Somebody's Mother Poem

 Somebody’s Mother Summary

There was a woman who was standing at a crossing. She was old and weak, and the snow had made the streets wet and slippery. She was afraid of crossing the road, as the weather made her slower than before. She was lonely, and even though many people past by there, no one came to help her. Then, she heard a group of schoolboys walking past her, not even noticing her need and the anxiety in her eyes. Then, one cheerful and loving schoolboy approached her and offered to help her. His steps were firm, and he provided strong support to the weak old woman. When he went back to his friends, he told them that the old woman was somebody’s mother. He thought that when his mother got old and he wasn’t around to take care of her, there would be someone to help her. So, he treated the old woman with the same kindness that he wanted his own mother to receive. When the old woman reached her home, she prayed to God to bless the boy who was somebody’s son.

Somebody's Mother Poem Hindi Summary

एक महिला क्रॉसिंग पर खड़ी थी। वह बूढ़ी और कमज़ोर थी, और बर्फ़बारी ने सड़कों को गीला और फिसलन भरा बना दिया था। वह अकेले सड़क पार करने से डर रही थी, क्योंकि मौसम ने उसे पहले से ज़्यादा धीमा कर दिया था। वह अकेली थी, और कई लोगों से घिरी होने के बावजूद, कोई भी उसकी मदद के लिए नहीं आया। तभी, उसने स्कूली लड़कों को अपने पास से गुज़रते हुए सुना, जो उसकी ज़रूरत और उसकी आँखों में चिंता को ज़रा भी नहीं समझ पाए। तभी, एक खुशमिजाज़ स्कूली लड़का उसके पास गया और उसकी मदद करने की पेशकश की। उसके कदम मज़बूत थे, और उसने कमज़ोर बुज़ुर्ग महिला को मज़बूत सहारा दिया। जब वह अपने दोस्तों के पास वापस गया, तो उसने उन्हें बताया कि वह बुज़ुर्ग महिला किसी की माँ थी। उसे उम्मीद थी कि जब उसकी माँ बूढ़ी हो जाएँगी और वह उनकी देखभाल करने के लिए आस-पास नहीं होगा, तो कोई उनकी मदद के लिए होगा। इसलिए, उसने उस बुज़ुर्ग महिला के साथ वैसा ही व्यवहार किया जैसा वह अपनी माँ के साथ चाहता था। जब बुज़ुर्ग महिला अपने घर पहुँची, तो उसने ईश्वर से प्रार्थना की कि वह उस लड़के को आशीर्वाद दे जो किसी का बेटा था।

II. Answer the following questions.

1. What might be the old woman’s fears as she waited for a long time at the crossing?

Ans. The old woman feared that she would never be able to cross the road or that she would slip due to the wet, slippery roads.

2. How does the poet show the helplessness of the old woman? Support your answer with evidence from the poem.

Ans. The poet shows the helplessness of the old woman by emphasising her anxiety. For example, “So meek, so timid, afraid to stir” shows that the woman was nervous and she needed help to cross the road.

3. Why does the boy decide to help the old woman? What does this tell us about him?

Ans. The boy decides to help the old woman because he thinks of her as somebody’s mother. The old woman reminds him of how one day, his mother will also be old and alone. He feels sympathy for the old woman and helps her cross the road. 

This tells us that the boy is sympathetic, sensitive, helpful, and kind.

4. How was the boy’s approach towards the old woman different from that of the other boys in the group?

Ans. The other boys in the group just walked past the old woman without noticing the old woman’s helplessness and anxiety. However, the boy noticed the old. He could compare the old woman to his mother in sympathised with the old woman. Therefore, the boy was different from the other boys because he noticed that a person needed help.

5. Justify the appropriateness of the title of the poem.

Ans. The title of the poem is “Somebody’s Mother.” In the poem, the boy helps the old woman because he compares the old woman to how his mother will be in the future. Therefore, the poem revolves around how the boy helps the old woman because she was somebody’s mother. Therefore, the title of the poem is appropriate for the poem.

6. What does the poem suggest about the role of empathy and humanity in society?

Ans. The poem depicts empathy by how the boy understood the old woman’s helplessness by comparing her to his own mother. 

The poem depicts humanity by how the boy did not choose to ignore the old woman and helped her cross the road.