Get notes, line-by-line explanation, summary, questions and answers, critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf of the poem I Remember, I Remember by Thomas Hood which is part of BSEM Class 9 English. However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
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Comprehension
(A) On the basis of your understanding of the poem, complete the following statements
I. As a grown up the poet often wishes that ————————————
Answer: The night had taken his breath away
II. On his birthday the poet’s brother set ———————
Answer: The laburnum tree
III. Compared to his spirit in his childhood the poet’s spirit is now ——————
Answer: Much heavier
IV. In his childhood the poet thought that the top of fir trees touched —————.
Answer: The sky
(B) Answer the following questions in a sentence each
I. Where did the robin build its nest?
Answer: In the lilacs
II. What did the poet remember as he used to swim?
Answer: The poet remembered that his spirit flew in feathers then.
(C) Answer the following questions briefly
I. In the first stanza what does the poet remember of the sun?
Answer: The poet remembers the sun peeping in through the little window of the house where he was born.
II. Is the poet happy with his present condition? How do you know?
Answer: No, the poet is not happy with his present condition, as he often wishes that the night had taken his breath away.
III. Explain ‘those flowers made of light’?
Answer: ‘Those flowers made of light’ refers to the vivid and bright colours of the roses, violets, and lily cups from the poet’s childhood memories, symbolising purity and innocence.
IV. What does the poet remember of his brother?
Answer: The poet remembers his brother setting up the laburnum tree on his birthday.
V. ‘My spirit flew in feathers then.’ What does the poet mean by it?
Answer: By saying ‘my spirit flew in feathers then’, the poet means that in his childhood, he felt light-hearted and carefree, much like a bird in flight.
VI. The poet says that he is ‘farther off from Heaven’? What is the poet’s ‘heaven’?
Answer: The poet’s ‘heaven’ refers to the blissful and innocent state of his childhood, which he feels he has drifted away from as he has grown older.
Think and Answer
(A) The poet says that he lost his brother and he regrets it. Make a list of other things that the poet lost.
Answer: The poet lost a sense of closeness to nature and the world around him (“My spirit flew in feathers then”), a feeling of being close to heaven/a spiritual connection (“I’m farther off from Heaven than when I was a boy”), the ability to feel wonder and imagination (“those flowers made of light”), freedom and lightness of spirit (“My spirit flew in feathers then/That is so heavy now”), a feeling of newness/excitement about each day (“He never came a wink too soon/Nor brought too long a day”).
(B) You are still in your childhood. But is your ‘now’ the same as when you were a little boy or ‘girl’ say when you were 8 or 9. Try to list the differences between your ‘now’ and your ‘then’.
Answer:
| Now | Then |
| 1. I am in my teens. | 1. I was a child, yet to attain my teens. |
| 2. I have more responsibilities and expectations. | 2. Life was simpler with fewer responsibilities. |
| 3. My interests and hobbies are evolving. | 3. I enjoyed simpler pleasures and activities. |
Appreciation
(a) In the poem, the words ‘I remember, I remember’ is repeated at the beginning of every stanza. Which of the following statements are the effects it produces:
I. It has no special purpose.
II. Emphasises childhood memories
III. Stresses the loss between childhood innocence and grown up experience.
IV. The poet reminds himself of his childhood so that he will not forget it.
V. Reflects the unhappy condition of his adulthood.
Answer: The relevant statements are:
II. Emphasises childhood memories
III. Stresses the loss between childhood innocence and grown up experience.
IV. The poet reminds himself of his childhood so that he will not forget it.
V. Reflects the unhappy condition of his adulthood.
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger. He manages Online Free Notes and reads Victorian literature. His favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and he hopes to travel the world. Get in touch with him by sending him a friend request.
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