Students can find accurate Class 9 English Extra Questions and Class 9 English Kaveri Poem 4 I Cannot Remember My Mother Extra Questions and Answers for better understanding.
I Cannot Remember My Mother Poem Extra Question Answer
I Cannot Remember My Mother Class 9 Extra Question Answer
I Cannot Remember My Mother Short Question Answer
Question 1.
During which activity does the poet first feel a vague memory of his mother returning to him?
Answer:
The poet first feels a vague memory of his mother returning while he is playing. In the middle of his play, a tune seems to hover over his toys. This moment shows that although he cannot remember her clearly, her presence still returns through subconscious memories.
Question 2.
What does the ‘tune’ hovering over the poet’s playthings symbolise?
Answer:
The tune symbolises the poet’s emotional connection with his mother. It represents her love, care and comforting presence that remains with him even after her absence. The tune shows how memories can return gently and unexpectedly through feelings rather than clear recollection.
Question 3.
Which action of the mother is recalled through the memory of the song?
Answer:
Through the memory of the song, the poet recalls his mother humming softly while rocking his cradle. This action reflects her nurturing nature, warmth and affection. It shows how her care and love shaped his early childhood, even though her physical presence is no longer remembered.
Question 4.
In which season does the poet experience the next memory of his mother, and why is this season significant?
Answer:
The poet experiences the next memory of his mother in early autumn. This season is significant because it represents calmness and gentle transition. The soft atmosphere, along with the fragrance of shiuli flowers, creates a peaceful mood that helps the poet associate nature’s serenity with his mother’s presence.
Question 5.
How does the smell of shiuli flowers help the poet reconnect with his mother?
Answer:
The smell of shiuli flowers triggers the poet’s emotional memory of his mother. Though he cannot remember her face, the familiar fragrance brings back feelings of warmth and comfort. This shows how sensory experiences, especially smell, help revive deep emotional connections from the past.
Question 6.
Why does the poet associate the scent of temple morning service with his mother?
Answer:
The poet associates the scent of temple morning service with his mother because it represents peace, purity and calm devotion. These qualities remind him of her gentle presence and care. The temple fragrance makes her memory feel sacred and spiritually comforting rather than distant or painful.
Question 7.
From where does the poet look at the sky, and what does this setting suggest about his state of mind?
Answer:
The poet looks at the sky from his bedroom window. This quiet, private setting suggests a calm and reflective state of mind, allowing his emotions and memories of his mother to surface gently without disturbance.
Question 8.
What does the poet mean by saying that the stillness of his mother’s gaze has spread all over the sky?
Answer:
The poet means that his mother’s loving presence feels vast and all-encompassing, like the sky itself. Though she is absent physically, her calm and protective gaze surrounds him everywhere, giving him comfort and peace. This image shows how her love has become eternal and boundless.
Question 9.
How does the poet use the sense of hearing to recall his mother in the opening stanza?
Answer:
In the opening stanza, the poet recalls his mother through sound. While playing, he senses a tune hovering over his playthings.
This tune reminds him of the song his mother used to hum while rocking his cradle, showing how sound triggers emotional memory even without clear visual remembrance.
Question 10.
Why does the poet choose everyday experiences like play, flowers and sky to recall his mother?
Answer:
The poet chooses everyday experiences because they are natural and familiar parts of life. These simple moments quietly trigger emotional memories. By linking his mother to play, flowers, and the sky, the poet shows that her presence lives on in ordinary, gentle experiences rather than dramatic events.
Question 11.
How does the repetition of the line ‘I cannot remember my mother’ affect the progression of the poem?
Answer:
The repetition emphasises the poet’s sense of loss and longing. As the poem progresses, the line highlights the contrast between his inability to remember her face and his growing emotional connection through memories, showing how absence gradually transforms into a comforting presence.
Question 12.
What does the gradual movement from sound to smell to sight suggest about the nature of memory in the poem?
Answer:
The movement from sound to smell to sight suggests that memory deepens gradually. It shows how emotional memories begin subtly and grow stronger through different senses, finally becoming expansive and lasting. This progression highlights how memories are layered and emotionally rich rather than clear and direct.
I Cannot Remember My Mother Long Question Answer
Question 1.
‘A mother’s presence can survive even when memories fade’. Explain how this idea is developed in the poem ‘I Cannot Remember My Mother’ with suitable references.
Answer:
The poem ‘I Cannot Remember My Mother’ effectively develops the idea that a mother’s presence survives even when memories fade. Although the poet repeatedly states that he cannot remember his mother clearly, her love and care continue to live on through sensory memories.
