Read the poem and answer the questions given below it.
A Letter Never Posted
I wrote it on the night we fought, Imran,
in pencil first, then over it in ink:
three pages on the cricket bat I broke
and blamed on you before I stopped to think.
I said I missed our long walks home from school.
I said the new boy’s jokes were not that bright.
I said that I was sorry. Twice. And then
I struck one out. Two did not seem quite right.
I bought a stamp and wrote your full address.
I left it on my desk to post next day.
Next day you sat beside Vikram in class,
and so I put the envelope away.
Each Diwali, when we cleaned the house, it moved
one drawer down, under bills and broken pens.
Your family left for Pune that December.
I heard it later, from our common friends.
It is still here. The stamp is two rupees,
the flap unstuck, the pages curled at the end.
Last year I found your number in a group.
I typed out “Hi, it’s me,” and did not send.
Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Regretful and honest
The speaker is sorry about the past and does not hide their own faults.
- The speaker admits the bat was “blamed on you before I stopped to think”, and that one “sorry” was struck out. This is honest.
- The letter is kept for years, “still here”. This shows regret (sorrow about something one did or did not do).
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Bitter and accusing — Incorrect. Contradicted: Accusing means blaming someone else. The speaker blames only themselves: the lie was theirs, and the letter stays with them. Example: She gave her brother an accusing look when the vase broke.
Option 3: Hopeful and cheerful — Incorrect. Misread: The speaker does find Imran’s number. But the message is typed and “did not send”. Nothing in the poem is cheerful. Example: The players were hopeful of a win after the first half.
Option 4: Detached and indifferent — Incorrect. Contradicted: Indifferent means not caring at all. The lines are plain, but a person who did not care would not keep the letter for years. Example: He was indifferent to the noise and went on reading.