Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English Poem Somebody’s Mother Summary, Line by Line Explanation, along with difficult word meanings from English Kumarbharati Book
Somebody’s Mother – Are you looking for Theme, Summary and Poem Explanation for Maharashtra State Board Class 9 Poem Somebody’s Mother from the English Kumarbharati Book. Get Poem Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings.
Somebody’s Mother Maharashtra State Board Class 9 English
– Mary Dow Brine
- Somebody’s Mother Introduction
- Theme of the Poem
- Somebody’s Mother Summary
- Somebody’s Mother Summary in Hindi
- Somebody’s Mother Poem Explanation
- Miracles Poetic Devices
Somebody’s Mother Introduction
“Somebody’s Mother” is a poem that highlights the compassion and kindness of a young boy towards an elderly woman. It serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy and helping those in need, no matter their circumstances.
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Theme / Central Idea of the Poem Somebody’s Mother
The poem “Somebody’s Mother” explores several themes, including:
- Empathy and compassion: The poem highlights the importance of empathy and compassion towards others, especially those who are vulnerable or in need. The young boy’s kindness towards the elderly woman serves as a powerful example of this.
- Respect for the elderly: The poem also underscores the importance of respecting and caring for the elderly. The woman’s vulnerability and the boy’s willingness to help her highlight the need for compassion and understanding towards older individuals.
Somebody’s Mother Summary
“Somebody’s Mother” is a poem that highlights the importance of compassion and empathy, especially towards the elderly. The poem tells the story of an old, frail woman who struggles to navigate a snowy street. Despite her vulnerability, many people ignore her plight. However, a young boy steps in to offer his assistance.
The boy’s act of kindness not only helps the woman but also serves as a valuable lesson for his friends. He reminds them that the old woman is someone’s mother and that they should be prepared to help others in need, just as someone might one day help their own mother. The poem ultimately emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity and the significance of compassion in our daily lives.
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Somebody’s Mother Summary in Hindi
“समबडीज़ मदर” एक कविता है जो करुणा और सहानुभूति के महत्व को उजागर करती है, विशेषकर बुजुर्गों के प्रति। कविता एक वृद्ध, कमजोर महिला की कहानी बताती है जो बर्फीली सड़क पर सड़क पार करने के लिए संघर्ष करती है। बुजुर्ग महिला की कमजोरी के बावजूद, कई लोग उसकी दुर्दशा को अनदेखा करते हैं। हालाँकि, एक युवा लड़का सहायता करने के लिए आगे बढ़ता है।
लड़के की मदद का कार्य न केवल महिला की मदद करता है, बल्कि उसके दोस्तों के लिए भी एक मूल्यवान सबक के रूप में कार्य करता है। वह उन्हें याद दिलाता है कि वृद्ध महिला किसी की माँ है और उन्हें दूसरों की मदद करने के लिए तैयार रहना चाहिए, जैसे किसी दिन कोई उनकी माँ की मदद कर सकता है। कविता अंततः मानवता के अंतर्संबंध और हमारे दैनिक जीवन में करुणा के महत्व पर जोर देती है।
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Somebody’s Mother Poem Explanation
Poem:
The woman was old and ragged and gray,
And bent with the chill of a winter’s day;
The streets were white with a recent snow,
And the woman’s feet with age were slow.
Word Meaning
Ragged: Worn, torn, or tattered clothing
Bent: Curved or stooped, often due to age or weakness
Chill: A feeling of coldness, often due to the weather
Recent: Having happened or existed a short time ago
Snow: Frozen water that falls from the sky as flakes
Slow: Moving or acting at a low speed
Explanation : The old woman was very poor and looked sad. She was hunched over because it was so cold. The streets were covered in snow, and she walked slowly because she was old.
Poem:
At the crowded crossing she waited long,
Jostled aside by the careless throng
Of human beings who passed her by,
Unheeding the glance of her anxious eye.
Word Meaning
Jostled: Pushed or bumped against roughly.
Throng: A large crowd of people.
Unheeding: Paying no attention to.
Glance: A quick look.
Anxious: Feeling worried or uneasy.
Explanation : The old woman stood at the busy intersection for a long time, waiting to cross the road. People pushed past her without paying attention, as if she wasn’t there. She looked around nervously, hoping someone would notice her and help her cross the road safely.
Poem:
Down the street with laughter and shout,
Glad in the freedom of ‘school let out’,
Came happy boys, like a flock of sheep,
Hailing the snow piled white and deep;
Past the woman, so old and gray,
Hastened the children on their way.
