Somebody’s Mother
NoteWhat This Chapter Covers
The second chapter of Unit 2: Values and Dispositions is a touching poem by Mary Dow Brine, Somebody’s Mother. On a cold, slippery winter day, an old woman stands afraid to cross a busy street. A crowd of cheerful schoolboys rushes past without helping — until one boy stops, takes her hand, and guides her safely across. He does it because he thinks of her as somebody’s mother, hoping that one day a stranger will be just as kind to his own mother. You will read the poem stanza by stanza, study its poetic devices (rhyming couplets, alliteration, imagery), build vocabulary, and practise CBSE-style questions.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- read Somebody’s Mother and explain what happens in each stanza;
- describe the old woman, the crowd, and the kind boy, and contrast their behaviour;
- explain the theme — kindness and respect for the elderly — and justify the title;
- identify the rhyme scheme, alliteration, and imagery in the poem;
- use the poem’s vocabulary correctly and attempt exam questions with confidence.