I Cannot Remember My Mother – Complete Solutions (Pages 30-40)
PAGE 30 (Textbook Page 126) – Reflect and Respond
Q.I Work in pairs. Discuss the memories from your childhood that you remember. List them and share with your classmates and teacher.
Answer: (Sample answer – write your own memories) Some memories from my childhood that I remember are:
- Playing in the park with my friends every evening.
- Listening to bedtime stories told by my grandmother.
- Celebrating festivals like Diwali and Holi with my family.
- My first day at school and meeting my best friend.
- Family picnics and trips during summer holidays.
Q.II Discuss how children’s relationship with their mother can influence their emotions and memories.
Answer: A child’s relationship with the mother is the strongest emotional bond. A mother gives love, care, comfort, and a sense of security. Her songs, touch, smell, and gaze stay with the child forever. Even small things like her cooking, the way she sang lullabies, or her gentle look become unforgettable memories. These early experiences shape a child’s emotions, confidence, and the way they connect with others throughout life.
Q.III Match the words in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2.
Answer:
- hover → (v) linger or remain near a place
- hum → (i) sing a tune with your lips closed
- cradle → (vi) a small bed for a baby
- shiuli → (ii) a type of flower (coral jasmine)
- morning service → (iv) rituals conducted in a temple
- gaze → (iii) look steadily for a long time
PAGE 31 (Textbook Page 127) – Check Your Understanding I (Stanza 1)
Q.1 The poet remembers his mother while he ______.
Answer: The poet remembers his mother while he plays / is in the midst of his play.
Q.2 The poet remembers the ______ but not the ______.
Answer: The poet remembers the tune (of the song his mother used to hum) but not the mother (her face/appearance).
Q. Setting:
Answer: Indoor
PAGE 32 (Textbook Page 128) – Check Your Understanding I (Stanza 2 & 3)
Stanza 2:
Q.1 The poet remembers his mother in the ______ season.
Answer: The poet remembers his mother in the early autumn season.
Q.2 The poet remembers his mother by the smell of ______.
Answer: The poet remembers his mother by the smell of shiuli flowers.
Q. Setting:
Answer: Outdoor
Stanza 3:
Q.1 The poet feels that his mother ______ at him from the ______.
Answer: The poet feels that his mother gazes at him from the blue/distant sky.
Q. Setting:
Answer: Indoor (he looks from his bedroom window)
PAGE 32 (Textbook Page 128) – Check Your Understanding II (Senses Table)
Q. Complete the table with sensory references from the poem.
Answer:
| Stanza | Lines from the Poem | Senses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “the tune of some song that she used to hum while rocking my cradle” | Auditory (hearing) |
| 3 | “the tune of some song that she used to hum while rocking my cradle” (given) | Auditory |
| 2 | “the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air / the scent of the morning service in the temple” | Olfactory (smell) |
(For Stanza 3, the visual sense is shown in: “I send my eyes into the blue of the distant sky” / “my mother’s gaze on my face has spread all over the sky” – Visual (sight))
PAGES 32–33 (Textbook Pages 128–129) – Check Your Understanding III
Q.1 Two examples of alliteration from the poem are ______ and ______.
Answer:
- (i) “some song she used to hum” (repetition of ‘s’ sound)
- (ii) “my mother” (repetition of ‘m’ sound)
Q.2 An example of onomatopoeia is ______.
Answer: “hum” – the word itself sounds like the action of humming.
Q.3 The poem uses imagery extensively. Explain.
Answer: The poem creates vivid pictures in our minds using all our senses. We can hear the tune the mother hummed while rocking the cradle. We can smell the sweet fragrance of the shiuli flowers and the temple incense. We can see the blue sky stretching far above. These rich images help us experience the poet’s emotions and feel the mother’s loving presence.
Q.4 Although the poem does not have a rhyme scheme, it is enjoyable because ______.
Answer: The poem is enjoyable because it has a smooth rhythm, beautiful imagery, gentle emotions, and a touching refrain. The use of sensory details (sound, smell, and sight) and the repeated line “I cannot remember my mother” create a musical and heartfelt feeling even without rhyme.
