5.1 Before You Read

Before You Read Picture a busy road on a cold, slippery day, and an elderly person standing nervously at the edge, afraid to cross. Crowds hurry past, too busy to notice. Would you stop? This poem is about one boy who did — and why he did.

About the poet

Mary Dow Brine was a nineteenth-century American writer of poems and stories. She is best remembered for Somebody’s Mother, a poem famous for its tender feeling and its simple, heartfelt message about kindness. Her gift was to take an ordinary street scene and turn it into a lesson that stays with the reader.

About the poem

This is a narrative poem — it tells a short story. It is written in simple language with a gentle, steady rhythm, and it builds quietly from a sad picture (an old woman ignored by the crowd) to a warm one (a boy’s act of kindness) and finally to a thought that touches every reader: she is somebody’s mother.

The setting

The action takes place on a winter day in a town. Snow has fallen and the street is wet and slippery, which makes crossing dangerous for a frail old woman. A lively crowd (throng) of people and a happy group of schoolboys fill the street. Knowing this helps you feel both the old woman’s fear and the kindness of the one boy who helps.

Key Idea The poem’s power comes from a single thought: every old, helpless person is somebody’s loved one — somebody’s mother, father, or grandparent. If we treat strangers with that thought in mind, the whole world becomes kinder.

Think and discuss

1. Why do people in a hurry often fail to notice someone who needs help?
2. Have you ever helped an elderly person or a stranger? How did it feel?
3. What does the phrase “she is somebody’s mother” make you feel and think?