I CAN’T REMEMBER MY MOTHER

I CAN’T REMEMBER MY MOTHER

BACKGROUND AND CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM

Rabindranath Tagore wrote “I Cannot Remember My Mother” from the deeply personal experience of losing his mother, Sarada Devi. She died on 10 March 1875, when Tagore was less than fourteen years old. Because he was so young, he could not preserve a clear, complete memory of her. However, a few tender impressions remained in his mind: the tune she hummed while rocking his cradle, the fragrance of shiuli flowers, and the warmth of her loving gaze. These faint but precious memories inspired the poem. 

Through first-person narration, repetition, sensory imagery and symbolism, Tagore expresses his longing for his mother. The poem creates a poignant, nostalgic and reflective mood and highlights the eternal bond between a mother and child. It shows that a mother’s love can remain alive in the heart even when her image gradually fades from memory, and that love can transcend memory, absence and physical separation.

 

WORD MENAING

1          hum                 :           a low, steady sound

2          playthings        :           toys

3          shiuli                :           a fragrant autumn flower

4          scent                :           pleasant smell

5          gaze                 :           steady look

6          stillness            :           complete quiet

7          serene              :           calm and peaceful

8          hovering          :           staying in the air

9          distant             :           far away

10        omnipresent     :           present everywhere

 

POETIC DEVICES

1. Refrain: “I cannot remember my mother” (Repeated at the beginning of each section; shows his longing)

2. Personification: “a tune seems to hover over my playthings” (Gives the tune a human-like action)

3. Personification: “the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air” (Makes the smell seem to move)

4. Metaphor: “the scent of the morning service in the temple comes to me as the scent of my mother” (Connects the temple scent with his mother)

5. Metaphor: “the stillness of my mother’s gaze on my face has spread all over the sky” (Imagines his mother’s gaze covering the sky)

6. Auditory Imagery: “a tune … some song that she used to hum” (Creates the sense of hearing the mother’s song)

7. Olfactory Imagery: “the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air” / “the scent of the morning service” (Creates the sense of smell)

8. Visual Imagery: “early autumn morning”, “shiuli flowers”, “my bedroom window”, “blue of the distant sky”, “my mother’s gaze on my face” (Creates clear pictures in the mind)

9. Symbolism: “shiuli flowers” and “the morning service in the temple” (Remind the poet of his mother)

10. Symbolism: “blue of the distant sky” (Represents his mother’s loving presence)

11. Alliteration: “smell of the shiuli” / “scent … scent” (Repeats the s sound)

12. Onomatopoeia: “hum” (Suggests the soft sound of humming)

13. Enjambment: The thought continues from one line to the next (Creates a smooth flow)

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING: Page 127

I. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.

Stanza 1

1. The poet remembers his mother while he ____________.

Answer: he plays with his playthings.

 

2. The poet remembers the ____________ but not the ____________. Setting: ____________ (outdoor/indoor)

Answer: The poet remembers the tune but not the actual words. Setting: indoor.

 

Stanza 2

1. The poet remembers his mother in the ____________ season.

Answer: autumn

 

2. The poet remembers his mother by the smell of ____________. Setting: ____________ (outdoor/indoor)

Answer: shiuli, outdoor.

 

Stanza 3

1. The poet feels that his mother ____________ at him from the ____________. Setting: ____________ (outdoor/indoor)

Answer: gazes, blue of the distant sky, 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 given below.

III Read the poem silently once again and complete the following. Page 128

1. Two examples of alliteration from the poem are (i) ____________ and (ii) ___________.

Answer: Alliteration: (i) smell of the shiuli (ii) scent of the morning service

2. An example of onomatopoeia is ________________.

Answer: hum

 

3. The poem uses imagery extensively. Explain.

Answer: The poem uses imagery extensively by relying on powerful sensory details – the auditory memory of a lullaby, the olfactory scent of autumn flowers, and the visual vastness of the blue sky—to evoke the presence of the mother.

 

4. Although the poem does not have a rhyme scheme, it is enjoyable because _______________________________________.

Answer: it is enjoyable because its free-flowing emotional rhythm perfectly mirrors the natural, spontaneous way memories surface in our minds.

