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Mother Tongue

NCERT Class 11 · English Based on NCERT Class 11 English textbook · Free CBSE study kit

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Chapter Notes

Overview
This poem by Padma Sachdev, translated from Dogri, uses a conversation between the poet and a reed to symbolise the poet's urgent need for a quill to write in her mother tongue, Dogri. The chapter exists in the syllabus to explore themes of linguistic identity, cultural deprivation, and emotional attachment to one's native language. The one big idea a student must walk away with is that a mother tongue is not just a means of communication but a living entity that commands loyalty and service, and its deprivation of a native script is a profound loss.
Key Concepts (12)
Mother tongue
The first language a person learns from birth, often the language of one's mother and community, representing deep emotional and cultural identity.
e.g. For Padma Sachdev, Dogri is her mother tongue, and she feels a personal bond with it, referring to it as a 'Shahni' (queen) she serves.
Quill
A writing instrument made from a bird's feather, used in the poem as a symbol for the means to write and preserve one's language.
e.g. The poet asks the reed for a quill to write in Dogri, symbolising the need for a tool to express her mother tongue.
Reed
A tall, slender plant stem that grows near water; in the poem, it is personified and provides the quill (its cut-off hand) to the poet.
e.g. The reed initially refuses but later cuts off its hand (the stem) to give the poet a quill, showing its own allegiance to the mother tongue.
Shah
A term for a wealthy merchant or moneylender, used in the poem to contrast with the poet's true employer, the 'Shahni' (queen).
e.g. The reed accuses the poet of being an accountant for some Shah, implying wasteful use of quills, but the poet clarifies she works for a Shahni.
Shahni
A queen or wealthy woman; in the poem, it is a metaphor for the poet's mother tongue, Dogri, whom she serves as a devoted servant.
e.g. The poet says she works for a very kind and well-off Shahni, who has many servants ever ready to do her bidding — this Shahni is Dogri.
Dogri
A language spoken in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab; listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India; the poet's mother tongue.
e.g. Dogri originally had the Sharade script, but now uses Persian and Devanagari scripts; the poem bemoans the loss of its native script.
Sharade script
The original native script of Dogri, which evolved from the Brahmi script around the time Dogri developed; now largely replaced by Persian and Devanagari scripts.
e.g. The poem's background note explains that Sharade was once widely used by all religions in the valley but was replaced by the Persian script for various reasons.
Personification
A figure of speech that attributes human qualities, emotions, or actions to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.
e.g. The reed is personified as it speaks, gets irritated, and cuts off its own hand; the mother tongue is personified as a Shahni with servants.
Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India
The schedule that lists the official languages of India; Dogri is included in this schedule, giving it constitutional recognition.
e.g. Dogri, though lacking a native script in common use, is listed in Schedule VIII, which means it is recognised as a scheduled language of India.
Urgency
A sense of pressing need or haste; in the poem, the poet repeatedly asks for a quill 'quickly' because her mother tongue is looking for her.
e.g. The poet says 'Give me, a quill, quickly / She must be looking for me', showing her eagerness to respond to her mother tongue's call.
Emotional attachment
A deep personal bond or affection; the poet shows this through her devotion to Dogri as a servant to a queen, and the reed's sacrifice.
e.g. The poet's emotional attachment is evident when she describes Dogri as a kind Shahni and herself as one of her many servants, ever ready to do her bidding.
Symbolism
The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities; in this poem, the quill symbolises the means to write and preserve the mother tongue.
e.g. The quill is not just a pen; it symbolises the poet's ability to express and serve her mother tongue, Dogri.
How It Works
The poet's request for a quill and the reed's response
  1. Step 1: The poet approaches a stem (reed) swinging on a reed and asks for a quill.
  2. Step 2: The reed becomes irritated and questions why the poet needs a new quill so soon, accusing her of being an accountant for a Shah.
  3. Step 3: The poet clarifies she does not work for a Shah but for a very kind and well-off Shahni, who is her mother tongue, Dogri.
  4. Step 4: The poet insists on getting a quill quickly because her mother tongue is looking for her.
  5. Step 5: The reed cuts off its own hand (the stem) and gives it to the poet, declaring that it too is a servant of the same Shahni (the mother tongue).
💡 Students often forget that the reed's initial irritation is a dramatic device to highlight the poet's devotion; the reed's final sacrifice shows that even nature serves the mother tongue.
The historical loss of Dogri's native script (Sharade)
  1. Step 1: Dogri originally developed the Sharade script, which evolved from the Brahmi script around the time Dogri developed.
  2. Step 2: Sharade was once widely used by people of all religions in the valley.
  3. Step 3: For various reasons (not specified in the text), Sharade came to be replaced by the Persian script.
