I Cannot Remember My Mother: Summary & Q&A | Class 9
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Rabindranath Tagore's I Cannot Remember My Mother is a tender poem about memory, loss and the lasting bond between a mother and her child. The speaker cannot form a clear picture of his mother, yet her presence returns through a familiar tune, the fragrance of shiuli flowers and the still blue sky. This complete Class 9 guide provides the poem's summary, stanza-wise explanation, word meanings, themes, poetic devices and solved textbook questions.
Quick answer: The poem shows that factual memory may fade, but emotional memory survives. Sound, fragrance and sight awaken the speaker's deep, unconscious memories of maternal love.
Feature | Details |
Textbook | Kaveri |
Class | 9 |
Poem | Poem 4 |
Curriculum | CBSE/NCERT |
Learning Objectives
After reading this blog page, students will be able to:
· explain the meaning of each stanza in simple language;
· trace the movement from auditory to olfactory and visual imagery;
· identify the central themes, symbols and poetic devices;
· interpret the emotional effect of the refrain;
· answer the textbook's extract-based and short-answer questions; and
· use sensory details effectively in speaking and diary writing.
About Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) was a Bengali poet, novelist, dramatist, composer, essayist and educator. In 1913, he became the first Asian Nobel laureate when he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. His poetry is admired for its spiritual depth, emotional delicacy, musical quality and close relationship with nature. He also founded an experimental school at Santiniketan, which later developed into Visva-Bharati University.
Tagore's writing frequently presents nature as more than scenery. A flower, song, sky or season often becomes a doorway to memory, love and spiritual awareness. This method is central to I Cannot Remember My Mother.
Authoritative references: Nobel Prize biography and Poetry Foundation profile.
Poem at a Glance
Feature | Details |
Poet | Rabindranath Tagore |
Form | Three-stanza free-verse lyric |
Central concern | The survival of a mother's love through sensory memory |
Dominant movement | Sound to fragrance to sight |
Main emotions | Longing, tenderness, nostalgia, serenity and spiritual comfort |
Important symbols | Humming tune, cradle, shiuli flowers, temple service, blue sky and mother's gaze |
Key device | Refrain: “I cannot remember my mother” |
Setting | Childhood play, an early autumn morning and a bedroom window overlooking the sky |
The Poem
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 Cannot Remember My Mother Summary
The speaker says that he cannot consciously remember his mother. However, fragments of her loving presence return unexpectedly through his senses. While he plays, a half-remembered tune seems to hover over his toys. It recalls the song his mother once hummed while rocking his cradle.
On an early autumn morning, the fragrance of shiuli flowers and the sacred atmosphere of the temple's morning service remind him of his mother's scent. Later, when he looks through his bedroom window at the distant blue sky, its calm stillness becomes the vast, protective gaze of his mother.
Thus, the poem moves from sound to smell to sight. The mother is absent physically, but her love remains present in music, nature and the speaker's deepest emotional memory. The poem suggests that love can outlive clear recollection and become part of how a person experiences the world.
Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1: The Humming Tune
The speaker begins with the painful admission that he cannot remember his mother clearly. Yet, during play, a gentle tune seems to linger over his playthings. The melody is not a complete conscious memory; it is a faint emotional echo of the song his mother hummed while rocking his cradle.
The stanza uses auditory imagery. The tune connects the speaker's present play with his earliest infancy. The words “hover over” make the melody feel almost alive, as though maternal affection still surrounds the child. The cradle symbolises infancy, safety and nurturing care.
Stanza 2: The Fragrance of Shiuli Flowers
The second stanza shifts from hearing to smell. In early autumn, the sweet fragrance of shiuli flowers floats through the air. The scent blends in the speaker's mind with the fragrance of flowers and incense associated with a temple's morning service. Together, these sacred and natural fragrances become the remembered scent of his mother.
This is olfactory imagery. The mother is associated with purity, devotion, warmth and peace. The memory is not a physical portrait; it is a feeling awakened by fragrance. Shiuli, also called parijat or harsingar, is Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, a species native to India and other parts of South and Southeast Asia. See the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Stanza 3: The Mother's Gaze in the Sky
In the final stanza, the speaker looks from his bedroom window into the distant blue sky. The vast, silent calmness of the sky reminds him of his mother's steady gaze upon his face. He feels that her loving look has expanded across the whole sky.
This stanza uses visual imagery and symbolism. The sky represents the vastness, permanence and universality of the mother's love. Her gaze is no longer limited to one remembered moment; it becomes an all-embracing presence. The poem therefore ends not in despair but in serenity and spiritual comfort.
