Somebody's Mother Questions & Answers | Class 8 English | CBSE NCERT

(b) — 'Ragged' suggests torn, shabby clothes and 'grey' her aged hair, showing her poor, aged appearance.

(b) — Here it describes the old woman's old and torn clothing, adding to her picture of poverty.

(b) — The chill, the recent snow and the wet street make crossing harder and highlight her frailty.

AABB (grey/day; snow/slow — rhyming couplets).

The poet describes the woman's feet as 'aged and slow', showing that she is frail and finds it difficult even to walk.

Winter is described. The words 'chill of the Winter's day' and 'wet with a recent snow' tell us this.

(b) — The woman stood in the middle of a 'throng', that is, a large crowd of people.

(c) — The passers-by did not 'heed' her anxious glance; they paid no attention to it.

(b) — Her anxious eyes silently sought help to cross the busy, slippery street safely.

At the crossing.

It conveys her loneliness and neglect — she had no one with her, and the many people passing by did not stop to care for or help her.

Her aged, slow feet, the slippery street and the fear of being knocked down by carriages or horses made her hesitate; she was waiting for someone to help her cross safely.

(c) — The comparison uses 'like', comparing the boys to a flock of sheep moving together.

(b) — They were enjoying 'the freedom of "school let out"', i.e., the school day had ended.

(c) — The schoolboys are noisy, cheerful and excited, contrasting with the silent, anxious woman.

Imagery (visual) — it creates a picture of snow heaped high on the street. ('White and deep' also uses adjectives for vivid description.)

The boys were happy about the freedom of 'school let out' — the school day had ended, and they were delighted to play in the snow piled white and deep.

The boys are merry, loud and full of energy, glad in their freedom, while the old woman is meek, anxious and afraid to stir — the contrast makes her helplessness stand out.

(b) — The children 'hastened' on their way and 'nor offered a helping hand to her'.

(c) — She was afraid to stir lest (for fear that) the carriages or horses should knock her down.

(a) — The slippery street and the traffic of carriages and horses made her fear being 'crowded down'.

hastened.

They show that she was gentle, humble and shy — too frightened to ask the hurrying crowd for help, and quietly enduring her fear.

Probably not deliberately — they were so full of the joy of their freedom and play that they did not notice her anxious glance or think of her need, which the poet hints at when only one boy finally stops.

(b) — One boy from the group, described as 'the gayest laddie of all the group', stopped.

(c) — 'Gay' here means merry and cheerful; he was the most light-hearted of the boys.

(b) — Whispering low shows his sensitivity and respect for the elderly woman's dignity.

AABB (troop/group; low/go — two rhyming couplets).

He paused beside her and whispered, "I'll help you cross, if you wish to go" — offering to help her cross the street safely.

It shows that he is kind, observant and thoughtful. Unlike the others, he noticed her need and cared enough to stop, proving that small acts of kindness need only a willing heart.

(a) — Her weakness against his youthful strength shows how much she needed his support.

(b) — His pride came from being able to use his strength in the service of another person.

(b) — The boy carefully led her across so that she came to no harm on the slippery street.

Trembling.

The woman placed her aged hand on his strong young arm, and he guided her trembling feet along the street so that she crossed without hurt or harm.

He felt proud because his own feet were firm and strong and he could use his strength to protect and help someone weak and elderly — true happiness comes from being useful to others.

(a) — His 'young heart' was 'happy and well content' after the act of kindness.

(b) — Every elderly woman is a mother to someone; she deserves the same love and respect we give our own mothers.

(b) — The boy argues that despite being aged, poor and slow, she is still a mother and deserves kindness.

content.

He told them, "She's somebody's mother, boys, you know, For all she's aged and poor and slow", explaining why he had stopped to help her.

It teaches that the true reward of a kind act is inner joy and contentment — the boy asked for nothing, yet his heart was 'happy and well content'.

(b) — The boy hopes someone will help his mother when he is not there.

(b) — His empathy makes him imagine his own mother in the old woman's place, needing help in his absence.

(b) — He hopes others will show his mother the same kindness he showed the stranger.

help.

He imagines a future when he may not be beside his mother to help her; just as he helped a stranger's mother, he hopes a stranger will help his own mother in her hour of need.

