I Remember, I Remember – Contextual Q&A
Question 1
"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 wish the night
Had borne my breath away!"
(i) What specific memory of the house does the poet recall? (3)
(ii) What is personified in these lines and what is its effect? (3)
(iii) What contrast is created between childhood and present life? (3)
(iv) What does "never came a wink too soon" suggest about the sun's arrival? (3)
(v) How does the opening stanza set the poem's tone and establish its central theme? (4)
Answer:
(i) The poet recalls the little window of his childhood house through which the sun would peep in every morning, creating a vivid, intimate memory of his birthplace.
(ii) The sun is personified as "He" - a male figure who comes and departs like a person would. This personification makes the sun seem like a dependable, caring companion of the poet's childhood, creating warmth and familiarity. The effect is to humanize nature and make the memory deeply personal.
(iii) In childhood, days seemed perfect—the sun never came too early and never made days too long. The poet was content and peaceful. Now, as an adult, the poet is so unhappy he wishes he had died in his sleep, never waking to face his present misery. This shows the stark difference between childhood happiness and adult suffering.
(iv) "Never came a wink too soon" means the sun arrived at the perfect time—not prematurely or inconveniently. A "wink" represents a moment. This suggests the sun's arrival was punctual, reliable and considerate, never disturbing the poet's childhood peace.
(v) The opening stanza establishes a nostalgic, bittersweet tone by dwelling lovingly on a specific childhood memory before sharply contrasting it with the present. The refrain "I remember, I remember" emphasizes the act of remembering with yearning. The central theme—that childhood was a paradise of innocence and joy now lost to adult unhappiness—is immediately established through this contrast between the perfectly timed sun of childhood and the poet's current death wish.
Question 2
"I remember, I remember,
The roses, red and white,
The vi'lets, and the lily-cups,
Those flowers made of light!
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,—
The tree is living yet!"
(i) What flowers does the poet remember and what do they represent? (3)
(ii) What is the significance of the phrase "flowers made of light"? (3)
(iii) Why does the poet mention the robin's nest in the lilacs? (3)
(iv) What is special about the laburnum tree and why does the poet emphasize it is "living yet"? (3)
(v) How does this stanza reveal the poet's connection to nature and the passage of time? (4)
Answer:
(i) The poet remembers roses (red and white), violets, lily-cups and lilacs. These flowers represent the beauty, delicacy and natural splendor of his childhood garden. They symbolize the simple joys and innocent wonder that characterized childhood experience.
(ii) "Flowers made of light" is a metaphorical expression suggesting the flowers seemed almost divine, ethereal and unreal in their beauty. The phrase reveals how intensely the child perceived natural beauty—to him, the flowers seemed so perfect and luminous that they appeared to be made of light itself, not merely biological matter.
(iii) The robin's nest in the lilacs adds a dimension of living nature and vitality to the childhood memory. The presence of birds building nests shows the garden as a thriving ecosystem where different life forms coexist peacefully. This detail emphasizes the garden as a place of natural harmony and life.
(iv) The laburnum tree was planted by the poet's brother on his birthday, making it a personal, family-connected memory. The emphatic phrase "The tree is living yet!" is significant because it shows that despite decades passing, this tangible link to childhood survives. The living tree symbolizes how childhood memories persist and how the past continues to exist in physical form, even as the poet has grown old.
(v) This stanza shows the poet's profound connection to his childhood garden, which was a source of wonder and beauty. The detailed enumeration of flowers and the living laburnum tree reveal how nature was intimately woven into his childhood experience. The emphasis on the tree being "living yet" acknowledges the passage of time—the poet has aged, childhood has ended, yet the natural world he once knew persists, serving as a bridge between past and present.
Question 3
"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 does the poet's memory of swinging represent? (3)
(ii) Explain the comparison between swinging and swallows flying. (3)
(iii) What does "My spirit flew in feathers then" suggest about childhood joy? (3)
(iv) How does "That is so heavy now" emphasize the change from childhood to adulthood? (3)
(v) What is the effect of the contrasts in this stanza, particularly the final two lines about summer pools? (4)
Answer:
(i) Swinging represents freedom, lightness and uninhibited joy in childhood. The swinging motion suggests the poet's spirit soaring, liberated from care and constraint. It symbolizes the physical and spiritual exuberance of childhood.
(ii) The poet imagined that while swinging, the air rushing past him felt as fresh and exhilarating as the air that swallows must experience while flying. This comparison elevates swinging from a simple childhood activity to something approaching the freedom and transcendence of flight. It shows how intensely the child experienced ordinary moments.
(iii) "My spirit flew in feathers then" is a metaphor suggesting the poet's spirit felt light, free, airborne and joyful in childhood. Feathers symbolize lightness, uplift and transcendence. The phrase conveys that childhood allowed his innermost being to soar without burden.
(iv) The stark statement "That is so heavy now" creates a powerful contrast. What was once light and airborne is now weighed down, burdened and grounded. The metaphorical weight suggests the psychological and emotional heaviness of adult life—responsibilities, disappointments, sorrows that have depressed the poet's once-soaring spirit.
(v) The stanza's contrasts create mounting emotional intensity. The vivid childhood memory of exuberant swinging is immediately shadowed by present heaviness. The final lines introduce physical imagery—summer pools and fever—suggesting the poet was so energized as a child that even cool water could not dampen his excitement. Now, this inability is inverted; he is so burdened that nothing can refresh or relieve him. The contrasts underscore the tragedy of lost childhood vitality.
Question 4
"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 farther off from heav'n
Than when I was a boy."
(i) What did the poet believe about the fir trees as a child? (3)
(ii) How does the poet characterize his childhood belief? (3)
(iii) What is the poet's present understanding and how does it differ from childhood? (3)
(iv) What does "farther off from heav'n" mean literally and symbolically? (3)
(v) How does this final stanza provide the deepest meaning and conclusion to the entire poem? (4)