Part B: Poetry
Poem 2: Mother’s Day
Poet: Shiv K. Kumar
Class 11 – General English | PSEB | A Panorama of Life
Central Idea
The poem “Mother’s Day” by Shiv K. Kumar highlights the importance of respecting and honouring one’s mother every day rather than on a single designated occasion. The poet regards his mother as a deity who deserves daily devotion and reverence. He criticises the practice of offering flowers and writing verses for one day while neglecting a mother throughout the rest of the year. Through comparisons with religious rituals, the poet emphasises that occasional gestures of respect can become meaningless if they are not supported by genuine love and care. The central message of the poem is that a mother deserves lifelong gratitude, affection and respect, not merely an annual celebration.
Q.1 Comprehension
I. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the significance of “Chinese house of dreams”?
The expression “Chinese house of dreams” refers to the fanciful and decorative shape of a bouquet. The poet suggests that the verses written for Mother’s Day, along with a bouquet, are artificial and insincere. Such a gift may look attractive, but it cannot replace genuine love and respect for one’s mother throughout the year.
2. In what way is “my mother” more demanding?
The poet’s mother is more demanding because she deserves respect and devotion every day, not merely once a year. The poet believes that a mother’s love and importance are so great that she should be honoured daily, especially through the traditional gesture of obeisance at sunrise.
3. What, according to the poet, amounts to desecrating a mother?
According to the poet, showing respect to one’s mother only once a year amounts to desecrating her. Offering a bouquet and a few verses on a special day while neglecting her on the remaining days is an act of disrespect. A mother deserves sincere love and respect throughout the year.
4. How often does the poet invoke his deity?
The poet invokes his deity, his mother, sometimes twice a day. He believes that a mother deserves daily reverence rather than being remembered on only one special occasion.
5. Write a short note on how we Indians celebrate Mother’s Day.
In India, Mother’s Day is celebrated to express love, gratitude and respect for mothers. People give their mothers flowers, cards and gifts, prepare special meals and spend time with them. Children may also express their feelings through messages and other gestures of affection. However, the poet believes that mothers deserve love and respect every day, not merely on one designated day of the year.
II. Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
| Column A | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Obeisance | Courtesy and respect |
| 2. Slouch | Stoop or move forward |
| 3. Invoke | Appeal to or call upon |
| 4. Ancestral | Inherited or relating to ancestors |
| 5. Deity | Goddess |
| 6. Spurious | False or not genuine |
| 7. Desecrate | Treat with disrespect; violate something sacred |
III. Read the following lines and mention the figures of speech used in them.
1. “Like a devotee throwing a handful of yellow rice to the birds.”
Figure of speech: Simile. The poet compares the act of showing devotion to a mother with a devotee offering yellow rice to birds. The comparison is made using the word “like”.
2. “I invoke my deity.”
Figure of speech: Metaphor. The poet metaphorically refers to his mother as his deity. This expresses the deep reverence and devotion he feels towards her.
3. “Bouquet shaped like a Chinese house of dreams.”
Figure of speech: Simile. The shape of the bouquet is compared to a Chinese house of dreams using the word “like”.
4. “Hear ancestral voices in a wind’s howl.”
Figure of speech: Personification. The wind’s howl is presented as carrying ancestral voices, giving the sound of the wind a human-like quality.
IV. Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.
My mother is more demanding
an obeisance at each sunrise,
like a devotee throwing a handful
of yellow rice to the birds,
Holding a candelabrum before an idol,
Just once a year
Is desecrating it.
1. What does “my mother” demand?
The poet’s mother demands an act of respect and devotion at every sunrise. She deserves to be honoured daily, rather than receiving attention only once a year.
2. List the two things, mentioned by the poet, we are supposed to do at sunrise.
The two things are:
- To offer obeisance as a mark of respect and devotion.
- To perform an act of offering, like a devotee throwing a handful of yellow rice to the birds.
3. Write a short note on the idea contained in the lines “Holding a candelabrum before an idol, / Just once a year / Is desecrating it.”
These lines express the poet’s belief that showing devotion only once a year is insufficient. Just as offering a lamp before an idol only once a year would be disrespectful, honouring one’s mother on a single special day while neglecting her at other times is also wrong. A mother deserves continuous love, care and respect. The poet therefore rejects the idea of limiting devotion to an annual celebration.