I would have done the same, because helping an elderly person cross a busy street is a small effort for me but a great relief to them; and I would like others to help my own grandparents or parents the same way.

(c) — She 'bowed low her head' in her home that night and prayed.

(b) — Nobility here means goodness of character, shown through his selfless kindness.

(a) — Just as she was 'somebody's mother' to him, he is 'somebody's son' to her — a child loved and cherished by someone.

"God be kind to the noble boy."

She prayed, "God be kind to the noble boy, Who is somebody's son, and pride and joy!", asking God to bless the boy who had helped her.

The ending completes the circle of kindness — the boy's good deed returns to him as a blessing from a grateful heart. It also shows that even the humblest person can repay kindness, with the purest gift of a prayer from the heart.

'Somebody's mother' is the old, poor woman — ragged and grey, bent with the chill of the winter's day — whom the boy helps across the street. She is dear to someone as a mother, just as our mothers are to us.

Her feet were aged and slow, and the street was wet with recent snow. She was afraid that the carriage wheels or the horses' feet might crowd her down on the slippery street.

The boys came down the street like a flock of sheep, glad in the freedom of 'school let out'. They hurried past the old woman, laughing and shouting, without offering a helping hand.

One boy of the merry troop — the gayest laddie of all the group — paused beside her and whispered low, "I'll help you cross, if you wish to go."

The woman placed her aged hand on his strong young arm, and he guided her trembling feet along so that she crossed the street without hurt or harm.

He was proud that his own feet were firm and strong — proud of being able to use his youthful strength to support someone weak, old and helpless.

He told them that the old woman was 'somebody's mother', aged and poor and slow, and that he hoped some fellow would similarly lend a hand to help his own mother when he was far away.

The idiom 'lend a hand' means to help somebody. The boy uses it when he hopes someone will help his mother if she is ever old and grey in his absence.

In her home that night she bowed her head and prayed, "God be kind to the noble boy, Who is somebody's son, and pride and joy!"

The central theme is kindness and empathy — the poem shows that a small act of compassion towards the elderly brings joy to the giver, comfort to the receiver and goodness to society.

The title is apt because the boy sees the unknown old woman as 'somebody's mother' and treats her as he would want others to treat his own mother. The phrase links the woman, the boy and the boy's mother in one bond of human care.

The woman is old and ragged and grey, bent with the chill of the winter's day. Her feet are aged and slow and trembling; she is meek and timid, standing alone and uncared for amid the crowd.

It is a cold winter's day; the street is wet with recent snow piled white and deep. The slippery street and the passing carriages and horses make it dangerous for the old woman to cross.

'Throng' means a large crowd of people. The woman stood alone and uncared for amid the throng of human beings who passed her by.

'Hastened' means hurried or moved quickly. The children hastened past the old woman on their way, without stopping to help her.

While the others hurried past, absorbed in their play, this boy paused beside the woman, gently offered help and guided her safely across — showing the observation and empathy the others lacked.

He whispered low out of gentleness and respect, so that the shy, timid woman would not feel embarrassed before the noisy crowd of boys.

The boy not only notices the woman's fear but puts himself in her place — and in his own mother's place — hoping that someone would 'lend a hand' to his mother when he is far away. That is empathy in action.

He returned to his friends with his young heart 'happy and well content'. It teaches that the true reward of helping others is the inner joy and satisfaction it brings.

The poem teaches that we should always respect and help the elderly, for they are somebody's mothers and fathers; kindness costs little but gives great joy, and the good we do returns to us in some form.

The poet shows her helplessness through many details: she is 'old and ragged and grey' and 'bent with the chill of the Winter's day'; her feet are 'aged and slow' and 'trembling'; she waits 'long' at the crossing, 'alone, uncared for, amid the throng'; and she is 'so meek, so timid, afraid to stir' lest the carriage wheels or horses' feet crowd her down. Together these pictures make the reader pity her and admire the boy who stops.

The other boys came 'like a flock of sheep', glad in the freedom of school let out, and 'hastened' past the woman without offering a helping hand — playful but careless of her need. The one boy, though 'the gayest laddie of all the group', noticed her, paused beside her and whispered gently, 'I'll help you cross'. He guided her trembling feet across safely and returned 'happy and well content', showing that one caring heart can stand out from an unthinking crowd.

