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Somebody's Mother: Why the Boy Helped | Class 8 Poem

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EnglishCBSE Class 8 · Somebody's Mother

Somebody's Mother, Class 8: The Boy's Reasoning and the Chain of Kindness

Updated 17 October 2026 · Draft, not yet fact-checked

In Somebody's Mother by Mary Dow Brine, a poor old woman waits at a snowy crossing while the crowd and a group of schoolboys pass by. One cheerful boy offers his arm because he sees her as somebody's mother, and he hopes that someone will help his own mother in the same way. That night the old woman prays for him. The poem shows how empathy and a small act of kindness create a chain of goodness.

Follow the arrows: one small act of empathy returns as a blessing and happiness, so kindness keeps going round.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness

Three groups of people. (1) The crowd passes without noticing her: "alone, uncared for, amid the throng". (2) The schoolboys are cheerful and noisy, "like a flock of sheep", and hurry past in their excitement at the snow. (3) The one boy stops and speaks quietly.

The boy's reasoning. Though she is a stranger, he thinks of her as somebody's mother. He thinks of his own mother and imagines her old, poor and grey. If she needed help one day and he was far away, he would hope that someone would lend a hand. So he helps this woman as he would want others to help his mother. This is empathy: putting yourself in another's place.

The old woman's fear. She is gentle and timid, afraid to cross because of the slippery street and the carriage wheels and horses' hooves. Her fear explains why she needs help and why his offer matters.

The prayer. At night she asks God to be kind to the noble boy, who is also somebody's son. The ending completes a circle: she is somebody's mother, and he is somebody's son.

The chain of kindness. The boy helps the woman. The woman blesses the boy. The boy's happiness ("his young heart happy and well content") shows that kindness rewards the giver, too. The boy also imagines that his own mother will get help from others, so the kindness continues.

Form and tone. A narrative poem in rhyming couplets (AABB). The mood changes from cold and anxious to warm and hopeful. The tone is sympathetic.

Devices. Simile: boys like a flock of sheep. Contrast: trembling feet and strong, firm young feet. Repetition: "somebody's mother". Imagery: the snow and the slippery street.

Answer pattern. State what the boy does, why he does it (empathy), and what follows (blessing and joy).

Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness: key facts

Three groups
Crowdignores her
Boysnoisy, rush past
One boystops and helps
Contrast them in an answer.
Boy's reasoning
  • She is somebody's mother
  • My mother may be old and poor one day
  • Someone should help her
  • So I help this woman
The empathy chain.
Devices
Simileflock of sheep
Contrasttrembling and firm
Repetitionsomebody's mother
Imagerysnow and slippery street
Quote, name, explain.
Mood
Cold and anxious at first | Warm and hopeful at the end
For mood or tone questions.

Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Imagining your own family in another's place

Suppose Neel sees an elderly man struggling with two heavy bags near the railway station steps while others walk past. Neel thinks, "He could be my grandfather." He carries one bag to the platform. Later he tells his family about it, and his grandfather says he hopes others would do the same for him.

Which line of thinking from the poem does Neel follow?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Neel sees the man as a person belonging to a family.
  2. He imagines his own grandfather in that situation.
  3. He acts, as the boy does when he imagines his mother.

Answer: Neel follows the boy's empathy: seeing a stranger as somebody's relative and helping as he would wish someone to help his own family.

Memory hook: Everyone is somebody's somebody.

Tricks to remember Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • C-B-B

    Crowd, Boys, Boy.

    Use it when: The three groups the old woman meets.

  • Mother-Son circle

    She is somebody's mother; he is somebody's son.

    Use it when: The meaning of the ending.

  • AABB

    Pairs rhyme side by side.

    Use it when: The rhyme scheme.

Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Poet's comparison · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The poet compares the schoolboys to
(a) a flock of sheep (b) a herd of horses (c) a swarm of bees (d) a flight of birds

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The boys came like a flock of sheep (1 mark).

Answer: (a)

Example 2: Why the old woman waited · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Why did the old woman wait at the crossing for a long time? Answer in 30-40 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Her feet were old and slow (1).
  2. She feared the carriages and the slippery street (1).

Answer: The old woman waited because her feet were slow and she was afraid to move on the slippery street, in case the carriage wheels or horses' hooves hit her. Nobody in the crowd stopped to help.

Example 3: The boy's reason · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Why did the boy tell his friends that the old woman was somebody's mother? What does it show about him? Answer in 50-60 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. She is someone's mother, valued by someone (1).
  2. He thinks of his own mother growing old (1).
  3. Shows empathy and kindness (1).

Answer: The boy said this because he saw the old woman as a person who belongs to a family, like his own mother. He imagined his mother poor, old and grey one day and hoped that someone would help her. This shows that he is kind and empathetic and does not judge a person only by her age or poverty.