Word Meanings
Word or phrase | Meaning in the poem |
in the midst of | in the middle of |
hover | remain suspended or linger near a place |
playthings | toys |
hum | sing a tune softly with closed lips |
cradle | a small bed for a baby, often made to rock |
early autumn | the beginning of the autumn season |
shiuli | a small, fragrant, night-blooming flower, also called parijat or harsingar |
floats in the air | spreads gently through the air |
scent | a distinctive smell or fragrance |
morning service | prayers or rituals performed in a temple in the morning |
gaze | a steady and prolonged look |
stillness | complete calmness and absence of movement or noise |
distant | far away |
has spread all over | seems to fill or cover completely |
Major Themes
1. Memory and Forgetfulness
The speaker cannot reconstruct his mother's face or physical presence. Nevertheless, sound, smell and sight preserve fragments of her. The poem distinguishes conscious memory, which may fade, from emotional memory, which remains deeply rooted.
2. The Enduring Mother-Child Bond
The mother-child relationship survives physical absence. A lullaby, fragrance and loving gaze continue to comfort the speaker. Maternal love becomes a permanent part of his inner life.
3. Sensory Memory
Each stanza is organised around a sense: hearing, smell and sight. The senses act as bridges between the present and the past. Tagore shows how an ordinary experience can suddenly awaken a powerful, long-buried feeling.
4. Nature as a Medium of Remembrance
Nature does not merely decorate the poem. The shiuli flowers and blue sky carry the mother's presence. Through nature, a private memory becomes spacious, spiritual and universal.
5. Loss, Longing and Consolation
The refrain carries sadness because the speaker lacks a clear memory of his mother. Yet the poem gradually transforms loss into consolation. By the end, the mother seems to watch over him through the vast still sky.
6. The Sacredness of Maternal Love
The fragrance of the temple's morning service links the mother with purity, devotion and reverence. Her love is presented as nurturing and sacred.
Significance of the Title
The title, I Cannot Remember My Mother, immediately creates a mood of loss and longing. Its repetition at the beginning of every stanza appears to stress absence. Paradoxically, each stanza then reveals a different way in which the mother is remembered. The title therefore establishes the poem's central tension: the speaker cannot recall his mother as a clear image, but he continually experiences her through emotion and sensation.
Tone and Mood
The tone is tender, reflective, nostalgic and serene. The opening words contain quiet sadness, but the speaker does not become bitter or despairing. The hovering tune, fragrant flowers and still sky soften grief and turn it into loving remembrance. The mood moves from wistful longing towards calm spiritual reassurance.
Poetic Form and Structure
The poem consists of three five- or six-line movements written in free verse. It has no regular rhyme scheme or fixed metrical pattern. Its musicality comes from repetition, gentle sentence rhythm, recurring soft sounds and the orderly progression of the senses. Each stanza begins with the same refrain and then introduces a new sensory trigger.
Poetic Devices
Device | Example or location | Effect |
Refrain | “I cannot remember my mother” | Repeats the pain of absence while introducing each new form of remembrance. |
Repetition / anaphora | The same opening at the start of all three stanzas | Gives unity and a meditative rhythm to the poem. |
Auditory imagery | The tune and the mother's humming | Allows readers to hear the echo of maternal care. |
Olfactory imagery | Shiuli flowers and the temple's morning scent | Connects the mother with purity, devotion and intimate memory. |
Visual imagery | Bedroom window, blue sky and mother's gaze | Creates a calm picture of vast, protective love. |
Symbolism | Cradle, flowers, temple and sky | Represents infancy, sacred love, purity, permanence and protection. |
Metaphor | The mother's gaze “has spread all over the sky” | Identifies the sky's vast stillness with the mother's enduring presence. |
Personification | A tune “seems to hover”; fragrance “floats” | Makes invisible memories feel living and gently active. |
Alliteration | “midst of my”; “my mother's”; “smell of the shiuli” | Adds softness and musical flow. |
Onomatopoeia | “hum” | Suggests the soft sound of a lullaby. |
Enjambment | Thoughts continue across successive lines without full stops | Recreates the natural flow of memory and reflection. |
Free verse | No fixed rhyme scheme | Keeps the voice intimate, natural and conversational. |
The Sensory Journey
Stanza | Sensory trigger | Sense | Memory awakened |
1 | A hovering tune and humming | Auditory | The mother rocking the baby's cradle |
2 | Shiuli flowers and temple fragrance | Olfactory | The mother's comforting, sacred presence |
3 | The distant blue sky and still gaze | Visual | The mother's vast and protective love |
