Chapter: 02. Piano
A. Answer these questions.
What effect did the woman’s song have on the speaker? The woman’s song transported the poet back in time, making him vividly recall his childhood memories. What was the child doing? The child was sitting under the piano, feeling the boom of the tingling strings, and pressing his mother’s small, poised feet as she sang. Why did the speaker’s heart weep? The poet’s heart wept because he longed to belong back to the old, cosy Sunday evenings of his childhood. What kind of songs did the speaker say were sung and on what day? Hymns were sung on Sunday evenings. What did the speaker long for? The poet longed for his past childhood days and the cosy Sunday evenings at home, listening to hymns and the piano. B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside
a. What does the speaker mean by the phrase ‘heart of me’?
* By ‘heart of me’, the poet means his deepest emotions, his inner self, or the core of his being.
b. Why do you think these songs were sung on Sundays?
* These songs were likely sung on Sundays because Sunday is traditionally a day for family gatherings, rest, and often religious activities like singing hymns.
c. What image does the speaker create in your mind of the scene he is thinking about?
* The poet creates an image of a warm, inviting, and comfortable (cosy) home scene during a cold winter evening, filled with the sound of music (hymns) and family togetherness. Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
a. What does the speaker mean by the phrase ‘flood of remembrance’?
* By ‘flood of remembrance’, the poet means an overwhelming, sudden, and powerful rush of memories that completely engulf him.
b. Why does the speaker use the word ‘flood’?
* The poet uses the word ‘flood’ to emphasize the immense volume, uncontrollable nature, and overwhelming power of the memories that are rushing back to him, making it impossible to resist or ignore them.
c. What activity in the past does the speaker seem to be weeping for?
* The poet seems to be weeping for the entire experience of his lost childhood days, specifically the cosy Sunday evenings at home with his mother singing and playing the piano. C. Think and answer.
The speaker uses the word ‘glamour’ to describe his childhood days. Can you find other words and phrases in the poem that tell you how the speaker feels about the past? Other words and phrases that show how the poet feels about the past include: “Taking me back down the vista of years,” “weeps to belong / To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside / And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide,” and “I weep like a child for the past.” These all convey a sense of deep longing, warmth, and a bittersweet sadness for a cherished time that is gone. Describe one activity or thing you did when you were younger that you miss doing now. Explain why you stopped doing it and what makes you miss it. (Self-reflection/Personal Answer - Example provided below) When I was younger, I used to spend hours building elaborate forts in the backyard using blankets, chairs, and whatever else I could find. I stopped doing it partly because I grew older and became interested in other activities, and partly because I don’t have a backyard now. I miss the simple creativity and the feeling of adventure that came with building those forts, and the sense of having my own secret space. What is the mood of the poem? The mood of the poem is nostalgic, melancholic, and deeply emotional. It conveys a bittersweet sadness mixed with tender longing for a cherished, lost past. 
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