A tune hovering over his playthings recalls the lullaby she hummed while rocking his cradle, showing her nurturing affection. The smell of shiuli flowers and the scent of temple morning service remind him of her peaceful and sacred presence.
Finally, the vast blue sky symbolises how her calm, protective gaze has become all-encompassing and eternal. Thus, even without clear recollection, the mother’s emotional presence remains alive through everyday experiences.
Question 2.
How does the poet transform personal loss into a universal emotional experience in the poem?
Answer:
The poet transforms his personal loss into a universal emotional experience by expressing it through simple, shared human sensations rather than private details. Instead of describing his mother directly, he recalls her through sound, smell, and sight, such as a humming tune, the fragrance of flowers and the vast sky.
These experiences are familiar to everyone, allowing readers to connect their own memories with his feelings. The repetition of the line ‘I cannot remember my mother’ reflects a common human fear of forgetting loved ones.
By linking grief with ordinary moments of life, the poet turns individual sorrow into a collective experience of love, memory and longing that resonates universally.
Question 3.
The poem reflects both absence and comfort at the same time. Discuss how the poet balances loss and peace in his recollection of his mother.
Answer:
The poem balances absence and comfort by presenting loss without bitterness and peace without denial. The poet openly admits that he cannot remember his mother, which establishes a sense of absence and emotional loss.
However, this loss is softened through sensory memories that bring comfort. The humming tune, the smell of shiuli flowers, and the scent of temple prayers create a calm and reassuring atmosphere. These memories do not cause pain; instead, they offer quiet consolation. Finally, the image of the vast blue sky suggests that the mother’s love has become all-encompassing and eternal. In this way, the poet gently balances sorrow with peace, showing that love can comfort even in absence.
Question 4.
Both ‘I Cannot Remember My Mother’ and ‘Vitamin-M’ explore the theme of memory, but in different ways. Compare how memory functions emotionally in the poem and humorously in the story.
Answer:
Both ‘I Cannot Remember My Mother’ and ‘Vitamin-M’ deal with memory, but they present it in contrasting tones and functions.
In the poem, memory functions emotionally and sensitively. The poet’s inability to remember his mother creates a feeling of loss, yet her presence survives through sensory impressions like sound, smell, and sight, offering comfort and peace. Memory here is gentle, subconscious and healing.
In contrast, ‘Vitamin-M’ treats memory in a humorous and ironic way. Grandpa appears forgetful, causing worry, but later proves his sharp intelligence by outsmarting Ravi. Memory becomes a tool for humour and surprise, challenging assumptions about ageing.
Thus, while the poem uses memory to express emotional continuity, the story uses it to create light-hearted irony and insight.
I Cannot Remember My Mother Extract Based Questions and Answers
Extract 1
I cannot remember my mother
only sometimes in the midst of my play
a tune seems to hover over my playthings,
the tune of some song that she used to
hum while rocking my cradle.
I. What emotions are most appropriately conveyed by the phrase ‘a tune seems to hover over my playthings’?
(i) nostalgia
(ii) joy
(iii) longing
(iv) confusion
(v) comfort
Select the correct option.
A. i, iii, v
B. ii, iv
C. i, ii, iv
D. iii, iv, v
Answer:
A. i, iii, v
II. Fill in the blank with a suitable phrase to complete the sentence.
The mother humming while rocking the cradle symbolises _______ and emotional security in the poet’s early life.
Answer:
care, warmth
III. What does the poet’s inability to remember his mother clearly suggest about his emotional state during childhood?
Answer:
The poet’s inability to remember his mother clearly suggests that he lost her at a very young age. Although her physical presence has faded from his memory, her emotional influence remains deeply rooted in his subconscious.
IV. Which phrase from the extract conveys the idea of the mother’s nurturing care?
Answer:
The poet’s inability to remember his mother clearly suggests that he lost her at a very young age. Although her physical presence has faded from his memory, her emotional influence remains deeply rooted in his subconscious.The phrase that conveys the idea of the mother’s nurturing care is ‘hum while rocking my cradle’.
Extract 2
I cannot remember my mother
but when in the early autumn morning
the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air
the scent of the morning service in the temple
comes to me as the scent of my mother.
I. What aspects of memory are highlighted in this extract?
(i) sensory recall
(ii) emotional connection
(iii) clear visual remembrance
(iv) subconscious association
(v) spiritual awareness
Select the correct option.
A. i, iii, iv
B. ii, iii, v
C.i, ii, iv
D. iii, iv, v
Answer:
C. i, ii, iv
II. What does the association of the mother with the temple scent suggest about the poet’s emotional understanding of her presence?
Answer:
It suggests that the poet associates his mother with peace, purity and sacredness. Her presence feels calm and spiritual, like a quiet prayer, even though she is no longer physically present.
