I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER: SUMMARY AND QUESTION ANSWERS

 

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THE POEM “I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER”: SUMMARY AND QUESTION ANSWERS

 

The poem “I Remember, I Remember” by Thomas Hood is a journey through the poet’s memories, contrasting the joy of his childhood with the unhappiness of his present life.

The poem starts with a sense of nostalgia. The poet fondly remembers the house where he was born, the sun peeping in every morning, and how it never felt like a long day back then. Now, he longs for the night to take him away which hints at current unhappiness.

The poet continues to remember more details from his childhood. He remembers beautiful flowers – red and white roses, violets, and lily cups – and describes them as being “made of light,” highlighting their beauty and innocence. He remembers a special birthday when his brother planted a laburnum tree, and how exciting it is that the tree is still alive.

The poet remembers swinging and feeling his spirit soar like a bird. This sense of freedom and joy stands in stark contrast to how he feels now in adulthood.

The poet recalls seeing tall fir trees and naively believing they touched the sky. He acknowledges this as “childish ignorance,” but his current “wisdom” in adulthood brings him no joy. He feels farther away from happiness and a sense of wonder than he did as a child.

The overall message of the poem is that the poet cherishes his childhood memories but feels a deep sense of loss in his present life.  The poem highlights the value of childhood innocence and the bittersweet nature of memory.

 

Poem:
I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now, I often with the night
Had borne my breath away!

Word Meaning:
peeping in: looking in secretly through a small opening
morn: morning
borne: carry
borne my breath away: to carry my life away; to cause death

Explanation:
The poet reflects on his childhood days spent in the house in which he was born and brought up. He remembers a little window in his house through which sunlight would peep in. He would see the sun rising and setting everyday at the same time. The poet has personified the sun by describing it as “He never came a wink too soon, Nor brought too long a day”. In the present, the poet wishes that his life had ended when he was still a child. This suggests that the poet believed that his childhood was better than adulthood.

Poem:
I remember, I remember
The roses, red and white,
The violets, and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birth-day,-
The tree is living yet!

 

Explanation:
The poet remembers the beautiful garden in his house full of colourful varieties of flowers. He talks about the red and white roses, the violets, the lily-cups and lilacs with the robin’s nest. He found flowers so delicate that he believed that they were made of light. The poet then remembers the laburnum tree that his brother had planted on one of his birthdays.
This stanza shows how children have the simplicity to find and enjoy the little joys of life in nature.

Poem:
I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow!

Word Meaning:
swallows: a kind of bird

feathers: soft light parts on the body of a bird
fever on my brow: suggestive of misery and gloominess

Explanation:
The poet talks about the carefree life of childhood. He remembers the swing from his childhood, which would lift both him and his spirits up. While enjoying the breeze that he could experience when he was on the swing, he wondered if the swallow birds also felt the same rush of air while flying. As a child, he was free from the burdens of adult life. The dip in the summer pools that cooled him as a child can barely do the same thing now that he is an adult.

Poem:
I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky;
It was a childish ignorance,
But now ‘tis little joy
To know I’m father off from heaven
Than when I was a boy!

Word Meaning:
fir trees: forest trees with leaves like needles

feathers: soft light parts on the body of a bird
fever on my brow: suggestive of misery and gloominess

Explanation:
The poet talks about the carefree life of childhood. He remembers the swing from his childhood, which would lift both him and his spirits up. While enjoying the breeze that he could experience when he was on the swing, he wondered if the swallow birds also felt the same rush of air while flying. As a child, he was free from the burdens of adult life. The dip in the summer pools that cooled him as a child can barely do the same thing now that he is an adult.

Poem:
I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky;
It was a childish ignorance,
But now ‘tis little joy
To know I’m father off from heaven
Than when I was a boy!

Word Meaning:
fir trees: forest trees with leaves like needles

slender: delicate
tops: upper parts (or a tree)
close: near
father: distant

Explanation:

In the last stanza, the poet talks about how as a child he used to think that the top of fir tree could almost touch the sky (heaven). Now, as an adult he knows better. But there is no joy in knowing that heaven is farther away from what he had imagined it to be as a child. Ignorance is bliss, which is the reason behind the happiness of children. They are protected from the harsh realities of life.

 

The poem “I Remember I Remember” is written by Thomas Hood. The poem is in first person narration and it consists of four stanzas. In each stanza the poet compares his present adulthood life with his past childhood days. The poet thinks that his childhood life was a pleasant one when compared with the painful present one. His longing and desire to regain the childhood days are clearly seen from refrain “I remember I remember”.

                    

In the first stanza the poet talks about the house where he was born. His remembrances of the sun’s peeping through the window at morning, indicates his childish ignorance. The passing day from morning till night gives pleasure to the child. Hence the day does not either end early or prolong. However at present the poet wishes for the night to take away his breath. His desire to death indicates his painful life. The contrast between the past and the present is clear through the portrayal of sun and daytime which means brighter and happier part of his life. In the present he longs for the night that is darkness which means distress of life.