The phrase is repeated because it is the heart of the poem's message. It turns a nameless, neglected old woman into a person who is loved and valued somewhere — a mother like our own. The repetition reminds both the boys and the readers that every stranger is 'somebody's' dear one, and so deserves our care and respect. It also connects the ending, where the woman blesses the boy as 'somebody's son', completing the bond.

The boy says, "She's somebody's mother, boys, you know, For all she's aged and poor and slow", and adds that he hopes someone will help his own mother if she is ever 'poor and old and grey' when he is far away. The words are significant because they show his reason for helping — the golden rule of doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. He converts one act of kindness into a principle the whole group can learn from.

The poem ends with 'somebody's mother' bowing her head at home that night and praying, "God be kind to the noble boy, Who is somebody's son, and pride and joy!" The ending is touching because the kindness comes full circle — the boy's silent good deed is repaid with the warmest blessing an old woman can offer. It leaves the reader with the thought that goodness always returns in some form.

(i) Simile — 'Came the boys like a flock of sheep' compares the schoolboys to sheep. (ii) Alliteration — 'school let out', 'so meek, so timid' repeat the same sounds; also 'weak and grey'. (iii) Repetition — the phrase 'somebody's mother' is repeated to emphasise the theme; words like 'old', 'grey' and 'poor' are also repeated. Imagery — 'The street was wet with a recent snow' appeals to sight and touch.

The poem gently criticises society's neglect of the elderly. The woman stands 'alone, uncared for, amid the throng'; 'human beings passed her by' and did not heed her 'anxious eyes'. Even the merry schoolchildren hurried past her. Only one boy saw her as a human being. The poem suggests that the elderly are often invisible to busy crowds, and it calls upon each of us to be the one who pauses.

The boy understood the woman's nature — she was 'so meek, so timid' that a loud call might startle or shame her before others. A whisper was personal, gentle and respectful; it made the offer of help feel like care rather than charity. This shows emotional intelligence — he thought not only about helping her but also about how she would feel.

Yes, I agree. The boy did not seek thanks, money or praise; his heart was already 'happy and well content' after helping her. The old woman's silent prayer that night — 'God be kind to the noble boy' — was a selfless blessing from a grateful heart. It shows that the purest rewards of kindness are joy within and goodwill from others, not material gain.

We can apply the message by being alert to people in need around us — helping elderly people cross roads or carry bags, giving up seats in buses, assisting younger or differently-abled schoolmates, and respecting our own grandparents. Like the boy, we should see every stranger as 'somebody's' dear one and remember that our small acts of kindness bring joy to others and contentment to ourselves.

The boy in the poem is a schoolchild, described as 'the gayest laddie of all the group' — lively, cheerful and full of fun. Yet he is much more than merry: he is observant, for while a whole flock of boys hurried past, he alone noticed the old woman waiting at the crossing. He is kind and gentle — he 'paused beside her and whispered low', respecting her timid, meek nature rather than showing off before his friends. He is helpful and responsible — he offered, 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go', placed her aged hand on his strong young arm and guided her trembling feet across 'without hurt or harm'. He is humble and wise beyond his years — he explained his action to his friends by saying, 'She's somebody's mother, boys, you know', and wished that someone would similarly help his own mother when he was far away. He is contented, not boastful — after the good deed, his 'young heart' was simply 'happy and well content'. He thus embodies empathy, humility and the golden rule, proving that even a child can teach a whole crowd the meaning of kindness.

The central theme of the poem is kindness towards the elderly and empathy for strangers. The poet presents an old, poor woman — 'old and ragged and grey', 'so meek, so timid, afraid to stir' — whom a busy crowd ignores, and shows how one schoolboy stops to help her cross the slippery street. The message is that every unknown person is 'somebody's' dear one — somebody's mother or somebody's son — and deserves our care. The poem also teaches the golden rule: the boy hopes that 'some fellow will lend a hand' to his own mother 'if ever she's poor and old and grey, when her own dear boy is far away'. Finally, it conveys that kindness brings its own reward — the boy's heart was 'happy and well content', and the woman's prayer for 'the noble boy' completed the circle of goodwill. The poet urges readers to notice, care and act, however small the act may seem.