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Complete Textbook Answers
Reflect and Respond: Word Matching
Word | Correct meaning |
hover | linger or remain near a place |
hum | sing a tune with the lips closed |
cradle | a small bed for a baby |
shiuli | a type of flower, also known as coral jasmine |
morning service | rituals or prayers conducted in a temple |
gaze | look steadily for a long time |
Check Your Understanding -
I. Fill in the Blanks
Stanza 1
1. The poet remembers his mother while he plays.
2. The poet remembers the tune but not the mother.
3. Setting: indoor.
Stanza 2
1. The poet remembers his mother in the autumn season.
2. The poet remembers his mother through the smell of shiuli flowers and the temple's morning service.
3. Setting: outdoor.
Stanza 3
1. The poet feels that his mother gazes at him from the sky.
2. Setting: indoor, because he looks from his bedroom window.
Check Your Understanding - II. References to the Senses
Stanza | Line or image from the poem | Sense |
1 | “the tune of some song that she used to hum” | Auditory |
2 | “the smell of the shiuli flowers floats in the air” | Olfactory |
3 | “the blue of the distant sky” and “my mother's gaze” | Visual |
Check Your Understanding - III. Appreciation
1. Give two examples of alliteration.
Two suitable examples are “midst of my” and “my mother's”. The repeated initial consonant sounds add softness and music to the poem.
2. Give an example of onomatopoeia.
The word “hum” is onomatopoeic because it suggests the low, continuous sound made while singing with closed lips.
3. How does the poem use imagery extensively?
The poem appeals to three senses. Readers hear the mother's humming tune, smell shiuli flowers and temple fragrance, and see the blue sky and the mother's still gaze. These auditory, olfactory and visual images make an invisible memory vivid and emotionally convincing.
4. Why is the poem enjoyable although it has no rhyme scheme?
The poem is enjoyable because it has a gentle internal rhythm, repeated phrases, soft sounds, vivid sensory imagery and an emotionally moving progression. Its musical quality comes from language and repetition rather than end rhyme.
5. What is the poet's tone? Why?
The poet's tone is tender, reflective, nostalgic and peaceful. He feels the sadness of not remembering his mother clearly, but the tune, fragrance and sky give him comfort. His memories are presented quietly, without anger or despair.
6. What impact does the title have on the overall mood?
The title creates an immediate sense of loss and longing. Since it is also repeated as a refrain, the sadness continues throughout the poem. At the same time, every stanza shows that emotional memory survives, so the melancholy mood is gradually balanced by reassurance.
7. Why is “I cannot remember my mother” used as a refrain?
The line is repeated to emphasise the gap in the speaker's conscious memory and to unite the three stanzas. Each repetition is followed by a sensory experience that contradicts complete forgetfulness, showing that the mother's love still lives within him.
8. Identify the symbols used in the poem.
The humming tune symbolises maternal comfort; the cradle represents infancy and security; shiuli flowers and the temple service symbolise purity and sacred love; the blue sky represents vastness and permanence; and the mother's gaze symbolises continuing protection.
Critical Reflection - Extract 1
“I cannot remember my mother / only sometimes in the midst of my play / a tune seems to hover over my playthings”
(i) Complete the sentence.
The poet is reminded of his mother during his playtime.
(ii) What is the primary emotion conveyed by the hovering tune?
Answer: C. It activates memories of the mother.
(iii) What role does the hovering tune play during playtime?
The tune acts as a sensory trigger. It connects the speaker's present play with his infancy and revives the emotional memory of his mother humming while she rocked his cradle.
(iv) True or false: The tune lingers over the playthings only occasionally.
True. The word “sometimes” shows that this experience occurs only on certain occasions.
(v) How can the poet feel his mother's presence although she is absent?
The poet feels her presence through sensory and emotional memory. The half-remembered lullaby carries the warmth, safety and affection once associated with his mother.
Critical Reflection - Extract 2
“I feel that the stillness of / my mother's gaze on my face / has spread all over the sky.”
(i) What does the stillness of the gaze spreading over the sky suggest?
Answer: B. The sky is a symbolic extension of the mother's presence.
(ii) What emotion is associated with the stillness?
Answer: D. A sense of serenity.
(iii) True or false: The mother's gaze has a tangible, visual effect on the sky.
False. The description is metaphorical and symbolic, not literal.
(iv) Why does the poet liken the mother's gaze to the sky?
The comparison emphasises the vastness, calmness and permanence of maternal love. Just as the sky surrounds the speaker, he feels that his mother's protective presence continues to surround him.
(v) Complete the sentence about tone.
The tone is peaceful and reflective because the still sky reminds the speaker of his mother's calm, loving gaze and gives him emotional comfort.
Critical Reflection - Short Answers
1. What is the emotional impact of the refrain?
The refrain creates a recurring ache of loss because the speaker cannot consciously remember his mother. However, its repetition also prepares the reader for each sensory recollection. It highlights the contrast between fading factual memory and the enduring emotional bond that survives through music, fragrance and nature.