                    

The poet moves from his house into garden in the second stanza. In the garden as a child the poet looked at the variety of flowers like red and white roses, violets, lilies and lilacs. He believed that those flowers are heavenly blessed flowers. Later he talks about the laburnum which his brother has planted on his birthday. The line “The tree is living yet!” might convey two meanings. The first one is, the person, who has planted it, that is his brother, is no more where as the tree is living.  The second one is, the tree is living and growing but the poet is decaying.

                    

The third stanza talks about the swinging of the poet in his past. As a child, he was vital and energetic, who swings very fast to feel the rush of the fresh air. He was like feathers which fly quickly but now he is heavy. This stanza contrasts youthful physical feelings of vitality and ease with heaviness of the presence. This stanza also talks about his physical decline. Summer is cherished in the country in which the poet was born. Even such a wonderful summer could not heel his fever which might mean his sadness or physical sickness.

                    

In the fourth stanza the poet contrasts the child’s close relationship with heaven with the rational knowledge of the grownups who lost faith on spirituality. During his childhood days he imagined that the top of the dark and huge fir tree was close to the heaven. At present he understood it as childish ignorance. With such ignorance he lived happily in the past. Now the rational mind gives him no joy but makes him to feel that the heaven is in a long distance for him to reach.

                    

The poet’s looking at the past with nostalgia gives the impression that the present is painful.  The title of the poem signifies the act of remembering. The frequent usage of the word remembering in the poem indicates the dominant motive of the poem that is recollection of his past

 

Analysis of the Poem I Remember, I Remember

 

The title “I Remember, I Remember” is repeated in the first line of each stanza of the poem. Throughout the poem, the pronoun “I” is the focal point and remembrance, the guiding theme of the poem. The repetition suggests that the poet is remembering his childhood days and wants to highlight his longing for the same. 

By focusing on the self, the poet wants the reader to know about his childhood memories. The use of the present tense ‘remember’ also helps to create a divide within the poem. The poet is ‘remembering’ the past in the present. He can not return to his childhood days. This is a point of sorrow for the poet as he is missing the ease of his childhood life. 

1.      Childhood Happiness

Childhood Happiness is the most prominent theme in the poem. Throughout the poem, the poet thinks of beautiful memories of his childhood and how that happiness has been lost with the end of his childhood days. Children are filled with wonder. They do not need much to be happy and the simple beauties of life are enough to heighten their spirits. The poet thinks about the beautiful flowers-roses, violets, lilies and lilacs from his childhood that would fire his imagination such that he thought they were made of light. The poet misses that time of his life when he had the chance to stop and admire their beauty and feel the sweet smell of the flowers and appreciate the simple joys of life. Adults are so engrossed in practical responsibilities that they do not find time to appreciate small joys of nature. 

 

2.      Fleeting Nature of Time

The poem highlights the contrast between the poet’s happy childhood and his present unhappiness. This contrast underlines the fleeting nature of time and the inevitability of change. 

 

“But now, I often wish the night 

Had borne my breath away!” 

 

This line signifies a longing for escape from the present, highlighting the loss of happy childhood days

3.      Childhood Innocence

 The poem paints a vivid picture of the poet’s childhood innocence.  Details like swinging on a rope, the beauty of flowers, and believing the fir trees touched the sky all represent a simpler, more carefree time in his life. These memories are contrasted with the burdens and complexities of adulthood.

 

“The roses, red and white, 

The violets, and the lily-cups” 

These lines detail the beauty of flowers, representing the simplicity of childhood joys.

 

“And thought the air must rush as fresh 

To swallows on the wing” 

The above lines compare the feeling of swinging to the freedom experienced by birds, symbolizing childhood innocence.

 

“I used to think their slender tops 

Were close against the sky” 

This line describes the poet’s belief that the fir trees touched the sky, highlighting his childlike sense of wonder.

 

Setting of the Poem I Remember, I Remember

The poem is set in the memory of the poet. The poet goes down the memory lane to bring back pieces from his childhood. Nature forms an important component in this setting. 

The poet’s connection with nature is seen through the sun and a beautiful garden in his house with a robin’s nest in the lilacs and a laburnum tree that his brother had planted on his birthday which still stands there as a living remnant of the past that he had lost. 

Each and every memory of the poet’s childhood reminds him that he would not be able to return to his childhood days again. Thus, the setting of the poem highlights the memories of the poet and takes the reader along for his nostalgic journey into childhood and ends with his present stage, away from nature and full of burdens of adult life.

 

Poetic Devices

Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds in the same line.