 

5. What is the tone of the poet? Why do you say so?

Answer: The tone is nostalgic and serene. The poet feels a deep yearning for the mother he cannot visualize, yet finds comforting peace in her spiritual presence.

 

6. What impact does the title of the poem have on the overall mood of the poem?

Answer: The title establishes an initial mood of loss and grief, which contrasts beautifully with the poem's revelation that her presence still actively surrounds him.

 

7. The poet uses ‘I cannot remember my mother’ as a refrain because __________________.

Answer: it emphasises the poet’s inability to remember his mother clearly, making the surviving sensory memories of her song, fragrance and loving presence more precious and emotionally powerful.

 

8. The poet uses symbolism to indicate the memory of his mother’s presence. Identify the symbols used in the poem.

Answer: The symbols include the hovering tune (comfort/nurturing), the shiuli flowers (spiritual devotion), and the vast sky (eternal, protective watchfulness).

CRITICAL REFLECTION: PAGE 129

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 ________________.

Answer: playtime.

(ii) What is the primary emotion conveyed by the line ‘a tune seems to hover over my playthings’?

Answer: C. It activates memories of the mother.

(iii) In the context of the poem, what role does the hovering tune play during the speaker’s playtime?

Answer: The hovering tune bridges his present moment of joy with the subconscious memory of the comforting lullabies his mother sang to him as an infant.

(iv) State whether the following sentence is true or false. The poet experiences the tune lingering over playthings only occasionally during playtime.

Answer: True.

(v) How could the poet feel his mother’s presence, even though she isn’t there?

Answer: The poet feels her presence through deep sensory associations, where everyday sights, sounds, and smells trigger a powerful subconscious memory of her nurturing spirit.

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?

Answer: B. The sky is a symbolic extension of the mother's presence.

(ii) What emotion does the poet associate with the ‘stillness’ of his mother’s gaze?

Answer: D. a sense of serenity.

(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.

Answer: False.

(iv) What is the purpose of likening the mother’s gaze to the sky?

Answer: Likening her gaze to the sky illustrates that her love and protective watchfulness are vast, omnipresent, and eternal.

(v) Complete the sentence appropriately.

The tone of the poet in the given extract is _____________ because _____________.

Answer:

→        serene,

→        he feels safely enveloped and comforted by the vast, peaceful presence of his mother's spirit watching over him.

 

IV. Answer the following questions. Page 131

1. What is the emotional impact of the refrain, ‘I cannot remember my mother’?

The refrain creates a poignant feeling of loss and helplessness because the poet cannot clearly recall his mother. However, its repetition also highlights the powerful memories that survive through music, fragrance and nature. Thus, the refrain deepens the poem’s emotional effect and emphasises the lasting bond between mother and child.

 

2. Interpret the connection between the poet’s mother and the following:

(i) Shiuli flowers

The fragrance of shiuli flowers reminds the poet of his mother and the early autumn mornings associated with her. The scent brings back memories of the morning temple service. Thus, the flowers become a sensory link between the poet’s present experience and his mother’s remembered presence.

 

(ii) Humming tune

The humming tune connects the poet with his earliest childhood memory of his mother. He remembers hearing her sing while rocking his cradle. Although he cannot remember her appearance clearly, the melody preserves her comforting presence. Therefore, the tune becomes a powerful reminder of maternal affection and tenderness.

 

3. What role does nature play in the poet’s description of the memory of his mother?

Nature becomes a powerful medium through which the poet experiences his mother’s memory. The fragrance of shiuli flowers, the autumn morning and the vast blue sky awaken feelings associated with her. Although she is absent from his conscious memory, nature keeps her presence alive and makes the bond feel eternal.

 

4. What can be inferred about the poet’s perception of the mother–child relationship?

The poet perceives the mother–child relationship as deep, enduring and beyond physical presence. Even though he cannot clearly remember his mother, her influence survives through songs, fragrances and the sky. This suggests that a mother’s love becomes permanently embedded in a child’s emotions and remains meaningful even through absence.

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