III. Which phrase from the extract conveys the poet’s idea that memory is evoked through sensory experience rather than direct recollection?
Answer:
The phrase, ‘the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air’ conveys the poet’s idea that memory is evoked through sensory experience.
IV. Fill in the blank with a suitable phrase to complete the sentence.
The scent of shiuli flowers symbolises and emotional purity in the poet’s memory of his mother.
Answer:
The phrase, ‘the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air’ conveys the poet’s idea that memory is evoked through sensory experience.peace and sacred love
Extract 3
I cannot remember my mother
only when from my bedroom window I send
my eyes into the blue of the distant sky,
I feel that the stillness of
my mother’s gaze on my face
has spread all over the sky.
I. What natural element is used as a symbol of the mother’s presence in the poem?
Answer:
The blue sky is used as a symbol of the mother’s presence in the poem.
II. What does the poet imply by saying that his mother’s gaze has ‘spread all over the sky’?
A. The poet imagines his mother physically present in the sky.
B. The mother’s love is vast, calm, and all-encompassing.
C. The sky reminds the poet of his loneliness.
D. The poet confuses memory with imagination.
Answer:
B. The mother’s love is vast, calm and all-encompassing.
III. Complete the following suitably.
The word ‘stillness’ in the line ‘the stillness of my mother’s gaze’ refers to
Answer:
calm, peaceful and comforting affection
IV. How does the poet use imagery to express the emotional presence of his mother?
Answer:
The poet uses visual imagery of the vast blue sky and the gentle stillness of a gaze to show that his mother’s love surrounds him everywhere. Though she is absent physically, her presence is felt as calm, protective and eternal.
Extract 4
I cannot remember my mother
only sometimes in the midst of my play
a tune seems to hover over my playthings,
the tune of some song that she used to
hum while rocking my cradle.
I cannot remember my mother
but when in the early autumn morning
the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air
the scent of the morning service in the temple
comes to me as the scent of my mother.
I cannot remember my mother
only when from my bedroom window I send
my eyes into the blue of the distant sky,
I feel that the stillness of
my mother’s gaze on my face
has spread all over the sky.
I. What emotions are most appropriately conveyed by the repeated line ‘I cannot remember my mother’?
(i) loss
(ii) longing
(iii) emotional distance
(iv) anger
(v) quiet sadness
Select the correct option.
A. i, ii, v
B. ii, iii, iv
C. i, iii, iv
D. iii, iv, v
Answer:
A. i, ii, v
II. How does the tune mentioned in the poem connect the poet to his mother?
Answer:
The tune recalls the lullaby his mother hummed, linking his playtime with memories of care, comfort and maternal love.
III. Explain how the poet shows that his mother’s presence is felt through memories rather than through direct remembrance.
Answer:
The poet shows his mother’s presence through sensory memories such as sound, smell and sight, which help’him feel her calm and loving presence even without direct remembrance.
IV. Fill in the blank with a suitable phrase to complete the sentence.
The poet remembers his mother not through clear memories but through _______ that gently return to him during moments of play.
Answer:
sensory impressions and emotional memories
Extra Questions of I Cannot Remember My Mother for Practice
Extract Based Questions
Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
I cannot remember my mother
but when in the early autumn morning
the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air
the scent of the morning service in the temple
comes to me as the scent of my mother.
I cannot remember my mother
only when from my bedroom window I send
my eyes into the blue of the distant sky,
I feel that the stillness of
my mother’s gaze on my face
has spread all over the sky.
I. What does the poet imply by comparing his mother’s presence to the vast sky?
A The poet imagines his mother watching him constantly.
B The mother’s love is boundless, calm and protective.
C The sky reminds the poet of his loneliness.
D The poet confuses imagination with reality.
II. Identify the phrase in the extract that shows the poet’s memory of his mother is triggered through the senses rather than direct recollection.
III. The phrase ‘early autumn morning’ in the extract suggests a mood of _______ and quiet reflection.
IV. How does the poet use nature to express the emotional closeness he feels with his mother despite her absence?
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1
Why does the poet describe his memories of his mother as ‘sometimes’ returning to him?
Question 2
Why does the poet avoid describing his mother’s physical appearance?
Question 3
What role does silence play in shaping the poet’s remembrance of his mother?
Question 4
Why does the poet link his mother’s memory with quiet moments rather than loud or dramatic events?
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1
The poem moves from intimacy to vastness. Trace this movement and explain its significance in understanding the poet’s emotions.
Question 2
‘The poem shows that remembrance does not always depend on clear recollection’. Explain this statement with reference to the poem.