  4. Step 4: Presently, Dogri is written in either the Persian script or the Devanagari script (Hindi and Urdu).
  5. Step 5: Despite lacking a native script in common use, Dogri is listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.
💡 Students often confuse the order: Sharade was the original script, then Persian replaced it, and now both Persian and Devanagari are used. The poem does not specify the reasons for the replacement.
Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes
⚠ Confusing the Shah and the Shahni
✗ Students often write that the poet works for a Shah (moneylender) and that the Shah is her mother tongue.
→ The poet explicitly denies working for a Shah; she says 'No, I don’t work for a Shah' and clarifies that she works for a Shahni (queen), who is her mother tongue Dogri. The Shah is a false accusation by the reed.
✓ The poet works for a Shahni (queen), who is her mother tongue Dogri. The reed mistakenly thinks she works for a Shah (moneylender).
⚠ Misinterpreting the quill as a literal feather
✗ Students say the quill is just a pen made from a bird's feather and the poet needs it to write a letter.
→ The quill is a symbol for the means to write and preserve the mother tongue. The poet's urgency is not about a physical pen but about serving her language by writing in it.
✓ The quill symbolises the tool needed to express and serve the mother tongue, Dogri. It represents the act of writing and preserving the language.
⚠ Thinking the reed is the mother tongue
✗ Students write that the reed is the mother tongue because it gives the quill.
→ The reed is a separate entity — a plant stem that provides the quill. The mother tongue is personified as the Shahni (queen). The reed declares itself a servant of the same Shahni, showing it is not the mother tongue itself.
✓ The reed is a servant of the mother tongue (Shahni), just like the poet. It provides the quill as an act of service to the same queen.
⚠ Confusing Sharade with Devanagari or Persian script
✗ Students write that Dogri's original script is Devanagari or Persian.
→ The chapter text clearly states that Dogri's native script is Sharade, which evolved from Brahmi. Devanagari and Persian are later replacements, not the original script.
✓ Dogri's original native script was Sharade, which evolved from Brahmi. It was later replaced by Persian script, and now both Persian and Devanagari scripts are used for Dogri.
⚠ Forgetting the poet's name and language
✗ Students write that the poet is an unknown author or that the poem is originally in Hindi.
→ The poet is Padma Sachdev, and the poem is translated from the original Dogri. She writes in Dogri and Hindi and received the Sahitya Akademi Award for her Dogri poetry.
✓ The poet is Padma Sachdev, who writes in her mother tongue Dogri and in Hindi. The poem is translated from the original Dogri.
Compare & Contrast
Role in the poem
Shah
Shahni
Shah is a moneylender/merchant for whom the reed mistakenly thinks the poet works; Shahni is a queen who represents the poet's mother tongue, Dogri, and is served with devotion.
Relationship to Dogri
Sharade script
Persian script
Sharade is the original native script of Dogri, evolved from Brahmi; Persian script replaced Sharade for various reasons and is now one of the scripts used for Dogri, along with Devanagari.
Exam Focus
Marks pattern: 1-2 MCQs (1 mark each) on symbolism and personification, 1 Short Answer (2-3 marks) on the poet's emotional attachment or the quill's symbolism, 1 Long Answer (5 marks) on the theme of linguistic identity and the loss of native script.
Most asked: Symbolism of the quill · Personification in the poem · Emotional attachment to the mother tongue · The poet's sense of urgency · The historical context of Dogri and the Sharade script
Don't skip: Explain the symbolism of the quill and the reed in the poem 'Mother Tongue'.; How does Padma Sachdev use personification to express her love for Dogri?; Discuss the significance of the Shahni metaphor in the poem.
One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)
  1. The poem 'Mother Tongue' is written by Padma Sachdev and translated from Dogri.
  2. Padma Sachdev writes in Dogri and Hindi and won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her Dogri poetry.
  3. The central symbol of the poem is the quill, which represents the means to write and preserve the mother tongue.
  4. The reed is personified as an irritated being that eventually sacrifices its hand (stem) to serve the mother tongue.
  5. The poet's mother tongue is Dogri, personified as a kind and well-off Shahni (queen).
  6. The poet shows urgency because her mother tongue is looking for her, and she must respond quickly.
  7. The reed initially accuses the poet of being an accountant for a Shah (moneylender).
  8. The poet clarifies she does not work for a Shah but for a Shahni, who is her mother tongue.
  9. Dogri originally had the Sharade script, which evolved from the Brahmi script.
  10. Sharade was replaced by the Persian script for various reasons, and now both Persian and Devanagari scripts are used for Dogri.
  11. Dogri is listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.
  12. Personification is used for the reed, the quill, and the mother tongue (as Shahni).
  13. The poem bemoans the deprivation of Dogri of its native script, Sharade.
  14. The reed's final action shows that even nature is a servant of the mother tongue.
  15. The poet's emotional attachment is shown through her devotion and the metaphor of servitude to the Shahni.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. In 'Mother Tongue', what does the speaker ask the reed for?