Q.5 What is the tone of the poet? Why do you say so?
Answer: The tone of the poet is nostalgic, longing, and tender. The poet lost his mother very early in life and cannot remember her face. Yet through small things — a tune, a scent, the sky — he feels her presence. This makes the tone full of love, sadness, and peaceful remembrance.
Q.6 What impact does the title of the poem have on the overall mood of the poem?
Answer: The title “I Cannot Remember My Mother” immediately creates a mood of sadness and longing. It tells the reader that the poet has lost his mother very early. But as the poem develops, the mood becomes peaceful and loving, because the poet finds his mother in nature, in tunes, and in the sky.
Q.7 The poet uses ‘I cannot remember my mother’ as a refrain because ______.
Answer: The poet uses it as a refrain because it shows how deeply he misses his mother. Each time it is repeated, it leads into a new memory or feeling of her presence. The repetition adds emotion, rhythm, and musical beauty, and emphasises that although he cannot remember her face, her presence is felt everywhere.
Q.8 The poet uses symbolism to indicate the memory of his mother’s presence. Identify the symbols used in the poem.
Answer: The symbols used in the poem are:
- The humming tune – symbol of the mother’s lullaby and her loving care.
- The shiuli flowers and temple scent – symbol of her purity, fragrance, and divine presence.
- The blue sky – symbol of her vast, eternal, and watchful gaze over the poet.
PAGES 33–34 (Textbook Pages 129–130) – Critical Reflection I.1
Q.(i) Complete: The poet is reminded of his mother during his ______.
Answer: The poet is reminded of his mother during his playtime / play.
Q.(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.
Q.(iii) In the context of the poem, what role does the hovering tune play during the speaker’s playtime?
Answer: The hovering tune acts as a gentle reminder of the mother’s presence. While playing, the poet suddenly recalls the lullaby his mother used to hum while rocking his cradle. The tune brings back the warm, loving memory of his mother, even though he cannot remember her face.
Q.(iv) State whether True or False – “The poet experiences the tune lingering over playthings only occasionally during playtime.”
Answer: True. The poet says “only sometimes in the midst of my play,” which means it happens occasionally, not always.
Q.(v) How could the poet feel his mother’s presence, even though she isn’t there?
Answer: The poet feels his mother’s presence through his senses — through a tune that hovers over his playthings, through the smell of shiuli flowers and temple scent, and through the still blue sky. These sensory experiences keep her memory alive in his heart, even though she is no longer with him.
PAGES 34–35 (Textbook Pages 130–131) – Critical Reflection I.2
Q.(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.
Q.(ii) What emotion does the poet associate with the ‘stillness’ of his mother’s gaze?
Answer: D. a sense of serenity (calmness and peace)
Q.(iii) State whether True or False – “The poet suggests that the mother’s gaze has a tangible and visual effect on the sky.”
Answer: False. The effect is not tangible (physical); it is only a feeling. The poet feels that his mother’s gaze has spread across the sky — it is symbolic and emotional, not real or visible.
Q.(iv) What is the purpose of likening the mother’s gaze to the sky?
Answer: By comparing his mother’s gaze to the vast blue sky, the poet shows that his mother’s love is endless, eternal, and watches over him from everywhere. The sky is wide and peaceful, just like a mother’s loving and calm gaze. It gives him comfort and a feeling that she is always near him.
Q.(v) Complete the sentence appropriately. The tone of the poet in the given extract is ______ because ______.
Answer: The tone of the poet in the given extract is peaceful and nostalgic because he feels his mother’s loving presence in the vast, still sky, which fills him with calm and emotional comfort.
PAGE 35 (Textbook Page 131) – Answer the Following Questions
Q.1 What is the emotional impact of the refrain, ‘I cannot remember my mother’?
Answer: The refrain creates a deep emotional impact of loss, longing, and sadness. Each time it is repeated, the reader feels the poet’s pain of having lost his mother very early. However, the refrain is always followed by a beautiful memory — through sound, smell, or sight — which shows that although he cannot remember her physically, her presence is alive in his heart.