Example 4: Contrast of the boys · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Compare the behaviour of the crowd, the schoolboys and the one boy. What does the poet want to say through this contrast? Answer in 70-80 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The crowd ignores her (1).
  2. The boys are cheerful but unaware (1).
  3. One boy stops and helps (1).
  4. Message: kindness is a personal choice (1).

Answer: The crowd passes without noticing the old woman and leaves her alone. The schoolboys are lively and happy about the snow, but they hurry past in their own excitement. Only one boy stops, speaks gently and guides her across. By contrasting these three groups, the poet shows that real kindness does not depend on age, speed or crowd approval; it needs someone who notices others, feels for them and chooses to act.

Example 5: The title · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

The poem is called Somebody's Mother. Discuss how the title carries the central idea and how the last stanza supports it. Answer in 80-100 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Meaning of the title (1.5).
  2. The boy's use of the phrase (1).
  3. Last stanza: somebody's son (1.5).
  4. Central idea and expression (1).

Answer: The title tells us that every old stranger belongs to someone and is precious to them. The boy uses the phrase to explain why he helped her, and the poet repeats it. In the last stanza the old woman prays for the boy, who is somebody's son and his family's pride. So the poem moves from mother to son, and the pair is joined by kindness. The title states the central idea that we should treat every person as someone's family.

Where students lose marks in Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Saying the old woman was the boy's mother

    She was a stranger.

    Wrong working

    The boy helped his mother across the road.

    Right working

    The boy helped a stranger because she was somebody's mother.

    Do this: Write "a stranger" or "an old woman".

    Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks.

  • Mistake: Naming the simile as a metaphor

    A simile uses like or as.

    Wrong working

    Metaphor: the boys came like a flock of sheep.

    Right working

    Simile: the boys are compared to a flock of sheep using the word like.

    Do this: Look for like or as.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Skipping the old woman's prayer

    The ending completes the idea.

    Wrong working

    The poem ends when the boy returns to his friends.

    Right working

    The poem ends with the old woman's prayer for the boy.

    Do this: Include the last stanza in summaries.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

  • Name the three groups in order: crowd, schoolboys, one boy.
  • Use the word empathy when explaining why he helped.
  • For the title, link somebody's mother and somebody's son.
  • Quote only short phrases and explain them in your own words.
  • Mention the change of mood from cold to warm.

Practice questions on Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    The mood at the beginning of the poem is best described as
    (a) joyful (b) cold and anxious (c) angry (d) humorous

    Hint

    Snow, a slippery street and a worried old woman.

    Answer

    (b)

  2. Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

    What did the old woman do that night? Answer in 30-40 words.

    Hint

    She went to her home and prayed.

    Answer

    That night the old woman went to her home and bowed her head in prayer. She asked God to be kind to the noble boy who had helped her, who was also somebody's son and the pride and joy of his family.

  3. Q3 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

    Assertion (A): The boy felt happy after helping the old woman.
    Reason (R): Acts of kindness give joy to the person who helps.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R explains A
    (b) Both are true but R does not explain A
    (c) A is true but R is false
    (d) A is false but R is true

    Hint

    Remember "his young heart happy and well content".

    Answer

    (a)

  4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Explain the contrast between "trembling feet" and "firm and strong" feet. What does it add to the poem? Answer in 40-50 words.

    Hint

    Age and youth.

    Answer

    The old woman's trembling feet show her age and weakness, while the boy's firm and strong feet show his youth and health. The contrast makes her need clear and the boy's ability to help clear. He is proud that his feet are strong enough to support another person.

  5. Q5 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Imagine that you are the boy. Write a diary entry (80-100 words) about the day you helped the old woman, including how you felt and what you told your friends.

    Hint

    First person, past tense, feelings.

    Answer

    Monday, evening. Dear Diary, school ended early today and the street was white with fresh snow. My friends ran ahead shouting, but I saw an old woman standing alone at the crossing, afraid to move. I could not walk past. I offered my arm and guided her across, step by step. I felt proud that my feet were strong enough to help. I told my friends that she was somebody's mother. I hope someone will do the same for my mother if she ever needs it. I felt happy all evening.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Who wrote Somebody's Mother?Show answer

    Mary Dow Brine.

  2. 2.What is the rhyme scheme?Show answer

    AABB.

  3. 3.What was the weather?Show answer

    A cold winter day with fresh snow.

  4. 4.What were the boys compared to?Show answer

    A flock of sheep.

  5. 5.Who offered to help the old woman?Show answer

    The gayest laddie of the group.

  6. 6.What does the old woman pray for?Show answer

    That God be kind to the noble boy.

Somebody's Mother: The Boy's Reasoning and Kindness: frequently asked questions

What is the central idea of Somebody's Mother?

Small acts of kindness matter, and seeing every elderly person as somebody's mother makes us treat them with care.

Is the poem a story?

Yes. It is a narrative poem that tells a short story in rhyming couplets.

Why does the poet use the word gayest?

In this old usage gay means cheerful, so the boy is the most cheerful of the group.

Which questions can be asked on the poem?

Extract-based questions, short answers on the boy and the title, devices and a diary entry.