  • A. A quill to write for the Shahni ✓
  • B. A new reed to swing on
  • C. A tool to cut accounts
  • D. A pen to work for a Shah

Answer: A — The speaker approaches the reed and directly asks for a quill to use in serving the Shahni, which is a metaphor for the mother tongue.

Q2. The Shahni in the poem represents—

  • A. A wealthy employer who pays well
  • B. The speaker's mother tongue, Dogri ✓
  • C. A royal court in ancient times
  • D. A servant who works for the speaker

Answer: B — The poem explicitly states that the Shahni symbolises the mother tongue Dogri, for which the speaker works as a devoted servant.

Q3. Why does the reed initially ask 'Are you some sort of an accountant'?

  • A. The speaker works in finance
  • B. The reed misunderstands the speaker's profession
  • C. It is irritated that the speaker frequently needs new quills ✓
  • D. Accountants traditionally use many pens

Answer: C — The reed is irritated because the speaker had just received a quill the other day and is asking for another; it assumes only accountants would need pens so frequently.

Q4. Which of the following is a major example of personification in 'Mother Tongue'?

  • A. The Shahni being described as very kind
  • B. The reed cutting off its hand and giving it as a quill ✓
  • C. The speaker working as a servant
  • D. The mention of account books and pens

Answer: B — Personification assigns human actions ('cutting off its hand') to a non-human object (the reed), making it speak and act like a person.

Q5. What historical problem is the poem addressing about Dogri language?

  • A. Dogri has too many speakers and is overcrowded
  • B. Dogri lost its native Sharade script and now uses Persian and Devanagari scripts ✓
  • C. Dogri is not recognised by the Indian Constitution
  • D. Dogri speakers do not work as servants anymore

Answer: B — The poem's context explains that Dogri originally had the Sharade script (evolved from Brahmi) but lost it when Persian and Devanagari scripts replaced it.

Q6. The urgency in the speaker's request ('Give me, a quill, quickly') is best explained by—

  • A. The speaker is late for work at the Shah's office
  • B. The speaker fears the Shahni (mother tongue) is being lost and must be served immediately ✓
  • C. The reed is about to be cut down and won't be available later
  • D. The speaker needs to finish account books quickly

Answer: B — The speaker says 'She must be looking for me,' implying the Shahni (mother tongue) awaits; the urgency reflects anxiety about preserving and serving the mother tongue before it is lost.

Q7. When the reed says 'I too am her servant,' it primarily conveys that—

  • A. The reed works for the same Shahni as the speaker
  • B. Nature itself understands and supports the preservation of the mother tongue ✓
  • C. The reed is enslaved and has no choice but to serve
  • D. The Shahni employs all living things in the valley

Answer: B — By claiming to be the Shahni's servant, the reed shows empathy and solidarity with the speaker's mission, suggesting that even nature recognises the importance of preserving mother tongue.