The poem teaches several lasting values. Compassion and empathy: the boy alone notices the woman's 'anxious eyes' and puts himself in her place, seeing her as 'somebody's mother'. Respect for the elderly: his whisper — 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go' — is gentle and dignified, never mocking her age or slowness. Service without expectation: he guides her 'trembling feet along' and asks for nothing in return. Gratitude: the woman repays him not with money but with a heartfelt prayer — 'God be kind to the noble boy'. The golden rule: he hopes others will 'lend a hand' to his own mother in his absence. The poem also shows the value of contentment — after helping, his 'young heart' is 'happy and well content'. Together these values show that kindness costs little — a pause, a strong arm, a few minutes — but it brings joy to the receiver, peace to the giver and blessing to all.

The poem proves the statement beautifully. The boy's act is tiny — he pauses while his friends run past, offers his arm and guides an old woman across a slippery street. Yet for the woman it removes fear and danger, for it was 'lest the carriage wheels or the horses' feet should crowd her down'. For the boy it brings a heart 'happy and well content', and for the woman's part it draws forth a blessing that night: 'God be kind to the noble boy'. A whole crowd had passed her by; one small act restored her faith in people. In my own life, I have seen this too — helping a junior pick up scattered books, giving my bus seat to an elderly person, or fetching water for a sick neighbour. Each act takes a few minutes but leaves someone smiling and me feeling lighter. Like the boy, I do not do it for praise; the joy is the reward. If everyone in society did one such 'small' kindness daily, streets, schools and homes would become warm places where no 'somebody's mother' ever stands alone.

12 January 20xx, night. Dear Diary, what a day it has been. This morning I stood at the crossing for what felt like ages. My old feet are so slow, and the street was wet with recent snow — I was terrified that the carriage wheels or the horses' feet would crowd me down. So many people passed me by; nobody heeded my anxious eyes. I felt so alone and uncared for amid that throng. Then, of all people, a schoolboy — the merriest of his whole group, out shouting and playing in the snow — stopped beside me. He whispered so gently, 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go.' Not a shout, not a laugh — a whisper, as if he knew how shy I felt. I placed my aged hand on his strong young arm and he guided my trembling feet across, so carefully that I came to no harm at all. Later, I heard him tell his friends, 'She's somebody's mother, boys, you know' — and that some fellow should help his own mother if ever she is old and grey when he is far away. Such wisdom in one so young! Tonight I bowed my head and prayed: 'God be kind to the noble boy, who is somebody's son, and pride and joy!' The world felt cold today, but one boy's kindness warmed it again.

Boy: Mother, something happened on the way home from school today. Mother: What is it, dear? You look happy. Boy: I am! You know the crossing near the market? An old woman stood there — so old and grey and bent with the chill — and she just could not cross. Her feet were trembling, and the street was wet with all that snow. Everyone rushed past her. Mother: Even your friends? Boy: Yes, the whole flock of them ran past shouting about the snow. But, Mother, her eyes looked so anxious that I stopped. I asked her softly, 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go.' She placed her hand on my arm and I guided her across — without hurt or harm. Mother: That was very good of you, my son. But what made you stop when no one else did? Boy: I kept thinking — she's somebody's mother, you know. For all she's aged and poor and slow. And then I thought of you. If ever you are poor and old and grey, when I am far away, I hope some fellow will lend a hand and help my mother. That is what I told the boys too. Mother: Bless you, child. What did you get for it? Boy: Nothing at all — and yet everything! My heart feels happy and well content. I'd help her again tomorrow. Mother: Then you have learned today's greatest lesson, my son — kindness is its own reward.

According to the poem, kindness and empathy are the threads that hold society together. Without them, the picture is bleak: the old woman stands 'alone, uncared for, amid the throng', and 'human beings passed her by' without heeding her anxious eyes — a society too busy to see its weakest members. With them, everything changes: one boy's empathy — his ability to feel her fear and to see her as 'somebody's mother' — removes her danger, restores her dignity and draws from her a prayer of blessing. The poem suggests that kindness is contagious and instructive: the boy explains his act to his friends, planting the same value in them, and the poet retells the story to plant it in us. It also shows that empathy begins at home — the boy's thought for the stranger flows from his love for his own mother. In a society where every person is treated as somebody's dear one, the elderly are never abandoned, the weak are never invisible, and every 'small' act of goodwill — a pause, a helping hand, a whispered offer — adds to the world's store of trust and happiness.