I Cannot Remember My Mother Class 9 Notes and Solutions

• (i) "smell of the shiuli" — repetition of the 's' sound
• (ii) "midst of my" — repetition of the 'm' sound

"hum" — the word itself sounds like the gentle humming sound a person makes.

The poet uses three types of sensory imagery. In Stanza 1, auditory imagery is used — the tune of a lullaby that the mother hummed. In Stanza 2, olfactory imagery is used — the scent of shiuli flowers and the temple service. In Stanza 3, visual imagery is used — the blue, still sky that looks like the mother's calm gaze. These images help readers feel the poem, not just read it.

It has a beautiful musical rhythm, deep emotional feeling, and rich sensory imagery. The refrain creates a flowing, wave-like pattern. The simple, heartfelt language connects readers to the universal feeling of missing someone they love.

The tone is nostalgic, gentle, and melancholic. The poet does not weep loudly — instead, he quietly longs for a mother he never truly knew. Words like "cannot remember", "seems to hover", and "stillness" show a soft sadness mixed with peaceful acceptance.

The title "I Cannot Remember My Mother" immediately creates a mood of loss and longing. It tells us upfront that the poet's memory is incomplete — setting an emotional tone of quiet sadness and deep yearning that continues throughout the poem.

The refrain emphasises the poet's inability to consciously remember his mother. By repeating it, Tagore shows that this absence is a constant, ever-present sorrow. It also creates rhythm and structure in a poem that has no rhyme scheme, giving it musical quality.

• Lullaby / Tune → Symbol of the mother's love and the comfort of her care during infancy
• Shiuli flowers / Temple scent → Symbol of the mother's spiritual, gentle, and nurturing presence
• Blue sky → Symbol of the mother's boundless, infinite, all-covering love and gaze

playtime / play

C. It activates memories of the mother. — The hovering tune is not a distraction or source of joy, but a trigger that connects the poet to a subconscious memory of his mother.

The hovering tune acts as a gentle, unexpected bridge to the past. It pulls the poet away from his present world of play and connects him, for a brief moment, to the memory of his mother rocking his cradle — even though he has no conscious, visual memory of her.

True — The poem says "only sometimes", showing it does not happen all the time.

The poet feels his mother's presence through sense memory — sounds, smells, and sights that were associated with her during his early childhood. Though his mind cannot consciously recall her, his senses still carry traces of her love: the tune she hummed, the scent she carried from the temple, and the calm loving look she gave him.

B. The sky is a symbolic extension of the mother's presence. — The vast, calm sky becomes the poet's way of feeling his mother's loving eyes all around him.

D. A sense of serenity. — The stillness is peaceful and comforting, not sad or anxious. The mother's gaze was calm, warm, and steady.

False — The effect is not physical/tangible. It is an emotional and imaginary connection the poet feels in his heart.

The sky is endless, calm, and all-surrounding — just like a mother's love. By comparing the gaze to the sky, the poet shows that his mother's love was boundless and protective. It also suggests that even after her death, her love has not disappeared — it is present everywhere, as vast as the sky above him.

The tone is serene and nostalgic because the poet is not expressing grief or anger, but a quiet, peaceful sense of his mother's continuing presence. The image of the still sky gives a feeling of calm acceptance.

The refrain creates a deeply emotional impact of loss, longing, and acceptance. Each time it repeats, it reminds us that the poet's memory of his mother is incomplete and painful. It shows his honest struggle — he wants to remember her but cannot. Yet the poem does not sink into despair. Instead, the refrain works as a starting point from which the poet then shows how he does feel her — not through memory, but through senses. This mix of sadness and gentle consolation makes the refrain deeply moving.

• Shiuli flowers: These flowers bloom at night and fall at dawn — they are fragile, beautiful, and short-lived, just like the time the poet had with his mother. The scent of these flowers during the morning temple service reminds the poet of his mother who may have carried this fragrance, or who was associated with devotion and morning rituals. The smell becomes a living connection to her.
• Humming tune: The mother hummed a lullaby while rocking the poet's cradle. This soft, wordless music entered the baby's mind before language did. It represents pure, unconditional love — a mother's effort to comfort her child. Even without conscious memory, this tune returns to the poet and makes him feel her presence.

Nature acts as a carrier and keeper of memories in this poem. The tune that hovers, the scent of shiuli flowers, and the stillness of the sky are all elements of the natural world. Each one serves as a sensory trigger that connects the poet to his mother. Nature is always present, always gentle, and always available — just as the memory of a mother should be. By weaving nature into every stanza, Tagore suggests that a mother's love is as natural, universal, and endless as the world around us.

The poet believes the mother–child relationship is the deepest, most primal bond a person can have. Even without conscious memory, the child carries the mother within himself — in his senses, in his feelings, and in his instincts. The poet shows that this relationship goes beyond what can be remembered or spoken. A mother's love leaves its mark on a child through sounds, smells, and feelings that stay for a lifetime. Her presence is not just physical — it becomes woven into the very way a child experiences the world.