Somebody's Mother: NCERT Class 8 English Poem (Poorvi)

etmantra3 Nov 20266 min read

On a cold winter day, a crowd and a noisy group of schoolboys rush past an old woman who is too scared to cross the street. Then one cheerful boy stops to help. Students enjoy the simple story inside this poem and think about what it really means to care for a stranger.

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From NCERT’s new English book Poorvi for Class 8, unit “Values and Dispositions”. Unit 2.

What your child learns

Words from the poem: ragged, throng, heeded, hastened, meek, timid, lest
Using 'lest' to show what we want to avoid
Idioms with 'hand' (lend a hand, have your hands full) and antonyms
Saying '-ed' endings correctly and writing a diary entry about helping someone

What the poem is about

The poem tells a short story in rhyming pairs of lines. An old, poorly dressed woman stands at a street crossing on a snowy winter day. Her feet are slow and she is afraid that the carriages and horses might knock her down on the slippery road. Many people pass her by without noticing her worried eyes. A group of boys, happy that school is over, come running down the street and also hurry past her.

Then the merriest boy of the group stops, speaks to her softly and offers to help her across. She holds his arm and he guides her safely to the other side. Back with his friends, he explains that she is 'somebody's mother', and he hopes someone would help his own mother in the same way if she were ever old and alone. That night the old woman prays for the kind boy. The poem, written by Mary Dow Brine, teaches empathy: seeing a stranger as someone's loved one, and helping without being asked.

New words, with Hindi meanings

ragged: wearing old and torn clothes (हिंदी: फटे-पुराने)
throng: a big crowd of people (हिंदी: भीड़)
heeded: paid attention to (हिंदी: ध्यान दिया)
anxious: worried and nervous (हिंदी: चिंतित)
hastened: moved or went quickly (हिंदी: जल्दी से गए)
meek: quiet and gentle, not able to stand up for yourself (हिंदी: दीन, सीधा-सादा)
timid: shy and easily afraid (हिंदी: डरपोक, सहमा हुआ)
stir: to move a little (हिंदी: हिलना)
lest: so that something bad does not happen (हिंदी: कहीं ऐसा न हो कि)
content: happy and satisfied (हिंदी: संतुष्ट)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Why was the old woman waiting at the crossing for so long?
What did the other schoolboys do when they saw her?
How did the boy help the old woman?
Why does the boy call her 'somebody's mother'?
Have you ever helped someone you did not know? How did you feel?

Answers for parents

She was old, weak and slow, and the street was wet and slippery with snow. She was afraid the carriage wheels or horses might knock her down, and nobody in the crowd stopped to help her.
They were busy laughing, shouting and enjoying the snow after school. They hurried past her without offering any help.
He stopped beside her, offered softly to help her cross, and let her hold his strong arm. He guided her slowly and safely across the street.
He wants his friends to see that this poor old stranger is someone's mother, just like their own mothers. He hopes someone would help his mother in the same way if she were ever old and alone.
For example: Once an elderly man at the market dropped his bag of vegetables. I picked them up and carried the bag to his rickshaw. He blessed me, and I felt proud and happy all day.

Grammar corner: Using 'lest'

'Lest' is a joining word (conjunction) that means 'so that something bad does not happen' or 'just in case'. The part after 'lest' tells us what we want to avoid, so we do not add 'not' after it. 'Lest' is a little formal and is often followed by 'should' or the base form of the verb.

The old woman did not move lest a horse should knock her down.
Hold my arm lest you slip on the snow.
The boy walked slowly lest she feel rushed.

Practice at home

Fill in the blank with 'lest' or 'and': Wear warm clothes ___ you catch a cold.
Match the idiom with its meaning: 'lend a hand' means (a) give money (b) help somebody (c) shake hands.
Say these words aloud and tell the ending sound: waited, offered, passed.

Answers: 1. lest · 2. (b) help somebody · 3. waited ends in /id/, offered ends in /d/, passed ends in /t/.

Try this

Play 'Somebody's...' at home. One person names a stranger you might see in a day: the vegetable seller, the bus conductor, an old man at the bank. The next person says whose somebody they are ('He is somebody's grandfather') and one small way to help them. Then together, make a list of five things a family member does for you, and plan one thing you will do for them this week.

Tip for parents

Tell the poem's story in Hindi first: एक बूढ़ी औरत ठंड में सड़क पार नहीं कर पा रही थी, सब निकल गए, पर एक लड़के ने मदद की. Ask your child, in Hindi or English, 'उस लड़के ने ऐसा क्यों कहा कि वह किसी की माँ है?' and let them answer in mixed language, then help them say one full sentence in English. Share a time someone helped you, and praise every answer they try.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem Somebody's Mother about?

It is about an old, poor woman who is afraid to cross a snowy street. Everyone hurries past her until one cheerful schoolboy stops and helps her across, saying she is somebody's mother.

What is the moral of Somebody's Mother?

We should treat every stranger with the same kindness we want for our own family. Small acts of empathy, like helping an old person cross the road, matter a great deal.

Is Somebody's Mother in the new NCERT book?

Yes. It is Chapter 5 of Poorvi, NCERT's new English book for Class 8, in Unit 2 (Values and Dispositions). The poet is Mary Dow Brine.

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Every chapter of Poorvi, NCERT’s new Class 8 book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, listening, grammar, speaking and writing with feedback. ₹1,599 for the whole year.

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