·         The sound of  / r /  in  “The roses, red and white”

·         The sound of  / f /  in  “My spirit flew in feathers then”

 

Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. For example, the repetition of “I remember, I remember” at the beginning of each stanza in the poem “I Remember, I Remember”

 

Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line. 

For example,

·          The sound of / oo / in “And summer pools could hardly cool.”

 

Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break. Instead, it is continued in the next line or verse. For example,

“And thought the air must rush as fresh

To swallows on the wing.”

 

Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example,

·         “The little window where the sun 

Came peeping in at morn”

·         “The roses, red and white, 

The violets, and the lily-cups”

 

Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between different persons and objects.

“My spirit flew in feathers then” – This metaphor compares the feeling of swinging to flying like a bird, symbolizing the freedom and exhilaration the poet experienced in his childhood

 

Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate options.

1. What do the opening lines the poem create?
(a) happy
(b) sad
(c) nostalgic
(d) indifferent

2. ‘He never came a wink too soon’? What does ‘he’ refer to here?
(a) the moon
(b) the poet’s father
(c) the sun
(d) the poet’s brother

3. Which of these statements is NOT true?
(a) The poet feels miserable as a grown-up man.
(b) The poet laments the loss of childhood innocence.
(c) The poet wishes that he had died in his childhood.
(d) The poet wishes to die now.

4. What kind of tree was planted by the poet’s brother?
(a) fir tree
(b) laburnum
(c) rose
(d) oak

5. ‘And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing.’
Which figure of speech is used in these lines?
(a) simile
(b) metaphor
(c) irony
(d) oxymoron

6. Which word correctly depict the poet’s state of mind as an adult now.
(a) depressed
(b) joyous
(c) bored
(d) thrilled

7. What is the main idea conveyed by the poem?
(a) that adulthood is a period of gloom and restlessness.
(b) that childhood is the best period in man’s life.
(c) that one must recall one’s childhood.
(d) that childhood memories play an important role in man’s line.

8. ‘That is so heavy now’. What does ‘heavy’ refer to here?
(a) the poet’s spirit now
(b) the swing
(c) the poet’s spirit in childhood
(d) old days of childhood

9. In the last stanza the poet refers to ‘childish ignorance’. How does he view it as an adult?
(a) sarcastically
(b) positively
(c) negatively
(d) ironically

10. Which one of these in the poem is associated with childhood freedom?
(a) the sun
(b) swing
(c) the flowers
(d) the fir trees

11. Identify the poetic device in the line “The sun came peeping in at morn”
(a) Simile
(b) Alliteration
(c) Personification
(d) Onomatopoeia

12.”My spirit flew in feathers then” compares the poet’s childhood freedom to flying. This comparison is an example of:
(a) Hyperbole
(b) Metaphor
(c) Simile
(d) Personification

13. “I Remember, I Remember” by Thomas Hood is a
(a) Story
(b) Play
(c) Poem
(d) Folklore

14. Who is the poet of the poem “I Remember, I Remember”?
(a) Thomas Hardy
(b) Thomas Hood
(c) Thomas Edison
(d) Thomas Shelby

15. In the poem, the “fir trees” are described as:
(a) Short and wide
(b) Lush and green
(c) Dark and high
(d) Fragrant and blooming

16. The poem employs a consistent rhyme scheme throughout. What is the most likely pattern?

I remember, I remember
The roses, red and white,
The violets, and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birth-day,-
The tree is living yet!

(a) AABBCCDD
(b) ABCBDEFE
(c) ABABCDCD
(d) No rhyme scheme

17. What is laburnum?
(a) A tree with clusters of white flowers
(b) A tree with clusters of red flowers
(c) A tree with clusters of violet flowers
(d) A tree with clusters of yellow flowers

18. What is the significance of “summer pools could hardly cool the fever on my brows”?
(a) The pool is warm and could not cool him.
(b) The poet does not like to swim
(c) The things that relieved him can barely calm him now
(d) The poet was unwell

19. What do you understand by “But now ‘tis little joy”
(a) It is little joy
(b) There is little joy
(c) His little joy
(d) Both A and B

20. Which of the following images refer to “peeping in”?

 

Answer:
1. (c) nostalgic
2. (c) the sun
3. (c) The poet wishes that he had died in his childhood.
4.(b) laburnum
5. (a) simile
6. (a) depressed
7. (d) that childhood memories play an important role in man’s line.
8. (a) the poet’s spirit now
9. (b) positively
10. (b) swing
11. (c) Personification
12. (b) Metaphor
13. (c) Poem
14. (b) Thomas Hood
15. (c) Dark and high
16. (b) ABCBDEFE
17. (d) A tree with clusters of yellow flowers
18. (c) The things that relieved him can barely calm him now
19. (d) Both A and B
20. (b)

 

Passage 1

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn;
He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
But now, I often with the night
Had borne my breath away!

