“I Cannot Remember My Mother” by Rabindranath Tagore is a poignant poem from the new NCERT Class 9 English textbook Kaveri, which aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by promoting Indian literature and cultural rootedness . The poem explores the enduring emotional bond between a mother and child, even when visual memories have faded. At Dhingra Classes Nashik, we believe such texts are invaluable for developing both language skills and deep emotional intelligence.
📘 Full Poem Summary
Stanza 1 – The Lingering Lullaby
The poet begins by stating that he cannot clearly remember his mother. However, sometimes while playing, a soft tune seems to hover over his playthings. This tune is the melody of the song his mother used to hum while rocking his cradle. The memory is not a clear visual picture but a faint, lingering feeling that surfaces unexpectedly during moments of childhood play .
Stanza 2 – The Fragrance of Memory
In the second stanza, the poet says that on early autumn mornings, the smell of shiuli flowers floats in the air. The scent of the morning temple service comes to him as the very scent of his mother. The fragrance of nature and the sacred atmosphere of the temple blend together to evoke her presence .
Stanza 3 – The Infinite Sky
In the final stanza, the poet looks from his bedroom window into the blue of the distant sky. He feels that the stillness of his mother’s gaze has spread all over the sky. The endless sky becomes a symbol of his mother’s vast and protective love, watching over him from afar .
🧠 Key Themes and Message
The Significance of the Refrain
The poet uses “I cannot remember my mother” as a refrain, repeating it at the start of each stanza . This repetition emphasizes the poet’s deep longing and the painful reality of fading memory. However, each stanza proves that despite this loss, her presence is felt everywhere, creating a powerful contrast between absence and lingering love .
📝 Solved MCQs with Answers
1. What triggers the poet’s memory of his mother in the first stanza?
(A) The sight of his mother’s photograph
(B) A tune that seems to hover over his playthings
(C) The sound of his cradle being rocked
(D) The smell of flowers in the garden
Answer: (B) The tune of the song his mother used to hum while rocking his cradle is the trigger .
2. Through which sense does the poet remember his mother in the second stanza?
(A) Sight
(B) Hearing
(C) Smell
(D) Touch
Answer: (C) The fragrance of shiuli flowers and the scent of the temple service evoke the memory of his mother .
3. What does the poet feel when he looks at the blue sky from his window?
(A) His mother’s face in the clouds
(B) The stillness of his mother’s gaze spread over the sky
(C) His mother’s hand reaching down to him
(D) A tune hovering over the sky
Answer: (B) He feels that the stillness of his mother’s gaze has spread all over the sky .
4. What does the word “hover” suggest about the memory of the mother?
(A) The memory is sharp and clear
(B) The memory is vague and floats gently
(C) The memory is painful and heavy
(D) The memory is completely forgotten
Answer: (B) “Hover” suggests a gentle, uncertain, and incomplete memory that lingers without being fully grasped .
5. The line “I cannot remember my mother” is repeated throughout the poem. This is called a:
(A) Refrain
(B) Simile
(C) Personification
(D) Alliteration
Answer: (A) The repetition of a line at regular intervals in a poem is called a refrain .
6. What type of flowers does the poet mention in the poem?
(A) Roses
(B) Lotus
(C) Shiuli
(D) Jasmine
Answer: (C) The poet mentions shiuli flowers, which bloom in early autumn and have a sweet fragrance .
📝 Solved Questions and Answers
Short Answer Questions
Q1. Why does the poet say, “I cannot remember my mother”?
Answer: The poet says this because his mother passed away when he was very young, likely still a baby or a small child . As a result, he has no clear or direct visual memory of her face or physical presence . His memory of her is vague and consists of faint sensory impressions rather than sharp recollections .
Q2. What is the significance of the shiuli flowers in the poem?
Answer: The shiuli flowers are significant because their fragrance triggers the poet’s memory of his mother . These flowers bloom in early autumn and release a sweet, delicate scent at dawn, grounding the poet’s memory in a real, recurring sensory experience . The fragrance becomes indistinguishable from the memory of his mother, showing how her presence is tied to nature .
Q3. How does the poet use the sense of sight in the poem?
Answer: The poet uses the sense of sight in the third stanza when he looks out of his bedroom window into the blue of the distant sky . He feels that his mother’s loving and protective gaze has spread across the entire sky, symbolising her infinite love and constant watchfulness over him .
Q4. What is the tone of the poem?
Answer: The tone of the poem is nostalgic and emotional . The poet reflects on his mother with deep love and a sense of loss. While the poem carries a feeling of longing and melancholy, it is also comforting and reassuring because it shows that a mother’s love continues to surround the child even when she is no longer present .
Long Answer Questions
Q5. Analyse how each stanza of “I Cannot Remember My Mother” uses a different sense to remember the mother.
Answer: The three stanzas of the poem beautifully build a complete sensory portrait of the mother :
Stanza 1 (Sound): The poet’s memory is triggered by a tune that seems to hover over his playthings—the lullaby his mother hummed while rocking his cradle . This shows how auditory memories can survive even when visual ones fade.
Stanza 2 (Smell): The poet remembers his mother through the fragrance of shiuli flowers and the scent of the morning temple service . These natural and spiritual scents blend together to evoke her presence, showing how smell can instantly transport us to treasured memories.
Stanza 3 (Sight): The poet looks out into the blue of the distant sky and feels his mother’s gaze spread all over it . This visual image represents her love as vast, infinite, and protective.
Tagore masterfully shows that a mother’s presence can be felt through every sense, and her love permeates every corner of the natural world .
Q6. What role does the refrain “I cannot remember my mother” play in the poem?
Answer: The line “I cannot remember my mother” is repeated at the start of every stanza, making it a refrain . Its purpose is threefold:
Emphasises Loss: It immediately establishes the poet’s deep sense of loss and the painful reality that his mother passed away when he was very young .
Creates Contrast: The refrain contrasts with each stanza’s evidence of her lingering presence. Though he cannot remember her visually, she is felt everywhere—in a tune, a fragrance, and the sky .
Builds Rhythm: The repetition creates a gentle, musical rhythm that mirrors the song-like quality of the poem and deepens the feeling of longing and devotion .
Ultimately, the refrain shows that even a faded memory can still hold immense emotional power .
Q7. Explain the symbolism used in the poem “I Cannot Remember My Mother”.
Answer: Symbolism helps the poet convey deeper meanings and emotions :
The Hovering Tune: The lullaby tune symbolises the mother’s lingering love and care. It is a faint but persistent reminder of her presence, even though she is no longer physically present .
Shiuli Flowers: The shiuli flowers (night-flowering jasmine) symbolise the mother’s purity, gentleness, and sacredness . Their fragrance connects the poet’s memory of her to nature and the divine.
The Temple Scent: The scent of the morning temple service symbolises the mother’s spirituality and devotion. It suggests that she was a pure and religious person .
The Blue Sky: The blue sky symbolises the infinite and eternal nature of the mother’s love . Her gaze, spreading over the entire sky, represents her protective watchfulness and the vast, boundless love that continues to surround the poet .
🌟 How Dhingra Classes Helps Students Excel
At Dhingra Classes Nashik, we provide:
Conceptual understanding – Exploring the deeper meaning of texts and literary devices.
Exam-focused preparation – Practice with MCQs, short and long answer questions, and extract-based questions.
Interactive learning – Group discussions, quizzes, and doubt-clearing sessions.
Personalized attention – Helping every student build confidence and excel.
📞 Contact Dhingra Classes Nashik
Phone: 98230 62106
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