2. Explain the connection between the mother and (i) shiuli flowers and (ii) the humming tune.
The fragrance of shiuli flowers connects the mother with purity, devotion and the sacred atmosphere of morning worship. The humming tune recalls the tender care with which she rocked the speaker's cradle. Both are sensory triggers that restore her emotional presence.
3. What role does nature play in the memory of the mother?
Nature becomes a living storehouse of memory. The fragrance of flowers and the vast still sky awaken feelings associated with the mother. Natural images transform a private loss into a universal experience of love, protection and spiritual continuity.
4. What can be inferred about the poet's view of the mother-child relationship?
The poet sees the mother-child bond as deep, nurturing and permanent. Even when clear recollection has faded and the mother is physically absent, her love continues to shape the child's emotions and perception of the world. The bond survives through unconscious and sensory memory.
Vocabulary in Context - I. Classifying Sensory Words
Visual | Auditory | Olfactory | Tactile |
glowing | rustle | aroma | sticky |
gigantic | hiss | stale | rough |
minuscule | sizzle | stinky | chilled |
gloomy | deafening | scent | fluffy |
vibrant | squeaky | pungent | smooth |
crimson | ear-splitting | fragrant | slimy |
|
|
| hairy |
Vocabulary in Context - II. Sarojini Naidu Passage
The correct sequence is:
1. scarlet
2. perfumes
3. sweetness
4. shrill
5. scents
6. essence
7. flaming
The two extra words are sizzle and smooth.
Vocabulary in Context - III. Picture Matching
Picture position | Correct phrase number | Association |
Top left: shiuli flowers | 3 | fragrant breeze of blooming buds |
Top centre: mother and cradle | 4 | gentle lullaby, a soft melody |
Top right: kites in the sky | 5 | colourful sky, painting a lively sight |
Bottom left: sunset | 6 | attractive canvas painting the horizon |
Bottom centre: tabla | 1 | beats of music echo in air |
Bottom right: incense | 2 | melody of soothing scent, dancing in the air |
Writing Task - Model Diary Entry
Saturday, 22 August 2026 9:30 p.m.
Dear Diary,
Today our class visited the tea gardens of Darjeeling, and every part of the landscape seemed alive. Green rows of tea bushes rolled down the hills like waves. Cool mist touched my face, while the sharp, fresh scent of wet leaves filled the air. I could hear birds calling from distant trees and the soft snip of the workers' scissors. At noon, I tasted warm tea that was slightly bitter but wonderfully refreshing.
The most memorable moment came when the clouds parted and Kanchenjunga shone in the distance. Everyone became silent. I felt small, peaceful and grateful. This trip taught me that a beautiful place is not remembered only through photographs; it remains through its sounds, colours, fragrances, tastes and feelings.
Learning Beyond the Text: Shiuli Flowers
Shiuli flowers are also known as parijat, parijata, harsingar and night-flowering jasmine. Their accepted botanical name is Nyctanthes arbor-tristis. The small white flowers have orange centres and bloom at night, often falling to the ground by morning. Their fragrance and use in ceremonial contexts make them especially suitable symbols of purity, devotion and delicate memory in Tagore's poem.
The species is native across a region extending from the Himalaya through parts of South and Southeast Asia, including India. Botanical reference: Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why can the speaker not remember his mother?
The speaker probably lost his mother when he was very young and therefore cannot recall her face or physical presence clearly. However, faint emotional memories of her remain hidden within him and return through sound, fragrance and sight.
2. What three things remind the speaker of his mother?
Three sensory experiences remind the speaker of his mother:
The tune she used to hum while rocking his cradle
The fragrance of shiuli flowers and the temple’s morning service
The stillness of the distant blue sky, which resembles his mother’s loving gaze
3. What do the shiuli flowers symbolise?
The fragrant white shiuli flowers symbolise purity, tenderness, devotion and sacred maternal love. Their fragrance awakens the speaker’s memory of his mother and connects her presence with nature and worship.
4. What is the central idea of the poem?
The central idea of the poem is that clear or factual memories may fade, but emotional memories and love can survive. Although the speaker cannot consciously remember his mother, he continues to feel her presence through music, fragrance, nature and the peaceful sky.
5. Why is “I cannot remember my mother” used as a refrain?
The line is repeated at the beginning of every stanza to emphasise the speaker’s sense of loss and his inability to remember his mother clearly. At the same time, each repetition introduces a new sensory experience through which her loving presence returns to him.
6. How does the poem move from sadness to consolation?
The poem begins with the speaker’s sorrowful admission that he cannot remember his mother. Gradually, her presence returns through a familiar tune, the fragrance of shiuli flowers and the still blue sky. By the end, the speaker feels that his mother’s loving gaze has spread across the entire sky, transforming his sadness into peace and spiritual comfort.
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