Somebody’s Mother

Poem overview and author

Somebody's Mother is a narrative poem by Mary Dow Brine. On a snowy winter day an elderly woman stands at a busy street crossing, worried about carriage wheels and horses on the slippery road. Most passers-by and a group of schoolboys hurry past. One boy stops, offers his arm and guides her safely across. He thinks of his own mother, and the woman later prays for him. The poem celebrates empathy through a small practical act.

Opening: the woman's difficult situation

The poet describes the woman as old, poorly dressed, grey-haired and bent by the cold. Her steps are slow, the road is wet from snow and crowds do not notice her anxious expression. These details establish vulnerability without suggesting that all older people are helpless. The contrast between the busy street and her isolation invites readers to notice people others overlook.

Schoolboys and the turning point

A group of cheerful schoolboys emerges after classes, enjoying the snow and their freedom. They hurry past the woman. Eventually one boy stops and quietly offers to help. The important change is not that he possesses strength, but that he notices another person's difficulty and chooses to act.

Crossing and the boy's reflection

The woman places her hand on the boy's strong arm, and he carefully guides her across. He feels happy and proud because his strength has been useful to someone else. When he returns to his friends, he explains that the woman is somebody's mother and hopes a stranger would show similar care to his own mother if she ever needed help.

The woman's prayer and the ending

That night the woman remembers the kindness and prays for the boy, recognising that he too is somebody's beloved child. This mirrors his thoughts about his own mother and broadens the poem's message: each stranger belongs to a web of relationships and deserves dignity. The poem does not say the boy acted to receive a reward.

Theme, message and ethical application

Kindness, empathy, respect, gratitude and responsibility are the central values. The poem contrasts indifference with attentive care and asks readers to imagine the needs of others. In real life, help should be offered respectfully: ask permission, use safe crossings and never enter dangerous traffic. If someone faces immediate danger, alert responsible adults or emergency services.

Form and rhyme

The poem is built from rhyming couplets: pairs of successive lines with matching end sounds. The rhyme pattern is AABB in each four-line grouping. Rhythm makes the narrative easy to recite, while the shift from the woman's fear to the boy's help and prayer gives it an emotional arc.

Poetic devices

A simile compares the schoolboys to a flock of sheep, emphasising how they move together. Alliteration repeats consonant sounds in nearby words, for example the initial h sounds in the short phrase 'helping hand' as a general language example (the poem's exact expression is 'helping hand'). Repetition of the title phrase reinforces the idea that the woman is valued by someone. Winter, wet snow, hurried crowds and trembling feet create sensory imagery; contrasting trembling and firm feet highlights the difference in physical confidence.

Word meanings

Ragged means shabby or worn; throng means a dense crowd; heeded means paid attention; anxious means worried; meek means gentle or timid; stir means move; lest means for fear that; hastened means hurried; firm means steady; offered means proposed or provided; lend a hand means help; noble means morally admirable.

What makes an evidence-based answer?

Describe a specific event, explain what it shows and give a concise conclusion. For example, the boy's choice to stop when others passed supports the interpretation that he was attentive and compassionate. Do not claim he was trying to impress friends: the poem says he was happy about helping.

Before we read — all three activities

I. Two words for feelings

Sample feelings after helping: happy, satisfied. Possible feelings of the person helped: relieved, grateful. Students should use their own genuine experiences if asked.

II. Words associated with the characters

These are descriptions of these fictional characters, not traits shared by every older person or student.

III. Meaning of ragged

Option 1: old and torn or shabby, referring to the woman's clothing and appearance.

Let us discuss — complete answers

I. Arrange eight events in order

Correct sequence of the textbook's numbered items: 2 → 3 → 6 → 4 → 7 → 1 → 8 → 5. The woman waits, boys pass, one offers help, guides her, rejoins friends, reflects on his mother and she prays for him.

II. Five fill-in-the-blanks

III. Poetic devices

Simile: the boys are compared to a flock of sheep. Alliteration: the repeated consonant sound in 'firm and strong' is not a valid initial-sound example; use the poem's nearby 'helping hand' for an h-sound example. Repetition: the expression 'somebody's mother' returns to reinforce the theme.

IV. Imagery blanks

1. The phrase describing a crowd of people passing the woman evokes the bustling street. 2. Cold and slippery (or harsh) weather.

V. Why is the title phrase repeated?

It reminds readers that the elderly woman is loved by someone and deserves kindness and dignity.

VI. Complete the analogy

Old woman: vulnerable and neglected :: Young boy: kind and caring (helpful and compassionate).

Let us think and reflect — eight extract subquestions

Let us think and reflect — six main comprehension questions

Let us learn — vocabulary, idioms and analogies

I. Antonym grid — six words

The source grid also contains an apparent misspelling 'PEASEFUL'; the intended standard spelling is 'peaceful'. For the anxious antonym, CALM is clearly present.