Q8. Which statement about 'Mother Tongue' is NOT correct? (Assertion-Style)

  • A. The poem is translated from the original Dogri
  • B. Padma Sachdev won the Sahitya Academi Award at age thirty for her first collection of Dogri poems
  • C. Dogri is listed in Schedule VIII of the Indian Constitution and is an official language of India
  • D. The poem celebrates the speaker's successful career working for a wealthy Shahni and her servants ✓

Answer: D — The Shahni is a metaphor for mother tongue, not a real employer; the poem addresses linguistic loss and cultural preservation, not career success.

Q9. The metaphor of the quill in 'Mother Tongue' best represents— (HOTS: Multi-step interpretation)

  • A. A symbol of writing and record-keeping, nothing more
  • B. The tool of expression needed to preserve and voice one's linguistic and cultural identity ✓
  • C. A practical object that accountants and writers use daily
  • D. A gift that the Shahni gives to her servants for their work

Answer: B — The quill functions as a multi-layered metaphor: it represents the speaker's urgent need to express, preserve, and keep alive the mother tongue (Dogri) in the face of script loss and cultural erosion.

Q10. The poem's emotional attachment to mother tongue is BEST conveyed through—

  • A. Describing the Shahni as very kind and well off
  • B. The speaker's willingness to serve the mother tongue urgently, and the reed's sacrifice, showing loyalty and devotion beyond mere employment ✓
  • C. The mention of servants and account books
  • D. The comparison between the Shah and the Shahni

Answer: B — Emotional attachment is shown not through descriptions of wealth but through actions and relationships: the speaker's urgent loyalty and the reed's willing sacrifice both demonstrate that serving mother tongue is a duty of love, not mere business.

Flashcards

What does the quill symbolise in 'Mother Tongue'?

The quill symbolises the tool and means of expressing and preserving one's mother tongue and cultural identity.

Who is the 'Shahni' in the poem?

The Shahni is a metaphor for the speaker's mother tongue, Dogri, which the speaker serves loyally.

What historical problem does the poem address?

The poem laments Dogri's loss of its native Sharade script, which was replaced by Persian and Devanagari scripts.

Define personification and give one example from the poem.

Personification gives human qualities to non-human things; the reed cutting off its 'hand' to give a quill is an example.

Why is there urgency in the speaker's request for a quill?

The speaker feels urgency because the mother tongue (Shahni) is waiting and the speaker must serve and preserve it immediately.

What is the significance of the reed saying 'I too am her servant'?

This shows that even nature sympathises with and supports the preservation of the speaker's mother tongue.

What does the poem reveal about the speaker's attitude to their mother tongue?

The speaker shows deep emotional attachment, viewing mother tongue as a revered employer worthy of devoted service.

Name the original script of Dogri language.

The original script of Dogri is Sharade, which evolved from Brahmi script around the time Dogri developed.

Which scripts are currently used to write Dogri?

Dogri is currently written in both Devanagari (Hindi and Urdu) script and Persian script.

What does Dogri's inclusion in Schedule VIII of the Indian Constitution mean?

It means Dogri is recognised as an official language of India with constitutional protection and status.

Important Board Questions

In 'Mother Tongue', what does the quill symbolise, and how does this symbol connect to the theme of cultural identity? [2 marks]

The quill is the tool needed to serve and express the mother tongue; connect this to Dogri's loss of its native Sharade script and the speaker's urgent need to preserve linguistic identity.

Explain how Padma Sachdev uses personification in 'Mother Tongue' to strengthen the poem's message about linguistic preservation. Provide two examples from the text. [5 marks]

Identify how the reed and Shahni are given human qualities (reed 'cutting off its hand', Shahni 'looking for' the speaker); explain how these personified actions reveal the speaker's emotional bond with mother tongue and nature's sympathy for cultural loss. Show the cause-effect between personification and emotional impact.