Word Meaning
Down the street: Along the street.
Glad: Happy and pleased.
School let out: The time when school ends for the day.
Flock: A group of sheep or birds.
Hailing: Greeting or welcoming enthusiastically.
Piled: Arranged in a stack.
Explanation : The happy children ran down the street, laughing and shouting. They were excited because school was over and they were free to go home. The children were like a group of sheep, all running together. They were happy to see the snow that was piled up high. They ran past the old woman.
Poem:
None offered a helping hand to her,
So weak and timid, afraid to stir,
Lest the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet
Should trample her down in the slippery street.
Word Meaning
Afraid to stir: Scared to move
Lest the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet: This phrase expresses fear that the wheels or hooves of the carriage might crush or step on her.
Explanation : Nobody wanted to help the woman, who was very weak and scared. She was afraid to move because she thought the passing carriage’s wheels or the horses’ feet might step on her in the street that was slippery due to the snow
Poem:
At last came out of the merry troop
The gayest boy of all the group;
He paused beside her and whispered low,
‘I’ll help you across, if you wish to go.’
Word Meaning
Merry troop: A cheerful group of people
Gayest boy: The happiest and most cheerful boy
Paused: Stopped briefly
Whispered low: Spoke quietly
Explanation : The happiest boy in the group came out last. He stopped next to the old woman and said softly that he could help her cross the street if she wanted to go.”
Poem:
Her aged hand on his strong young arm
She placed, and so without hurt or harm
He guided the trembling feet along,
Proud that his own were young and strong;
Then back again to his friends he went,
His young heart happy and well content.
Word Meaning
Aged: old, especially in a way that suggests wisdom or experience
Trembling: shaking slightly, especially due to cold, fear, or weakness
Guided: led or directed someone or something
Content: satisfied and happy
Explanation : The old woman put her weak old hand on the boy’s strong arm. She held onto him so that she wouldn’t fall. The boy helped her shivering feet to walk slowly, feeling proud that he was strong and could help her. After he helped her, he went back to his friends. He was happy and felt good about himself for helping the old woman.
Poem:
‘She’s somebody’s mother, boys, you know,
For all she’s aged, and poor and slow;
And someone, some time, may lend a hand
To help my mother – you understand? –
If ever she’s old and poor and gray,
And her own dear boy so far away.’
Word Meaning
Lend: To give something to someone, expecting to get it back later.
Dear: Loved or valued.
Explanation : The poet tells the boys that the old woman is someone’s mother, even though she is old, poor, and slow. The poet says that someday, someone might help his mother too, if she is old, poor, and far away from her son.
Poem:
‘Somebody’s mother’ bowed low her head
In her home that night, and the prayer she said
Was: ‘God be kind to that noble boy,
Who is somebody’s son and pride and joy.’
Word Meaning
Bowed: bent one’s head or body as a gesture of respect, submission, or grief.
Noble: having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, and honesty.
Explanation: The woman bowed her head at her home that night. She prayed to God to be kind to the noble boy who was someone’s son and pride for he had helped her.
Poetic Devices of the Poem Somebody’s Mother
- Imagery: The use of vivid language to create images in the reader’s mind.
For example,
- “the streets were white with a recent snow”
- “the woman was old and ragged and gray.”
- Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as.”
For example,
- Came happy boys, like a flock of sheep,
- 3. Alliteration: The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
For example,
- None offered a helping hand to her
- She placed, and so without hurt or harm
- His young heart happy and well content
- Repetition: The repeated use of a word or phrase.
For example,
The phrase “Somebody’s mother” is repeated throughout the poem.
‘She’s somebody’s mother, boys, you know,
For all she’s aged, and poor and slow;
And someone, some time, may lend a hand
To help my mother – you understand? –
If ever she’s old and poor and gray,
And her own dear boy so far away.’
‘Somebody’s mother’ bowed low her head
In her home that night, and the prayer she said
Was: ‘God be kind to that noble boy,
Who is somebody’s son and pride and joy.’
- Contrast: The juxtaposition of opposing ideas or images.
The contrast between the joyful children and the lonely, elderly woman is evident.
For example,
Down the street with laughter and shout,
Glad in the freedom of ‘school let out’,
Came happy boys, like a flock of sheep,
Hailing the snow piled white and deep;
Past the woman, so old and gray,
Hastened the children on their way.