II. Match six vocabulary items

III. Match six hand idioms

IV. Complete five analogies

1. chill : winter :: heat : summer. 2. hurt : harm :: old : aged. 3. whispered : shouted :: humble : proud. 4. eyes : glance :: legs : walk. 5. having a lot of money : wealthy :: densely packed people : throng.

V. Meaning and use of lest

Lest means 'for fear that' or 'to prevent the possibility that'. In the poem the woman worries that horses or carriage wheels may knock her down. Example: She held the railing lest she slip. In many sentences 'just in case' is less precise and does not replace lest word for word.

Let us listen — complete transcript-based guidance

I. Picture sequence

Chronological picture order by the six printed picture numbers: 3 → 1 → 5 → 6 → 2 → 4. The narrative begins at the riverside, moves through a rescue from strong currents and ends with an award ceremony. If writing ranks beneath pictures 1–6, enter 2, 5, 1, 6, 3, 4.

II. Five one-to-three-word answers

These answers are tied to the textbook listening transcript on page 99. Listening practice still requires hearing the teacher or recording.

Let us speak — accurate -ed pronunciation

Important correction to the printed classification: heeded ends /ɪd/ because heed ends with /d/; paused ends /d/ after /z/, not /t/. Ragged and aged meaning elderly have special adjectival pronunciations. Not every -ed adjective takes /ɪd/: tired ends /d/, and finished ends /t/.

Model speaking narrative

I remember visiting the market with my father and seeing a shopper struggling to carry two bags. I asked whether help would be useful. When the shopper agreed, I carried one bag to a nearby bench. The person thanked me, and I felt glad I had noticed the difficulty. This example is fictional; replace it with your own experience when speaking in class.

Let us write — model diary entry

26 April 20XX, 8:00 p.m. Dear Diary, Today I helped a classmate who had missed two lessons because of illness. During the lunch break she seemed worried about the homework. I asked whether she wanted help, and we went to the school library. I shared my notes and explained the difficult examples one by one. At first I was unsure whether my explanation was clear, so I asked her to try a new question independently. She solved it correctly and smiled with relief. I felt happy because a small amount of patience had made her day easier. I would gladly help again whenever someone needs support. Goodnight, [Your name].

This is a fictional model. Use your own actual date, event, feelings and reflection if the task asks for a personal diary.

Let us explore — four activities

I. Earth as mother

The textbook refers to the Prithvi Sukta of the Atharva Veda, which describes Earth as a mother and humans as her children. Discuss how this image encourages care for soil, water, plants and other living things. Religious and literary metaphors can be studied respectfully without treating them as scientific evidence.

II. Motherland and fatherland

Research examples of how different languages personify a country as a mother or father. Usage differs across countries and historical periods; record the original-language term, translation and reliable source rather than asserting that every citizen uses one label.

III. A Nation's Strength

The textbook includes a short poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson emphasising integrity, courage and collective effort rather than material wealth alone. Compare its theme of moral strength with the schoolboy's small act of kindness; avoid confusing Emerson with the author of Somebody's Mother.

IV. Gratitude card

Create a card using reused paper and thank a parent, grandmother or caregiver for five specific acts of care. Example: listening, preparing meals, encouraging learning, sharing advice and helping when ill. Promise two realistic actions such as washing dishes and organising your own schoolbag. Adapt respectfully to your family circumstances.

20 original practice questions — explanations and answers

Exam revision, MCQs and higher-order thinking

MCQ 1: Poet — Mary Dow Brine. MCQ 2: Weather — cold and snowy. MCQ 3: Rhyme scheme — AABB. MCQ 4: Simile — schoolboys compared to a flock of sheep. MCQ 5: Boy's motive — empathy. MCQ 6: Antonym of anxious — calm. MCQ 7: Meaning of lend a hand — help. MCQ 8: Final sound of paused — /d/.

HOTS: Does helping others require physical strength? No. A person can help by listening, sharing information, alerting a responsible adult or offering accessible support. Why does the ending include the woman's prayer? It mirrors the boy's concern for his mother and shows gratitude.

Common mistakes: Do not name Ralph Waldo Emerson as this poem's author; do not use ABAB as the rhyme scheme; do not say the boy wanted applause; do not mix up simile and repetition; do not copy the textbook's mistaken pronunciation placement for heeded and paused without explanation.

Source and scope

NCERT Poorvi Class 8 Unit 2, Somebody's Mother, printed pages 70–81, Reprint 2026–27. The original poem, images and listening audio are not embedded. Personal and research activities require student participation.

Official NCERT Poorvi Unit 2 PDF