Q.2 Interpret the connection between the poet’s mother and the following:
(i) Shiuli flowers
Answer: The shiuli flowers bloom in early autumn and have a sweet, holy fragrance. This scent reminds the poet of the scent of the morning service in the temple. The fragrance feels pure and divine — just like the gentle, loving presence of his mother. So, the shiuli flowers symbolise her purity, sweetness, and spiritual presence.
(ii) Humming tune
Answer: The humming tune is connected to the lullaby his mother used to sing while rocking his cradle. Whenever the poet hears such a tune while playing, it brings back the feeling of his mother’s love and care from his babyhood, even though he cannot remember her face.
Q.3 What role does nature play in the poet’s description of the memory of his mother?
Answer: Nature plays a very important role in keeping the memory of the mother alive. The shiuli flowers, the autumn air, the temple scent, and the wide blue sky all remind the poet of his mother. Nature acts as a bridge between the poet and his lost mother — through its sounds, smells, and sights, he feels her loving presence everywhere around him.
Q.4 What can be inferred about the poet’s perception of the mother–child relationship?
Answer: The poet sees the mother–child relationship as eternal, pure, and spiritual. Even though he cannot remember his mother’s face, her love continues to live within him through tunes, fragrances, and the sky. This shows that a mother’s love never truly ends — it stays with the child forever, in many beautiful forms.
PAGES 35–36 (Textbook Pages 131–132) – Vocabulary in Context I
Q. Classify the sensory words into the table.
Answer:
| Visual | Auditory | Olfactory | Tactile |
|---|---|---|---|
| glowing | hiss | aroma | sticky |
| gigantic | sizzle | scent | rough |
| minuscule | deafening | pungent | chilled |
| vibrant | squeaky | stale | smooth |
| gloomy | ear-splitting | stinky | slimy |
| crimson | rustle | fragrant | fluffy |
| hairy |
PAGE 36 (Textbook Page 132) – Vocabulary in Context II (Sarojini Naidu Passage)
Q. Fill in the blanks with sensory words from the box.
Answer:
- flaming (lilies)
- scents (of neem and champak)
- sweetness
- shrill (ecstasy of life)
- perfumes
- essence
- smooth
(The two extra words are: scarlet and sizzle)
PAGE 36 (Textbook Page 132) – Vocabulary III (Pictures & Phrases)
Q. Match phrases to pictures based on sensorial associations.
Answer: (Based on the typical pictures shown: shiuli flowers, mother rocking cradle, kites flying, sunset by river, tabla/drums, incense sticks)
- beats of music echo in air → Tabla / drums (auditory)
- melody of soothing scent, dancing in the air → Incense sticks (olfactory)
- fragrant breeze of blooming buds → Shiuli flowers (olfactory)
- gentle lullaby, a soft melody → Mother rocking the cradle (auditory)
- colourful sky, painting a lively sight → Kites in the sky (visual)
- attractive canvas painting the horizon → Sunset by the river (visual)
PAGES 37–38 (Textbook Pages 133–134) – Listen and Respond
Note: These answers are based on listening to the audio extracts. Expected matches based on the topic of childhood memories:
Answer (Sample):
| Statement | Speaker |
|---|---|
| 1. The precious memories by the seaside are not the same anymore. | Speaker (i) |
| 2. My grandfather’s encouragement influences me in moments of difficulty. | Speaker (ii) |
| 3. The school days are a source of recollection to stay in touch. | – (extra) |
| 4. Childhood days are about freedom and ordinary pleasures in outdoor activities. | Speaker (iii) |
| 5. Memories of school days are grandparents and my funny tales. | – (extra) |
| 6. Parents urge us to be adventurous and discover nature but with limitations. | Speaker (iv) |
(The exact match depends on the audio transcript provided to the teacher on page 266.)
PAGE 38 (Textbook Page 134) – Speaking Activity
Q.I Think of an object, song, or a place that is memorable for you and speak about it.
Answer: (Sample speech)
“One of the most memorable objects from my childhood is my grandmother’s old wooden swing. Recalling those early years, I can’t forget the gentle creaking sound it made as I sat on it. The swing was placed under a large neem tree in our village home. Its smooth, polished wood and the soft cushion my grandmother had sewn for it made it the most comfortable spot in the world.
