HUMAN BONDS

SECTION 3- SOMEBODY’S MOTHER

By Mary Dow Brine
STANZA 1 STANZA 2
The woman was old and ragged and She stood at the crossing and waited long,
gray Alone, uncared for, amid the throng
And bent with the chill of the Of human beings who passed her by
Winter’s day. Nor heeded the glance of her anxious eyes.
The street was wet with a recent Meaning
snow •Crossing – Traffic crossing
And the woman’s feet were aged •Uncared for – No one to care for
and slow. •Amid – In the midst of
Meaning •Throng – Crowd
•Ragged – (Clothes) Tattered; torn; •Heeded – Noticed
ripped; frayed; worn out; worn to •Glance – Caring look
shreds; threadbare; patched; scruffy; •Anxious eyes – Worried look
shabby
•Gray – Aged
•Bent with the chill of the Winter’s day
– The winter cold was so extreme to
bear that the old woman was bent
down.
LITERARY TERMS- Alliteration
(was wet with)
Repetition- (and in the 1st line)
STANZA 1 & 2
Q1.How do you describe the old woman?
Ans1.The woman was very old and poor. Her clothes were in very bad condition. She had gone grey with age. The
chill of the winter had made the woman bend herself to feel warm. Due to ageing and wet street, she walked with
slow steps.
Q2.Why did the old woman wait long?
Ans2. The old woman waited for long to cross the road because she was too old and helpless to cross the road by
herself and she feared getting mowed down under horse carriages. Besides, the people that passed by were mostly
unfeeling and uncaring.

Q3.What does the poet want to point out about human beings in the 2nd stanza?
Ans3. The poet is exposing the cold-heartedness of human beings. It was a shame for humanity that everyone was
too busy to help an old woman. The woman deserved pity by all means but people’s insensitivity made her to wait
on that roadside.
STANZA 3 STANZA 4
Down the street, with laughter and Past the woman so old and gray
shout, Hastened the children on their way.
Nor offered a helping hand to her –
Glad in the freedom of “school let
So meek, so timid, afraid to stir
out,” Lest the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet
Came the boys like a flock of sheep, Should crowd her down in the slippery street.
Hailing the snow piled white and Meaning
deep. •Past – Going ahead
Meaning •Hastened – Hurried
•A flock of sheep – Like sheep •Meek – Too gentle to defend oneself
following the herder, children came •Timid – Shy and scared
out in a line •Stir – Move; walk
•Lest – So that not
•Hailing the snow – Shouting merrily at
•Lest the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet should
the snow crowd her down – So that the carriage wheels or
•Piled – Heaped up the horses’ feet do not run over her.

•LITERARY TERM- Simile(Like a flock of LITERARY TERM- Alliteration(helping hand; slippery street)
sheep)
STANZA 3
Q1. How did the boys come out of school?
Ans. The boys came out of the school laughing and shouting. They were all very happy.
Q2. Why were the boys glad?
Ans. The boys were glad as they came out because it was the end of a long and cold school-day. They felt free after the school.
Q3.‘Came the boys like a flock of sheep’. Which figure of speech has been used here?
Ans. Simile is the figure of speech used here. Here, the boys are compared to a flock of sheep.
Q4.What did the boys do as they walked?
Ans. The boys scattered the deep snow as they walked.

STANZA 4
Q1. How did the boys pass the old woman by?
Ans1. The boys passed the old woman in great hurry. They did not offer her any help to cross the road.
Q2.Why didn’t the old woman seek help from the boys?
Ans2. The old woman was so shy and timid that she could not seek help from any of the boys.
STANZA 5 STANZA 6
At last came one of the merry troop, Her aged hand on his strong young arm
The gayest laddie of all the group; She placed, and so, without hurt or harm,
He paused beside her and whispered low, He guided the trembling feet along,
“I’ll help you cross, if you wish to go.” Proud that his own were firm and strong.
Then back again to his friends he went,
Meaning His young heart happy and well content.
•Merry troop – Jolly/happy group
•The gayest – Happiest Meaning
•Laddie – Boy •Trembling – Shivering
•Paused – Stopped •Proud – Feeling proud of oneself
•His own – His own mother
•Content – Satisfied

•LITERARY TERM- Alliteration

(hurt or harm; His young heart happy)
STANZA 5
Q1What does ‘merry troop’ mean?
Ans1. Merry troop refers to a group of boys who came by very happily.
Q2.Who paused and offered to help the old woman?
Ans2. The happiest of all the boys paused to help the old woman.
Q3. What did the boy whisper to the old woman?
Ans3. The boy whispered to the old woman that he would help her cross the road if she so wished.

STANZA 6
Q1.How did the old woman cross the road?
Ans1. She placed her hand on his strong young arm and he guided her along.
Q2. What pride did the boy feel while helping the old woman cross the road?
Ans2. The boy felt proud that his young hands were so strong that they could help an old lady cross a busy road without
causing any harm to both.
Q3.What did the boy do after helping the old woman?
Ans3. After helping the woman cross the road, the boy went back to his cheerful friends.
STANZA 7 STANZA 8
“She’s somebody’s mother, boys, you And “somebody’s mother” bowed low
know, her head
For all she’s aged and poor and slow, In her home that night, and the prayer
“And I hope some fellow will lend a hand she said
To help my mother, you understand, Was “God be kind to the noble boy,
“If ever she’s poor and old and gray, Who is somebody’s son, and pride and
When her own dear boy is far away.” joy!”

Meaning Meaning
•Lend a hand – Help in a difficult time •Bowed low her head – Sat to pray
•Pride – Feeling proud
•LITERARY TERM- Repetition
(and repeated in the 2nd LITERARY TERM- Alliteration
line) (her head; her home; somebody’s son)
STANZA 7 & 8
Q1. How did the boy explain his act of helping the old lady cross the road?
Ans 1. The boy explained his act of helping the old lady cross road by referring to a similar situation in which his own dear
mother could run into in the future. He said that his mother would be helped by some kind heart sometime in the future
when she travelled alone or would be tired and aged.

Q2. What was the old lady’s prayer that night?

Ans 2. The old lady prayed for the boy who helped her cross the road. She refers to him as ‘somebody’s son, somebody’s
pride and joy. She prayed to God to be kind with him.

Q3. Why does the old lady think that the boy who helped her cross the road was somebody’s son pride and joy?
Ans 3. The boy who helped the old lady cross the road was different from the other boys. He was one of the most cheerful
one. He was so kind that he moved away from his group and found time to help a strange, aged woman cross the road. The
great quality of seeing his own mother in an old lady, the quality to suffer the jeering of his friends, places him on top of all
the other boys. And for the boy being so virtuous, the old lady thought that he would be the pride and joy of his parents.
SUMMARY
• It was a winter evening. An old woman was waiting to cross a busy road near a school.
She was a lone woman although she was very old.
• Suddenly children came out of the school as it closed for the day.
• They passed the lonely old woman but none paid any attention to the old lady.
• It so happened that one of the boys, very cheerful and lively, saw this lady waiting to
cross the road. He ran to her and helped her cross the road.
• Later he explained to his friends that one day his own mother could be in a similar
situation and that someone else would help her.
• At home that night, the old lady prayed for the boy who had helped her cross the road.
Her heart was overflowing with gratitude and pride.
• She prayed, “God, be kind to him, somebody’s son!”