The poem 'Mother Tongue' is a lament for the loss of Dogri's native Sharade script. Analyse how the poem's metaphor of 'serving the Shahni' reveals the speaker's attitude towards their mother tongue and the urgency of linguistic preservation in the face of cultural erosion. (HOTS: Connect historical context, metaphor, and emotional tone.) [6 marks]

Explain the metaphor: Shahni = mother tongue; serving = duty and love; connect to Schedule VIII recognition and Sharade script replacement. Analyse dialogue tone, urgency ('quickly'), and reed's sacrifice to show that linguistic preservation is portrayed as an emotional, sacred duty—not mere administrative task. Show how historical loss (script replacement) justifies the emotional intensity and metaphorical framing.

Assertion-Reason Questions for Mother Tongue

Q1. Assertion (A):

The quill in 'Mother Tongue' is a symbol of the literary tools and expressive means necessary for preserving a mother tongue.

Reason (R):

The speaker repeatedly requests new quills because she needs them to perform her duties of serving her mother tongue Dogri through writing and literary expression.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason directly explains why the quill functions as a symbol—it represents the tools needed for language preservation through active literary use.

Q2. Assertion (A):

Padma Sachdev's poem mourns the loss of Dogri's native Sharade script and the language's deprivation of its original script.

Reason (R):

The Sharade script was replaced by the Persian script due to the superiority of Persian as a writing system.

Answer: C — A is true but R is false — The assertion is true—the poem does lament the loss of Sharade. However, the reason is false because the text states Sharade was replaced 'for various reasons,' not because of Persian's inherent superiority. The replacement was due to historical and political circumstances.

Q3. Assertion (A):

Personification is used throughout the poem to attribute human qualities to the Shahni, the reed, and the stem.

Reason (R):

Personification is employed to emphasise that language preservation is a collective responsibility where all elements—speakers, resources, and cultural heritage—must work together in service of the mother tongue.

Answer: B — Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A — Both statements are true. Personification is indeed used for the Shahni (mother tongue), reed, and stem. However, the reason, while true and insightful, is more about the thematic significance of personification rather than the reason why it is used as a literary device in this specific context.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for Mother Tongue

Case Study:

A linguistic survey conducted in Himachal Pradesh revealed that while 85% of older residents (above 50 years) speak Dogri as their first language, only 32% of children below 15 years use Dogri regularly for daily communication. Most young speakers prefer Hindi or English for academic purposes and social media interaction. Local schools teach subjects primarily in Hindi and English, with Dogri offered only as an optional subject. Community leaders express concern that without active intervention, Dogri may lose speakers within a generation, similar to how other minority languages have declined in India.

Q1. Based on the survey data, what does the significant gap between older and younger speakers of Dogri indicate?

  • A. Children are naturally lazy and refuse to learn their mother tongue
  • B. Dogri is being rapidly displaced by dominant languages, threatening its transmission to the next generation ✓
  • C. Younger speakers have superior linguistic abilities compared to older speakers
  • D. The education system is deliberately suppressing Dogri language

Answer: B

Q2. How does the educational system's preference for Hindi and English relate to the themes in Padma Sachdev's 'Mother Tongue'?

  • A. Both celebrate the dominance of major languages over minority languages
  • B. Both highlight the struggle to preserve and maintain active use of a mother tongue against institutional and social pressures ✓
  • C. Both suggest that minority languages are inherently weaker and should be abandoned
  • D. Both indicate that language choice is purely a matter of individual preference

Answer: B

Q3. What practical measures could address the language transmission challenge described in the passage, drawing from the poem's emphasis on collective responsibility?

  • A. Eliminate Hindi and English from all schools immediately
  • B. Ensure only government officials speak Dogri
  • C. Integrate Dogri into school curricula, encourage family conversations in Dogri, and create cultural spaces where young people engage with the language actively ✓
  • D. Wait for international organisations to solve the language preservation problem

Answer: C

Q4. The survey's findings demonstrate that language preservation requires constant effort, similar to the speaker's repeated requests for quills in the poem. Which stakeholder group bears the primary responsibility for sustaining Dogri?

  • A. Only linguists and scholars should work to preserve Dogri
  • B. Only government institutions can preserve minority languages
  • C. Multiple stakeholders—families, educators, community leaders, and speakers—must collectively contribute to language maintenance and transmission ✓
  • D. Language preservation is impossible once decline begins

Answer: C

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