(i) In what mood does the poet recall his childhood? Why?
Ans. The poet is nostalgic here. He remembers happy details but contrasts them with his current unhappiness, making him long for the carefree days of his childhood.

(ii) How is the sun treated here? Which memory of the poet’s childhood is associated with it?
Ans. The sun is treated as a friendly visitor who peeps in at dawn, arriving at the perfect time and not overstaying its welcome. This suggests happy mornings and a sense of comfort in the poet’s childhood.

(iii) What does the poet wish? Why?
Ans. In the last line of the stanza, the poet is longing for death. He implies his current life is filled with hardship.

(iv) How does the poet contrast childhood and adulthood?
Ans. The poem highlights the contrast between the carefree days of childhood and the burdens of adulthood. The sunrises that once brought joy now seem endless, and the poet is not happy in his adulthood.

(v) How does the poet view swinging in his childhood?
Ans. Swinging represents a sense of joy and freedom. The poet compares the feeling of rushing air to that of a bird in flight, symbolizing the childlike innocence and lightness of spirit he once possessed.

Passage 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

I remember, I remember
The roses, red and white,
The violets, and the lily-cups,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birth-day,-
The tree is living yet!

(i) What has the poet wished earlier in the context?
Ans. In the first stanza, the poet wished for the night to take him away, suggesting a longing for death due to his current unhappiness.

(ii) ‘Those flowers made of light!’ Explain.
Ans. The phrase describes the flowers (roses, violets, lily-cups) as being so beautiful and delicate that they seem to emit light themselves. This emphasizes the beauty associated with the poet’s childhood memories.

(iii) What is ‘laburnum’? What makes the poet excited about it?
Ans. Laburnum is a flowering tree with yellow flower clusters. The poet is excited because of the fact that the laburnum tree, decorated by his brother on his birthday, is still alive.

(iv) Childhood is a period of freedom. Which childhood image in the poem reminds you of this?
Ans. Hood relates his childhood to a bird, flying freely as he swings on his favourite tree.

(v) Who does the poet refer to the fir tree tops later in the context?
Ans. The poet, as a child, believed that fir tree tops were tall that they touched the sky.

Passage 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow!

(i) What did the poet’s brother plant, and when? What is so exciting about it?
Ans. The poet’s brother planted laburnum on the poet’s birthday. The poet’s excitement lies in the fact that the tree, decorated for a birthday celebration, is still alive, serving as a link to the past and a symbol of continuity and happy memories.

(ii) How would the poet feel as a child on a swing?
Ans. The poet felt a sense of freedom and joy when he was on the swing. This highlights the childlike joy and carefree spirit he once possessed.

(iii) Elaborate the contrast between ‘then’ (childhood) and ‘now’ (adulthood).
Ans. The poet compares his present adulthood life with his past childhood days. Summer pools used to refresh him when he was a child but now summer pools fail to calm him down in his adulthood.

(iv) Explain the last line in this extract.
Ans. The “fever on my brow” is a metaphor for the poet’s unhappiness. Things like summer pools which brought joy to the poet when he was a child, now fail to lessen his pain.

(v) Does the poet want to escape from the present harsh realities? Why?
Ans. Yes, the poet seems to want to escape the harsh realities of the present. He longs for the carefree days of his childhood. The poem suggests his sense of nostalgia and a longing for a lost innocence of his childhood.

Passage 4

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky;
It was a childish ignorance,
But now ‘tis little joy
To know I’m father off from heaven
Than when I was a boy.

(i) In what state of mind does the poet recall his childhood? What do you think has made him nostalgic?
Ans. The poet recalls his childhood with a sense of nostalgia as he remembers his childlike wonder and innocence, which contrasts with his current unhappiness in adulthood. This contrast makes him long for the simpler times of his childhood.

(ii) What was the childhood viewpoint about the ‘fir trees’?
Ans. As a child, the poet naively believed the fir trees tops touch the sky. This perception represents his childlike sense of wonder and highlights his innocence.

(iii) How does the poet view his adulthood ‘wisdom’ as compared to his childhood ‘ignorance’?
Ans. The poet views his adult “wisdom” as a loss compared to his childhood “ignorance.” He suggests that his newfound knowledge hasn’t brought him joy, but rather distanced from the happiness and joy he possessed as a child.

(iv) Explain the last two lines of the extract.
Ans. The last two lines of the poem express a sense of loss. The poet acknowledges his childhood beliefs were naive, but his childhood days were joyous. He finds his current understanding offers no comfort. He feels further away from the sense of happiness than he did as a child.

(v) What does the poet now realise was “childish ignorance”?
Ans. The “childish ignorance” refers to the poet’s belief that the fir trees touched the sky. This represents a simpler, more innocent way of viewing the world

 

N.B. Collected from Google