What impact does the title of the poem have on the overall mood of the poem?
The title, "I cannot remember my mother," immediately sets a melancholic and nostalgic mood, creating a sense of loss and absence. It makes the reader feel the poet's sorrow over his inability to recall his mother directly.
However, the title's impact creates a profound contrast within the poem's mood. While the title suggests forgetting, the poet actually experiences his mother's presence through symbolism, such as the hovering tune, the smell of shiuli flowers, and her gaze spreading over the sky.
This contrast transforms the overall mood from one of pure grief to a bittersweet and comforting emotional connection. The title highlights that even if conscious memory fades, the mother's influence remains deeply ingrained in the poet's senses and nature.
Explanation
The question asks for the impact of the title on the mood. The context reveals the title is also the poem's refrain: 'I cannot remember my mother'. While the title initially suggests a mood of loss and forgetting, the context shows the poet uses symbolism (tune, shiuli flowers, gaze in the sky) to indicate his mother's lingering presence. Therefore, the title creates a contrast: a mood of melancholic absence that shifts to a bittersweet, comforting presence through sensory memories.