her weak ones.
Q7. What was the old woman's reaction after being helped by the boy?
Answer: While crossing the street with the boy, the old woman felt secure and safe. Her trembling hand was supported by his strong arm, giving her the confidence to walk without the fear of falling. Later that night, when she was safe in her home, she felt deep gratitude and prayed to God to bless the young boy for his noble act.
Q8. What was the exact prayer the old woman offered for the boy at night?
Answer: That night, the old woman bowed her head in her home and prayed for the boy. Her prayer was: "God, be kind to the noble boy, who is somebody's son, and pride and joy." She recognized that the boy who helped her was a precious child to his own parents, and she asked God to shower kindness and blessings upon him for the kindness he showed to a helpless stranger.
Q9. Contrast the attitude of the general public with the attitude of the young schoolboy.
Answer: The poem presents a sharp contrast between apathy and empathy. The general public represents a self-centered society; they were in a hurry, completely indifferent to the struggles of an old, vulnerable woman. In contrast, the young schoolboy represents compassion and mindfulness. Despite being in a joyful, playful mood with his friends, he had the sensitivity to notice her distress, stop his play, and selflessly offer his help.
Q10. Discuss the significance of the title "Somebody's Mother."
Answer: The title "Somebody's Mother" is highly significant because it strips away the anonymity of the old woman in the street. To the rushing crowd, she was just a random, ragged old lady in the way. But the title and the boy's realization remind the readers that every elderly stranger belongs to a family. She is a mother to someone who loves her. By calling her "Somebody's Mother," the poet urges us to treat every elderly person with the same dignity, love, and respect that we would demand for our own parents.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is the poet of the poem "Somebody's Mother"?
The poem is written by Mary Dow Brine, an American author and poet known for her sentimental and deeply emotional writings.
2. What is the central message or moral of the poem?
The central message of the poem is that we should always be kind and helpful to those in need, especially the elderly and the weak. It teaches the principle of empathy—treating others the way we would want strangers to treat our own loved ones if they were in trouble.
3. Why were the woman's feet described as "trembling"?
Her feet were trembling due to a combination of factors: her advanced old age, physical weakness, the biting cold of the winter day, and her intense fear of slipping on the wet, snowy street or being run over by the passing carriages.
4. How should I write an answer for a "Reference to Context" (extract-based) question from this poem?
For an extract-based question, always start by naming the poem ("Somebody's Mother") and the poet (Mary Dow Brine). Then, briefly explain what was happening right before the quoted lines, followed by the exact, literal meaning of the specific lines asked in the question.
5. What poetic devices are used in the poem?
The poet uses Rhyme (the poem follows rhyming couplets like grey/day, snow/slow), Simile (comparing the boys to a "flock of sheep"), and Imagery (creating strong visual pictures of the cold winter, the slippery street, and the bent old woman).