A cherished part of my childhood includes sitting on that swing every evening while my grandmother sang old folk songs and fed me her homemade laddoos. The sweet smell of the neem leaves, the chirping of birds, and her warm voice all blended together.
This memory has impacted my life by teaching me the value of simple joys and quiet moments. Even today, whenever I feel stressed, I think of that swing and feel calm. It reminds me of the love and peace I felt as a child, which is why this memory will always be meaningful to me.”
PAGE 39 (Textbook Page 135) – Writing Task (Diary Entry)
Q.I Write a diary entry about a memorable school trip to a scenic place.
Answer: (Sample)
Monday, 15th May 2026 9:00 p.m.
Today was one of the most beautiful days of my life. Our school took us on a trip to the hill station of Pachmarhi, and I just had to write about it before going to sleep.
The moment our bus reached the top, I could feel the cool breeze brushing against my cheeks. The mountains stood tall and green, covered with soft mist. The smell of wet earth and pine trees filled the air — it was so fresh and pure that I took a deep breath and just smiled. I could hear birds chirping in the distance and the gentle sound of a waterfall flowing nearby.
We walked through narrow forest paths where sunlight peeped through the leaves, making golden patterns on the ground. When we reached the viewpoint, the entire valley stretched below us like a green carpet, with tiny houses scattered here and there. The sky was a soft blue with white clouds floating slowly.
The most magical moment was when we sat by the waterfall and ate our lunch. The cold water splashed on my feet, and I felt completely at peace. I felt so happy, so free, and so connected to nature.
This trip taught me how beautiful and peaceful our country is. I will never forget the sights, sounds, and smells of Pachmarhi. It was truly a memory I will treasure forever.
PAGE 39 (Textbook Page 135) – Learning Beyond the Text I
Q.I Gather more information on unique flowers of India.
Answer: (Sample list)
1. Kurinji (Neelakurinji)
- Found in the Western Ghats, especially in Munnar, Kerala.
- Blooms only once in 12 years.
- The flowers are bluish-purple and cover entire hillsides.
- Considered sacred by the Paliyan tribe, who use it to calculate their age.
2. Brahma Kamal
- Grows in the Himalayan region (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh).
- Found at high altitudes of 4,000–4,500 metres.
- Large, white flower with a sweet fragrance.
- Blooms at night, mostly during the monsoon season.
- Considered very sacred and offered to gods in temples.
3. Lotus (National Flower of India)
- Found in ponds and lakes all over India.
- Pink or white in colour, with a soft fragrance.
- Symbol of purity, beauty, and divinity.
- Mentioned in many ancient Indian scriptures and legends.
4. Marigold (Genda)
- Found across India.
- Bright orange or yellow, with a strong scent.
- Used in religious ceremonies, weddings, and festivals.
5. Champak
- Found in southern and eastern India.
- Yellow-orange flowers with a strong, sweet fragrance.
- Used in perfumes and religious offerings.
PAGE 40 (Textbook Page 136) – Learning Beyond the Text II
Q.II Read the poem “I Remember, I Remember” by Thomas Hood. Collect and share more such poems and songs about family and reminiscences.
Answer: (This is a reading and sharing activity. Some famous poems/songs to share with classmates include:)
- “Lochinvar” by Sir Walter Scott
- “My Mother” by Ann Taylor
- “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
- The Hindi song “Tu Kitni Achhi Hai” (about a mother)
- Rabindranath Tagore’s “The Home-Coming”
Brief understanding of “I Remember, I Remember”: In this poem, Thomas Hood lovingly recalls the house where he was born — the little window where the sun used to peep in every morning. He remembers the red and white roses, violets, lily cups, and the laburnum tree his brother planted on his birthday — a tree that is still living. The poem expresses a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for the lost happiness and innocence of childhood. The poet feels that life was simpler and more joyful in those days.
End of Solutions (Pages 30–40) ✨
All answers have been written in simple language suitable for Class 9 students to easily understand and remember. 📘